lit., "something thrown around" (amphi, "around," ballo, "to throw"), denotes "a casting net," a somewhat small "net," cast over the shoulder, spreading out in a circle and made to sink by weights, Matthew 4:18 (in some mss. in Mark 1:16 : the best have the verb amphiballo alone).
a general term for a "net" (from an old verb diko, "to cast:" akin to diskos, "a quoit"), occurs in Matthew 4:20,21; Mark 1:18,19; Luke 5:2,4-6; John 21:6,8,11 (twice). In the Sept. it was used for a "net" for catching birds, Proverbs 1:17 , in other ways, e.g., figuratively of a snare, Job 18:8; Proverbs 29:5 .
denotes "a dragnet a seine;" two modes were employed with this, either by its being let down into the water and drawn together in a narrowing circle, and then into the boat, or as a semicircle drawn to the shore, Matthew 13:47 , where Nos. 1 and 2 would not have suited so well. The Greek historian Herodotus used the corresponding verb sageneuo of a device by which the Persians are said to have cleared a conquered island of its inhabitants.
With over 3,400 entries, this timeless classic is THE reference guide to New Testament Greek words for English readers. It explains the meaning of the original Greek with the added dimension of the context of the Greek word.Wikipedia
Read More