Topical Encyclopedia
The term "catch" in the Bible is often associated with the act of capturing or seizing, whether it be fish, people, or concepts. It appears in various contexts, illustrating both literal and metaphorical meanings.
Fishing and MiraclesOne of the most notable uses of "catch" in the Bible is in the context of fishing, particularly in the New Testament. Fishing was a common occupation among the disciples, and Jesus used this familiar activity to teach spiritual truths. In
Luke 5:4-6 , Jesus instructs Simon Peter to "Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Despite having caught nothing all night, they obeyed and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. This miraculous catch symbolizes the abundance and provision that come from obedience to Christ.
Similarly, in
John 21:6 , after His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples and tells them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." When they do, they are unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. This event reaffirms Jesus' authority over creation and His ability to provide for His followers.
Metaphorical UseThe concept of "catch" is also used metaphorically in the Bible. In
Matthew 4:19 , Jesus calls His first disciples, saying, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Here, "catch" is used to describe the mission of the disciples to bring people into the Kingdom of God. This metaphor highlights the transformative power of the Gospel and the role of believers in spreading its message.
Traps and SnaresIn the Old Testament, "catch" is often associated with traps and snares, symbolizing the dangers and temptations that can lead people away from God.
Proverbs 6:5 advises, "Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler." This imagery warns of the spiritual and moral pitfalls that can ensnare individuals, urging them to seek freedom through wisdom and righteousness.
Divine ProtectionConversely, the Bible also speaks of God's protection against being caught in such snares.
Psalm 91:3 assures believers, "Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly plague." This promise of divine protection emphasizes God's faithfulness and His ability to rescue His people from danger.
ConclusionThe concept of "catch" in the Bible serves as a powerful illustration of both God's provision and the spiritual mission of believers. Whether through miraculous events, metaphorical teachings, or warnings against spiritual dangers, the theme of "catch" underscores the importance of faith, obedience, and reliance on God's guidance.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To lay hold on; to seize, especially with the hand; to grasp (anything) in motion, with the effect of holding; as, to catch a ball.
2. (v. t.) To seize after pursuing; to arrest; as, to catch a thief.
3. (v. t.) To take captive, as in a snare or net, or on a hook; as, to catch a bird or fish.
4. (v. t.) Hence: To ensnare; to entangle.
5. (v. t.) To seize with the senses or the mind; to apprehend; as, to catch a melody.
6. (v. t.) To communicate to; to fasten upon; as, the fire caught the adjoining building.
7. (v. t.) To engage and attach; to please; to charm.
8. (v. t.) To get possession of; to attain.
9. (v. t.) To take or receive; esp. to take by sympathy, contagion, infection, or exposure; as, to catch the spirit of an occasion; to catch the measles or smallpox; to catch cold; the house caught fire.
10. (v. t.) To come upon unexpectedly or by surprise; to find; as, to catch one in the act of stealing.
11. (v. t.) To reach in time; to come up with; as, to catch a train.
12. (v. i.) To attain possession.
13. (v. i.) To be held or impeded by entanglement or a light obstruction; as, a kite catches in a tree; a door catches so as not to open.
14. (v. i.) To take hold; as, the bolt does not catch.
15. (v. i.) To spread by, or as by, infecting; to communicate.
16. (n.) Act of seizing; a grasp.
17. (n.) That by which anything is caught or temporarily fastened; as, the catch of a gate.
18. (n.) The posture of seizing; a state of preparation to lay hold of, or of watching he opportunity to seize; as, to lie on the catch.
19. (n.) That which is caught or taken; profit; gain; especially, the whole quantity caught or taken at one time; as, a good catch of fish.
20. (n.) Something desirable to be caught, esp. a husband or wife in matrimony.
21. (n.) Passing opportunities seized; snatches.
22. (n.) A slight remembrance; a trace.
23. (n.) A humorous canon or round, so contrived that the singers catch up each other's words.
