It is obvious that this and some other of the apparently onerous obligations of the law, cannot be properly appreciated or understood when re garded in the 'dry light' of abstract duties or exactions. They were surrounded by engaging and picturesque associations, calculated to make their observance a matter of privilege and pleas ure to all the parties concerned.
FiguratiVe. (t) The ancient patriarchs were the first fruits of the Jewish nation, by whose means their posterity were blessed, and set apart to God (Rom. xi :16). (2) The Hebrews were the first fruits of God's increase; were long his peculiar people, before the gentiles were gathered to Shiloh (Jer. ii:3). (3) The first fruits of the Spirit are such communications of his grace on earth, as fully ensure the full enjoyment of God hereafter (Rom. viii :23). (4) The first fruits were typical of Jesus, the principalfirst fruits, who was before all things, who has in all things the preeminence, and by his consecration, oblation, and resurrection on the second day of unleavened bread his people are sanctified to God, and their resurrection and eternal happiness secured (t Cor. xv :2o), and whose Spirit descending at Pentecost, began to gather the nations to Christ (Acts ii). (5) They represent the saints, who, as first fruits to God, were chosen to his service; in the day of power devote themselves to him; are by grace rendered more excellent than their neigh bors, and are a means of preserving and convert ing the nations to Christ. (6) Those who are first converted to Christ in a country are repre sented as the first fruits of it (Rev. xiv :4 ; Jam. i :18 ; Cot.. xvi FISH (fish), (Gr. tx06s, ich-thoos', Gen. ix:2; Num. xi:22; Jonah to; Matt. vii:to; xiv:t7; xv: 34; Luke v:6; John xxi:6, 8, 11).
(1) Fishes, strictly so called, that is. oviparous, vertebrated, cold-blooded animals, breathing water by means of gills or branchim, and generally, pro vided with fins, are not unfrequently mentioned in the Bible, but never specifically.
(2) in the Mosaic law (Lev. xi:9-12), distinc tion of them is made into clean and unclean, ac cording as they have fins and scales or are with out them. Of the numerous species of fish which inhabit the lakes and rivers of Palestine and the adjacent sea, Solomon possessed some knowledge (i Kings iv :33), but not a single variety has its name recorded in the Bible. (The whale is not a
fish!) (3) An aggravation of the first plague of Egypt was the destruction of fish—an important part of the food of the people. In the wilderness the Israelites murmured for the fish of their old home (Num. xi :5). It was a sad prophecy for Egypt that by the falling of her waters the fishermen should mourn, and that they should be disap pointed who make ponds and sluices for fish (Is. xix :5-1o; comp. Ezek. xxix (4) Most of the still and running waters of Pal estine swarm with fish. Josephus first called at tention to the similarity of the fish of the Sea of Galilee and those of the Nile. Of those in the former water Tristram says: the density of the shoals can scarcely- be conceived by those who have not witnessed them. Frequently these shoals cover an acre or more of the surface, and the fish, as they slowly move along in masses, are so crowded, with their back-fins just appearing on the level of the water, that the appearance at a little distance is that of a violent shower of rain pat tering on the surface. We obtained fourteen spe cies of fish in the lake, and probably the number inhabiting. it is at least three times as great.
But not all of these fish of Galilee are savory eating (Matt. xiii :47, 48). On this lake four of the disciples toiled as fishermen (Matt. iv :18-21).
(5) But the Hebrews could draw only a small supply from the lake of Tiberias and the affluents of the Jordan. On the coast the great sea-fisheries were in the slack waters, within the dominion of the Phcenicians, who mttst have sent the supply into the interior in a cured or salted state; al though the fact involves the question how far in that condition, coming out of Pagan hands, con sumption by a Hebrew was strictly lawful ; per haps it may be presumed that national wants had sufficient influence to modify the law. The art of curing fish was well understood in Egypt, and unquestionably in Phcenicia, since that industrious nation had early establishments for the purpose at the Golden Horn or Byzantium, at Portus Sym bolorum in Tauric Chersonesus, and even at Calpe, in the present Bay of Gibraltar.