☀️
← Back to Lexicon
G231 · Greek · New Testament
ἁλιεύς
halieus
Noun, masculine
fisherman

Definition

Halieus (G231) is a fisherman. The word appears in the Gospels as the occupation of the first disciples — Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all halieis. Jesus' famous call 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men' (Matthew 4:19) transforms the vocational identity of halieis into a metaphor for evangelism.

Usage & Theological Significance

Jesus calling halieis as his first disciples is profoundly counter-cultural. These were blue-collar workers, not scribal elite. The gospel begins at the waterfront, not the academy. The metaphor of fishing (halieis anthropōn — fishers of men) also appears in Jeremiah 16:16, where God sends fishers to catch the scattered of Israel — a prophetic image Jesus deliberately invokes.

Key Bible Verses

Matthew 4:18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen [halieis].
Matthew 4:19 And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men [halieis anthrōpōn].'
Luke 5:2 He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen [halieis] had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
Jeremiah 16:16 Behold, I am sending for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they shall catch them.
John 21:3 Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.' They said to him, 'We will go with you.' They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Related Words

External Resources

🌙
☀️