📖 Biblical Definition
Fish in Scripture run from Jonah's great fish (Jonah 1:17) to Peter's miraculous catches (Luke 5:6, John 21:11), from the feeding miracles (Matt 14, 15) to the post-resurrection breakfast (John 21:9). Jesus called the disciples "fishers of men" (Matt 4:19) — a vocation they knew how to do in one sense applied to a new work. The ICHTHYS fish was the underground symbol of the early Christians in Roman persecution: drawn in dust as recognition between believers, the acronym spelled out the full confession. And in the miracle with the coin in the fish's mouth (Matt 17:27), Peter's fishing experience funds the temple tax — God providing the very shekel through the sea.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
FISH, n.
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FISH, n. [Sax. fisc.] An animal living in water. In Scripture, fish figure in Jonah's rescue, Peter's miraculous catches, the feeding of thousands, the coin-in-fish-mouth provision, and Jesus' call of the fishermen to become fishers of men. The Greek word ICHTHYS was the underground acronym of the early Christians: Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior.
📖 Key Scripture
Matthew 4:19 — "And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.""
John 21:11 — "So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them."
Jonah 1:17 — "And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."
Matthew 17:27 — "Go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
The ichthys fish is now just a bumper sticker. Originally it was the covert password of a persecuted Church.
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When Christianity was illegal under Rome, the ichthys fish was drawn in the sand between believers — if the other person added the second curve, you had a brother. The acronym spelled the full confession: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. Modern bumper-sticker use has lost the underground weight. Remember: the symbol comes from a time when being caught was crucifixion; the fish on your car has martyrs' blood in its ink.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
H1709 — dag. G2486 — ichthys.
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H1709 — dag (דָּג) — fish.
G2486 — ichthys (ἰχθύς) — fish; early Christian acronym.
Usage
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. The vocabulary Jesus used was fishermen's; the vocation was universal."
"The ichthys fish was drawn in the dust by people whose lives depended on the second curve. Remember the cost of the symbol."