44. agkistron

Lexical Summary

agkistron: Hook

Original Word: ἄγκιστρον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: agkistron
Pronunciation: ang'-kis-tron
Phonetic Spelling: (ang'-kis-tron)
KJV: hook
NASB: hook
Word Origin: [from agkos "a bend", ("ache")]

1. a hook (as bent)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

hook.

From the same as agkale; a hook (as bent) -- hook.

see GREEK agkale

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as agkalé
Definition
a fishhook
NASB Translation
hook (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 44: ἄγκιστρον

ἄγκιστρον, , τό (from an unused ἀγκίζω to angle (see the preceding word)), a fish-hook: Matthew 17:27.

Topical Lexicon

Occurrence in the New Testament

The term appears a single time in the Greek New Testament, in Matthew 17:27, where Jesus tells Peter, “But so that we may not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a four–drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours.” (Berean Standard Bible)

Historical Background of Fishing Hooks

• Hooks were typically fashioned from bronze or iron and were common on the Sea of Galilee, where line-fishing supplemented the more familiar net-fishing (Luke 5:2).
• A single-hook line allowed a fisherman to target individual fish and was portable, fitting the itinerant lifestyle of Galilean fishermen such as Peter, Andrew, James, and John.
• First-century Jewish writings and Roman sources attest that a coin the size of four drachmas (the stater) could indeed fit in a fish’s mouth, lending cultural credibility to the narrative.

Theological Significance of Matthew 17:27

1. Divine Provision: The miracle demonstrates Christ’s sovereign rule over creation. Just as He filled empty nets (John 21:6), He directs a single fish to Peter’s hook, affirming that the Lord supplies every genuine need of His servants (Philippians 4:19).
2. Humble Submission: Jesus willingly pays the temple tax “so that we may not offend them,” modeling deference to legitimate authority without compromising His identity as Son (compare Romans 13:1–7).
3. Prophetic Echoes: The fish with a coin foreshadows the doctrine of substitution—Christ provides what sinners cannot, satisfying obligations they owe yet cannot meet (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Ministry Principles Drawn from the Miracle

• Faith-Driven Obedience: Peter is called to a simple act—cast one hook—and is rewarded. Ministry often advances by small steps of obedience rather than grand gestures.
• Resource Multiplication: What Peter needed was already prepared in creation; believers today may likewise discover God-appointed resources hidden in unexpected places.
• Integration of Vocation and Mission: Peter uses his trade skill in service to Christ, illustrating how secular vocations become channels for spiritual impact.

Parallel Imagery of Hooks in Scripture

• Judgment: The Lord says to Gog, “I will put hooks in your jaws” (Ezekiel 38:4), portraying inevitable capture by divine power.
• Deliverance: Job reflects on Leviathan’s strength, asking whether anyone can “put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook” (Job 41:2), highlighting God’s unmatched authority over chaos.
• Evangelism: Whereas Matthew 17:27 features a literal hook, Matthew 4:19 speaks metaphorically: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” The physical hook anticipates the spiritual call to draw souls to Christ.

Application to the Life of the Church

• Stewardship: Congregations can trust the Lord for material provision while acting responsibly, honoring both civil and ecclesiastical obligations.
• Witness: By avoiding unnecessary offense (1 Corinthians 10:32–33) and paying the “temple tax,” believers commend the gospel to watching communities.
• Creativity in Outreach: As Christ employed an ordinary fishing hook for extraordinary ends, churches today may employ everyday tools—technology, business, hospitality—to extend gospel influence.

Patristic and Confessional Witness

• John Chrysostom saw the event as proof that “the earth and its fullness” are at Christ’s command.
• The Heidelberg Catechism (Lord’s Day 1) echoes the comfort evident in the passage: because we belong to Christ, “without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head,” nor, we may add, can a fish fail to appear on His line.

See Also

Jonah 2:10; Luke 5:1–11; John 21:1–14; 1 Corinthians 9:12; 1 Peter 2:12

Forms and Transliterations

αγκιστρον άγκιστρον άγκιστρόν ἄγκιστρον αγκίστρω αγκύλαι αγκύλας αγκυλών αγκύλων ankistron ánkistron

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 17:27 N-ANS
GRK: θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον καὶ τὸν
NAS: and throw in a hook, and take
KJV: the sea, and cast an hook, and take up
INT: sea cast a hook and the

Strong's Greek 44
1 Occurrence

ἄγκιστρον — 1 Occ.