Greek
61. agra -- hunting, acatch... hunting, a
catch. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: agra Phonetic
Spelling: (ag'-rah) Short Definition: catching, a
catch Definition: catching, a
...64. agreuo -- tocatch, take by hunting
... tocatch, take by hunting. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: agreuo Phonetic
Spelling: (ag-rew'-o) Short Definition: Icatch, capture Definition: Icatch...
2221. zogreo -- tocatch alive
... tocatch alive. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: zogreo Phonetic Spelling:
(dzogue-reh'-o) Short Definition: I capture alive Definition: I capture alive...
726. harpazo -- to seize,catch up, snatch away
... to seize,catch up, snatch away. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: harpazo Phonetic
Spelling: (har-pad'-zo) Short Definition: I seize, snatch, obtain by...
2340. thereuo -- to hunt
... to hunt. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: thereuo Phonetic Spelling:
(thay-ryoo'-o) Short Definition: I hunt, seek tocatch Definition: I hunt, seek...
1949. epilambanomai -- to lay hold of
... Word Origin from epi and lambano Definition to lay hold of NASB Word Usagecatch
(2), give help (1), gives help (1), seized (2), take hold (2), taking (1...
4084. piazo -- to lay hold of, to take
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: piazo Phonetic Spelling: (pee-ad'-zo) Short
Definition: I lay hold of Definition: I lay hold of, apprehend,catch, arrest...
1405. drassomai -- to grasp, fig. entrap
... of Speech: Verb Transliteration: drassomai Phonetic Spelling: (dras'-som-ahee) Short
Definition: I take hold of, grasp Definition: I take hold of, grasp,catch...
4884. sunarpazo -- to seize and carry away
...catch. From sun and harpazo; to snatch together, ie Seize --catch. see GREEK
sun. see GREEK harpazo. (sunarpasantes) -- 1 Occurrence....
4815. sullambano -- to collect, ie to take, by impl. to take part...
... seized (1), taken (1).catch, conceive, help, take. From sun and lambano;
to clasp, ie Seize (arrest, capture); specially, to conceive...
Strong's Hebrew
2414. chataph -- tocatch, seize... 2413, 2414. chataph. 2415 . to
catch, seize. Transliteration: chataph Phonetic
Spelling: (khaw-taf') Short Definition:
catch. Word Origin a prim.
...2480. chalat -- tocatch
... tocatch. Transliteration: chalat Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-lat') Short Definition:
catching.... root Definition tocatch NASB Word Usage catching (1).catch....
5595. saphah -- to sweep or snatch away,catch up
... 5594, 5595. saphah. 5596 . to sweep or snatch away,catch up. Transliteration:
saphah Phonetic Spelling: (saw-faw') Short Definition: away. Word Origin a prim...
1770. dig -- to fish for,catch
... 1769, 1770. dig. 1771 . to fish for,catch. Transliteration: dig Phonetic Spelling:
(deeg) Short Definition: fish. Word Origin denominative...
7805. shazaph -- tocatch sight of, look on
... 7804, 7805. shazaph. 7806 . tocatch sight of, look on. Transliteration: shazaph
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-zaf') Short Definition: burned. Word Origin a prim...
3920. lakad -- to capture, seize, take
... root Definition to capture, seize, take NASB Word Usage capture (9), captured (57),
captures (4), captures at all (1),catch (2), caught (12), clasp (1...
270. achaz -- to grasp, take hold, take possession
... root Definition to grasp, take hold, take possession NASB Word Usage acquire property
(1), acquired property (1), attached (1), bolt (1),catch (1), caught (3...
2388. chazaq -- to be or grow firm or strong, strengthen
... aid, amend,catch, cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain,. A primitive root;
to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively...
6718. tsayid -- hunting, game
... 6717, 6718. tsayid. 6718a . hunting, game. Transliteration: tsayid Phonetic
Spelling: (tsah'-yid) Short Definition:catch.catch...
2963. taraph -- to tear, rend, pluck
...catch, without doubt, feed, rend in pieces, surely, tear in pieces. A
primitive root; to pluck off or pull to pieces; causatively...
