Original Word: דַּיָּג
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: dayag
Pronunciation: dahv-vahg or dee-yahg
Phonetic Spelling: (dah-yawg')
KJV: fisher
Word Origin: [from H1770 (דִּיגּ - fish)]

1. a fisherman

fisher

From diyg; a fisherman -- fisher.

see HEBREW diyg

Word Origin
from dag, see davvag.

Definition and Usage

דַּיָּג designates one whose occupation is to catch fish. Though the noun appears only twice, its semantic field is sustained by broader Old Testament references to nets, hooks, and waterways, revealing a vocation embedded in the agrarian-maritime economy of the ancient Near East.

Scriptural Occurrences

• Isaiah 19:8 – “The fishermen will lament; all who cast a hook into the Nile will mourn, and those who spread nets on the waters will pine away.”
• Jeremiah 16:16 – “But I will send for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and hill and out of the clefts of the rocks.”

Historical and Cultural Background

Fishing was practiced on the Mediterranean coast, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan, and even irrigation canals. In Egypt, professional guilds worked the Nile; Isaiah’s oracle anticipates economic collapse when that life-source is struck. By Jeremiah’s day, exilic judgment imagery draws on the same trade to picture relentless pursuit. Nets (Hebrew מִכְמֶרֶת, רֶשֶׁת) and hooks (חַכָּה) were standard gear, and catches were dried, salted, or traded fresh in local markets (cf. Ezekiel 47:10).

Theological Significance

1. Divine Sovereignty in Judgment – Both contexts employ fishermen as agents of a higher power. Where Isaiah portrays societal ruin, Jeremiah depicts Yahweh commissioning “many fishermen” to seize the wayward nation. The craft thus becomes a metaphor for inescapable divine scrutiny.
2. Covenant Accountability – Israel’s covenant breaches invite capture rather than blessing, highlighting the moral dimension of economic imagery.
3. Prelude to Messianic Mission – The Old Testament groundwork enriches New Testament fulfillment when Jesus re-appropriates the occupation for redemptive outreach (“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,” Matthew 4:19). The shift from judgment to salvation underscores continuity within progressive revelation.

Prophetic Overtones

• Isaiah links collapse of Nile fishing to the downfall of Egypt’s idols and counsel, illustrating how economic despair accompanies spiritual bankruptcy.
• Jeremiah foresees Babylonian exile, yet the relentless search also foreshadows a future regathering (Jeremiah 16:14-15), indicating that the same Lord who scatters will also restore.

Practical Ministry Reflections

• Evangelism mirrors the patience, skill, and perseverance of ancient fishermen; casting the gospel net demands both diligence and dependence on God.
• Leaders are cautioned: just as corrupt nations were “caught,” so churches must not presume immunity from divine discipline.
• Compassionate lament, modeled by Isaiah’s mourning fishermen, should accompany proclamation of judgment, aligning the messenger’s heart with God’s.

Related New Testament Imagery

• Calling of Galilean fishermen (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20)
• Miraculous catches (Luke 5:1-11; John 21:1-14) symbolizing abundant harvest under Christ’s direction
• Eschatological net (Matthew 13:47-50) stressing final separation of righteous and wicked

Key Themes for Teaching and Preaching

• God employs ordinary vocations for extraordinary purposes.
• Economic stability is contingent on spiritual fidelity.
• Judgment and mercy are twin motifs in the prophetic use of fishing.
• The church, like ancient fishermen, operates under divine command to seek and to save.

הַדַּיָּגִ֔ים הדיגים לְדַיָּגִ֥ים לדיגים had·day·yā·ḡîm haddaiyaGim haddayyāḡîm lə·ḏay·yā·ḡîm ledaiyaGim ləḏayyāḡîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts