John 21:11 Did you ever wonder why 153 fish?

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So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
This was part of today’s scripture reading at daily mass.
And our priest mentioned specifically…why did they catch 153 fish?

Short answer: Apparently, there are 153 known species of fish in the world today. So by catching that number, it also means that his disciples should preach the gospel to all nations…throughout the world, not just stay in those safe places that they were familiar with.

Thought it was a very interesting concept! Happy Easter!
%between%
 
stbruno said:
11
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
This was part of today’s scripture reading at daily mass.
And our priest mentioned specifically…why did they catch 153 fish?

Short answer: Apparently, there are 153 known species of fish in the world today. So by catching that number, it also means that his disciples should preach the gospel to all nations…throughout the world, not just stay in those safe places that they were familiar with.

Thought it was a very interesting concept! Happy Easter!
Click to expand...
Well, I don’t know how many species of fish there are, but I was just thinking about this question. I, for one, don’t believe that anything in the scriptures is there as mere surplusage.
 
stbruno said:
11
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
This was part of today’s scripture reading at daily mass.
And our priest mentioned specifically…why did they catch 153 fish?

Short answer: Apparently, there are 153 known species of fish in the world today. So by catching that number, it also means that his disciples should preach the gospel to all nations…throughout the world, not just stay in those safe places that they were familiar with.

Thought it was a very interesting concept! Happy Easter!
Click to expand...
You must have heard the same homily I just heard. Interesting, isn’t it? I think the 153 referred to the number of known species of fish back then, not today.
 
Reminds of an interesting footnote from Bishop Challoner to another seemingly random detail:

Tob. 11:9 Then the dog, which had been with them in the way, ran before, and coming as if he had brought the news, shewed his joy by his fawning and wagging his tail.

9 “The dog”… This may seem a very minute circumstance to be recorded in sacred history: but as we learn from our Saviour, St. Matt. 5. 18, there are iotas and tittles in the word of God: that is to say, things that appear minute, but which have indeed a deep and mysterious meaning in them.
 
It was Aristotle (I believe) that had catalogued all the know species of fish in the world, at that time of course. He came up with the number of 153.

I think it’s interesting to note that Jesus was already grilling some fish, and yet he asked the Apostles for some of there fish. It’s like, “He’s caught some of the fish (the Apostles and such), now it’s there job to bring the rest of the fish (all the nations of the world) to Him”.

I find this fascinating!
 
Another interesting thing about this scene:

When was the last time that we see a “charcoal fire” in John’s Gospel?

Peter was denying Christ three times…

Now, in front of this charcoal fire, Jesus is asking Peter to confirm that he loves Jesus three times…
 
Genesis315 said:
Reminds of an interesting footnote from Bishop Challoner to another seemingly random detail:

Tob. 11:9 Then the dog, which had been with them in the way, ran before, and coming as if he had brought the news, shewed his joy by his fawning and wagging his tail.

9 “The dog”… This may seem a very minute circumstance to be recorded in sacred history: but as we learn from our Saviour, St. Matt. 5. 18, there are iotas and tittles in the word of God: that is to say, things that appear minute, but which have indeed a deep and mysterious meaning in them.
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Does Bishop Challoner tell the reader was is deep and mysterious about this verse?

I thought dogs were unclean to Jews.
 
I was wondering, for this sort of detail, do you think the apostles actually caught 153 fish, or was it just many fish, and the writer of the gospel put in the 153 to symbolize all the nations of the earth?
 
stbruno said:
11
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
This was part of today’s scripture reading at daily mass.
And our priest mentioned specifically…why did they catch 153 fish?

Short answer: Apparently, there are 153 known species of fish in the world today. So by catching that number, it also means that his disciples should preach the gospel to all nations…throughout the world, not just stay in those safe places that they were familiar with.

Thought it was a very interesting concept! Happy Easter!
Click to expand...
When I was at Mass today I actually was wondering the same thing! How funny! I can’t recall that number being in any other passages specifically (don’t have a Bible in front of me to check though:) ) and I know that numbers are very important in a lot of the Bible. I do wonder how 153 came to be the number in that passage. Good Thread!
 
I found it interesting that for a long time the full rosary contained 153 Hail Mary’s just like the 153 fish at the end of John’s Gospel. Something I never noticed until I had seen a Father Corapi video where he brought it up.

I never knew about the 153 nations or known species of fish and how Jesus may be asking the apostles to bring him men from all the countries symbolized by all the species of fish.
 
nobody said:
I was wondering, for this sort of detail, do you think the apostles actually caught 153 fish, or was it just many fish, and the writer of the gospel put in the 153 to symbolize all the nations of the earth?
Click to expand...
I would think that God put 153 fish in the net, and then inspired to writer of the Gospel (John) to put that number in to symbolize all the nations of the earth.
 
PrayRosaryDaily said:
I found it interesting that for a long time the full rosary contained 153 Hail Mary’s just like the 153 fish at the end of John’s Gospel. Something I never noticed until I had seen a Father Corapi video where he brought it up.

I never knew about the 153 nations or known species of fish and how Jesus may be asking the apostles to bring him men from all the countries symbolized by all the species of fish.
Click to expand...
In connection with that, consider also that the queen mother sat at the “right” side of the king. (1 Kings 2:19) Jesus had the apostles cast the net on the right side.

Makes me wonder how many converts/reverts have been “netted” through the prayers of the rosary, which Mary, our Queen Mother, asks us to pray.

Nita
 
I just did an internet search to find out how many species there are now…and surprisingly look what I found.
ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1066928421679_62337621//?hub=Specials
The first ever report by the Census of Marine Life was issued Thursday at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., after three years of work
The aim of the Census is to allow marine scientists to identify and catalog life in the oceans. It’s an unprecedented initiative that involves the cooperation of 300 marine scientist from around the world.
The census found there are more than 15,300 species of fish in the sea – but note there are thousands more to be discovered. New sea fish species are being logged at an average rate of three per week, they say. As well, an average of 1,700 other marine animals and plants are also being catalogued each year.
Census scientists estimate that when the ambitious $1-billion census is finished in 2010, they will have found about 20,000 fish species.

Same number 153 pops up! But this time in the thousands!
Boy God is Good!
 
Nita said:
Makes me wonder how many converts/reverts have been “netted” through the prayers of the rosary, which Mary, our Queen Mother, asks us to pray.

Nita
Click to expand...
Well, you can count me, my husband, and our children as some of those fish netted by Our Lady. So keep praying!
 
stbruno said:
I just did an internet search to find out how many species there are now…and surprisingly look what I found.
ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1066928421679_62337621//?hub=Specials
The first ever report by the Census of Marine Life was issued Thursday at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., after three years of work
The aim of the Census is to allow marine scientists to identify and catalog life in the oceans. It’s an unprecedented initiative that involves the cooperation of 300 marine scientist from around the world.
The census found there are more than 15,300 species of fish in the sea – but note there are thousands more to be discovered. New sea fish species are being logged at an average rate of three per week, they say. As well, an average of 1,700 other marine animals and plants are also being catalogued each year.
Census scientists estimate that when the ambitious $1-billion census is finished in 2010, they will have found about 20,000 fish species.

Same number 153 pops up! But this time in the thousands!
Boy God is Good!
Click to expand...
That is so cool!!!
 
Maybe there really were 153 fish and many of the dicisples being fisherman–maybe they had never caught that many before and that’s why they remembered the exact number.
 
St Augustine had some pretty interesting things to say about this particular passage if your interested in reading about it. 🙂 If you go down to passage #8 he discusses just what exactly the 153 represent. Hint, it’s not the # 153 but what makes up the #153. 😉

newadvent.org/fathers/1701122.htm
 
stbruno said:
11
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
This was part of today’s scripture reading at daily mass.
And our priest mentioned specifically…why did they catch 153 fish?

Short answer: Apparently, there are 153 known species of fish in the world today. So by catching that number, it also means that his disciples should preach the gospel to all nations…throughout the world, not just stay in those safe places that they were familiar with.

Thought it was a very interesting concept! Happy Easter!
Click to expand...
Species of fish? Hmmm…interesting but relevant how?

It is my understanding that the ancients thought there were 153 NATIONS at the time. Therefore, the catch of fish represented Peter, the fisher of men, achieving a catch from all nations (“make disciples of all nations”).

Note that the net was not torn meaning that none would be lost.

Hope this helps. :tiphat:
 
Randy_Carson said:
Species of fish? Hmmm…interesting but relevant how?

It is my understanding that the ancients thought there were 153 NATIONS at the time. Therefore, the catch of fish represented Peter, the fisher of men, achieving a catch from all nations (“make disciples of all nations”).

Note that the net was not torn meaning that none would be lost.

Hope this helps. :tiphat:
Click to expand...
Your kidding right? Releveant how!? Fishers of men bro! Go preach to all the nations! 🙂

Also it’s interesting noting that using the classical 15 decade rosary you pray 153 Hail Marys.
 
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