Library
And Now Being Desirous toCatch Simon by a Wile...
... Section 63. And now being desirous tocatch Simon by a wile? 63. And now
being desirous tocatch Simon by a wile, and Joazar with...
Whence the Contentions of Philosophers have Sprung. Against those...
... Philosophers Have Sprung. Against Those WhoCatch at Everything that Meets
Them, and Give It Credence, and Cling to It. Origen Was...
Opportunity
... The meaning of the picture is this: When youcatch an opportunity as it comes, it
is easy to hold; but once you let it get by you, it is very difficult to...
The Equipment of the Servants
... it may not interfere with his work, his lamp in his hand that he may see to go about
his business and his eye ever turned to the entrance tocatch the first...
Criticisms on "The Origin of Species. "
... teleological, and the Darwinian, conception. Catscatch mice, small birds
and the like, very well. Teleology tells us that they...
"That which was from the Beginning, which we have Heard, which we...
... entry to fall upon some thing that might stir up the attention of their hearers,
or make them the more inclinable to receive instruction, orcatch their favour...
But Perhaps Some one is Alarmed at Hearing us Discourse of the...
... in fashion as a man"), might lure on the Prince of this world to a conflict, to
whom offering His flesh as a bait, His divinity underneath mightcatch him and...
Jesus Calls Four Fishermen to Follow Him.
... Disciples are fishers, human souls are fish, the world is the sea, the gospel is
the net, and eternal life is the shore whither thecatch is drawn.] ^a 21 And...
Of Lies are Many Sorts, which Indeed All...
... what manner of thing it is, if against the doctrine of Christ we shall tell a lie
which whoso believes shall perish, in order that we maycatch the enemies of...
Of the Calling of the Apostles as they were Fishing.
... There may also seem to be a discrepancy in this respect, that Luke records the saying,
"From henceforth thou shaltcatch men," [828] as if it had been...
Thesaurus
Catch (46 Occurrences)... 1. (vt) To lay hold on; to seize, especially with the hand; to grasp (anything)
in motion, with the effect of holding; as, to
catch a ball.
...Latch (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (n.) A movable piece which holds anything in place by entering a notch or cavity;
specifically, thecatch which holds a door or gate when closed, though it...
Glimpse (2 Occurrences)
... 4. (vi) to appear by glimpses; tocatch glimpses. 5. (vt) Tocatch a glimpse
of; to see by glimpses; to have a short or hurried view of....
Trip (4 Occurrences)
... 3. (ni) To take a quick step, as when in danger of losing one's balance; hence,
to make a false; tocatch the foot; to lose footing; to stumble....
Entrap (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (vt) Tocatch in a trap; to ensnare; hence, tocatch,
as in a trap, by artifices; to involve in difficulties or distresses; tocatch...
Drags (5 Occurrences)
... Psalms 10:9 He lieth in wait in a secret place as a lion in his lair, he lieth in
wait tocatch the poor; he dothcatch the poor, when he draweth him up in his...
Trap (35 Occurrences)
... 12. (vt) Tocatch in a trap or traps; as, to trap foxes. 13.... Job 18:9 A snare will
take him by the heel. A trap willcatch him. (WEB NAS RSV NIV)....
Fish (66 Occurrences)
... or yard. 9. (vi) To attempt tocatch fish; to be employed in taking fish,
by any means, as by angling or drawing a net. 10. (vi) To...
Lurketh (2 Occurrences)
... Psalms 10:9 He lurketh in secret as a lion in his covert; He lieth in wait tocatch
the poor: He dothcatch the poor, when he draweth him in his net. (ASV)....
Lair (8 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Psalms 10:9 He lurketh in secret as a lion in his covert; He lieth in
wait tocatch the poor: He dothcatch the poor, when he draweth him in his net....
Resources
What does it mean to be “fishers of men”? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the meaning of the foxes in Song of Solomon 2:15? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Peter in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgCatch: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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