Fishing holds significant symbolic meaning in the Bible, often representing evangelism, provision, and the call to discipleship. From Jesus calling His first disciples to be “fishers of men” to miraculous catches of fish that demonstrated God’s provision, these scriptures highlight important spiritual truths and lessons.
Here are 30 Bible verses about fishing, each accompanied by a brief commentary to provide deeper understanding and reflection.
1. Matthew 4:19
“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.'”
Jesus calls His disciples. This verse marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, where He calls His first disciples to leave their fishing nets and follow Him, promising to transform them into fishers of men, symbolizing their new role in evangelism.
2. Luke 5:4-6
“When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.’ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”
Miraculous catch of fish. This passage illustrates the miracle Jesus performed by filling the nets with fish, demonstrating His divine power and reinforcing the disciples’ faith in His guidance and provision.
3. John 21:6
“And He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.”
Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance. In this verse, after His resurrection, Jesus instructs His disciples to cast their net on the right side, resulting in a miraculous catch, reaffirming His identity and authority.
4. Matthew 17:27
“Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
Provision through a fish. This verse describes a miracle where Jesus instructs Peter to catch a fish that miraculously contains a coin in its mouth, demonstrating God’s provision for their needs.
5. Mark 1:16-18
“And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”
Immediate obedience. This passage highlights Simon and Andrew’s immediate response to Jesus’ call, leaving their fishing nets to follow Him and become fishers of men, emphasizing the importance of prompt obedience to God’s call.
6. John 21:10-11
“Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.’ Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.”
Large catch after resurrection. This verse recounts how Jesus instructed the disciples to bring the fish they had just caught, showing the abundance of their catch and symbolizing the fruitfulness of their mission.
7. Ezekiel 47:9-10
“And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many.”
The river of life. This passage in Ezekiel describes a vision of the river of life, where fishermen will catch an abundance of fish, symbolizing the life-giving and restorative power of God’s presence.
8. Habakkuk 1:14-15
“Why do You make men like fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler over them? They take up all of them with a hook, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their dragnet; therefore they rejoice and are glad.”
Humanity like fish. This verse uses the metaphor of fish to describe the plight of people who are caught and exploited, questioning God’s justice and seeking understanding of His ways.
9. Jonah 1:17
“Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
Jonah and the great fish. This verse recounts how Jonah was swallowed by a great fish prepared by the Lord, symbolizing God’s sovereignty and His use of extraordinary means to fulfill His purposes.
10. Genesis 1:26
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'”
Dominion over fish. This verse highlights humanity’s God-given authority to have dominion over the fish of the sea and all other creatures, emphasizing stewardship and responsibility.
11. Jeremiah 16:16
“Behold, I will send for many fishermen,’ says the Lord, ‘and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.'”
God’s judgment through fishing. This verse uses the imagery of fishing and hunting to describe God’s judgment and His gathering of people for accountability and justice.
12. Matthew 13:47-48
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.”
Parable of the dragnet. This parable compares the kingdom of heaven to a dragnet that catches all kinds of fish, illustrating the final judgment where the righteous are separated from the wicked.
13. Numbers 11:22
“Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?”
Moses questions provision. In this verse, Moses questions whether all the fish in the sea would be enough to feed the Israelites, highlighting the magnitude of their need and God’s ability to provide.
14. Isaiah 19:8
“The fishermen also will mourn; all those will lament who cast hooks into the Nile, and they will languish who spread nets on the waters.”
Judgment on Egypt. This prophecy speaks of the mourning of fishermen in Egypt due to the desolation of the Nile, symbolizing economic decline and divine judgment.
15. Luke 24:42-43
“So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.”
Jesus eats fish after resurrection. This verse describes Jesus eating broiled fish after His resurrection, proving His physical resurrection to His disciples.
16. Job 41:1
“Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?”
God’s power over Leviathan. This verse challenges Job’s understanding of God’s power by questioning his ability to catch the mighty Leviathan with a hook, emphasizing God’s supreme authority.
17. John 21:3
“Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We are going with you also.’ They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.”
Peter returns to fishing. This verse shows Peter and the disciples returning to fishing after Jesus’ resurrection, symbolizing their initial uncertainty and the need for Jesus’ guidance.
18. Matthew 14:17
“And they said to Him, ‘We have here only five loaves and two fish.'”
Feeding the multitude. This verse begins the account of Jesus miraculously feeding five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish, demonstrating God’s provision and power.
19. Mark 6:41
“And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.”
Miracle of provision. This verse describes Jesus blessing and breaking the loaves and fish to feed the multitude, illustrating the multiplication of resources through divine blessing.
20. John 21:9
“Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.”
Breakfast by the sea. This verse depicts Jesus preparing a meal of fish and bread for His disciples after His resurrection, demonstrating His care and fellowship with them.
21. Luke 5:10
“And so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.'”
Commission to catch men. This verse records Jesus’ words to Simon, James, and John, calling them to a new mission of evangelism, likening it to fishing for people.
22. Matthew 13:47
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind.”
The kingdom compared to a dragnet. This verse highlights the inclusiveness of the kingdom of heaven, gathering all kinds of people like a dragnet collects various fish.
23. John 6:9
“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”
Small resources, big impact. This verse introduces the young boy who provided the loaves and fish that Jesus used to feed the multitude, illustrating how God can multiply small offerings.
24. Ecclesiastes 9:12
“For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.”
Uncertainty of life. This verse uses the imagery of fish caught in a net to describe the unpredictability of life and the suddenness of difficult times.
25. Jeremiah 16:16
“Behold, I will send for many fishermen,’ says the Lord, ‘and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.'”
God’s judgment through fishing. This verse uses the imagery of fishing and hunting to describe God’s judgment and His gathering of people for accountability and justice.
26. Jonah 2:1
“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly.”
Jonah’s prayer. This verse describes Jonah praying to God from the belly of the fish, highlighting his repentance and God’s sovereignty in using extraordinary means for His purposes.
27. Exodus 7:18
“And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink the water of the river.'”
Plague on the Nile. This verse describes one of the plagues God sent upon Egypt, where the fish in the Nile died, symbolizing divine judgment and the disruption of natural resources.
28. Nehemiah 13:16
“Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.”
Commerce on the Sabbath. This verse highlights the trade activities in Jerusalem, including the selling of fish, and Nehemiah’s efforts to restore proper Sabbath observance.
29. Ezekiel 29:4
“But I will put hooks in your jaws, and cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales; I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, and all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales.”
Judgment on Pharaoh. This verse uses the imagery of fishing to describe God’s judgment on Pharaoh, pulling him and the fish from the river, symbolizing a decisive and inescapable punishment.
30. Mark 1:17
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.'”
Call to discipleship. This verse reiterates Jesus’ call to His disciples to follow Him and be transformed into fishers of men, emphasizing the mission of evangelism and spreading the Gospel.
These verses collectively highlight the symbolic and practical significance of fishing in the Bible, illustrating themes of provision, calling, judgment, and evangelism. They encourage believers to trust in God’s provision, respond to His call, and participate in the mission of sharing the Gospel.
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