“Again,
The kingdom of heaven is
Like a net
That was thrown
Into the sea.
It caught fish
Of every kind.
When it was full,
They pulled it ashore.
They sat down.
They put the good fish
Into baskets.
But they threw out
The bad fish.”
Πάλιν ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν σαγήνῃ βληθείσῃ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ ἐκ παντὸς γένους συναγαγούσῃ·
ἣν ὅτε ἐπληρώθη ἀναβιβάσαντες ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν καὶ καθίσαντες συνέλεξαν τὰ καλὰ εἰς ἄγγη, τὰ δὲ σαπρὰ ἔξω ἔβαλον.
Only Matthew has this parable about the fishing net. Jesus, via Matthew, makes another comparison about the kingdom of heaven (Πάλιν ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν). This time, it was like a fishing net that was thrown into the sea (σαγήνῃ βληθείσῃ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν). They caught all kinds of different fish (καὶ ἐκ παντὸς γένους συναγαγούσῃ). When this fishing net was full, they pulled it ashore (ἣν ὅτε ἐπληρώθη ἀναβιβάσαντες ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν). Then they sat down (καὶ καθίσαντες) to sort out the fish. They collected the good fish into basket containers (συνέλεξαν τὰ καλὰ εἰς ἄγγη), but they threw out the bad fish (τὰ δὲ σαπρὰ ἔξω ἔβαλον). The details of this fishing expedition, like the sowing in the field speak to an agricultural and fishing community.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 