Page:The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous substances 2.djvu/507

 the Alexandrine version we may also observe the clear distinction between the two principal kinds of nets, the sean and the casting-net, and that the man who fishes with the latter is called [Greek: amphiboleus], as in Latin he was designated by the single term jaculator. [Greek: Eilkysen auton en amphiblêsoô, kai synêgen auton en tais sagênais autou; eneken toutou euphranthêsetai kai charêsetai hê kardia autou. Eneken toutou thysei tê sagênê autou, kai thymiasei tô amphiblêstrô autou, oti en autois elipane merida autou kai ta brômata autou heklekta. Dia touto amphibalei to amphiblêstron autou, kai diapantos apokteneiu ethnê ou pheisetai.] i. e. "He (the Chaldean) hath drawn him in a casting-net and gathered him in his seans: therefore his heart shall rejoice and be glad. Therefore he shall sacrifice to his sean and burn incense to his casting-net, because by them he hath fattened his portion and his chosen dainties. Therefore he shall throw his casting-net, and not spare utterly to slay nations."—Habakkuk, i. 15-17. "They catch them in their net and gather them in their drag; therefore they rejoice and are glad. Therefore they sacrifice unto their net and burn incense unto their drag: because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous. Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?"—Common English Version.

The Latin Vulgate in this passage uses without discrimination the terms rete and sagena, which latter is the Greek word in a Latin form.

[Greek: Amphiblêstron] occurs twice in the New Testament. Matthew iv. 18: "Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon and Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers": in the original, [Greek: ballontas amphiblêstron eis tên thalassan]; in the Vulgate version, "mittentes rete." It appears no sufficient objection to the sense which has been assigned to [Greek: amphiblêstron], that here two persons are mentioned as using it at the same time. Being partners and engaged in the same employment, one perhaps collecting the fishes which the other caught, they might be described together as "throwing the casting-net," although only one at a time held it in his hands. In other respects this explanation is particularly suitable to the circumstances. Jesus was walking on the shore and accosted the two brothers. This suits the supposition that they were on the shore likewise, and not fishing out of a boat, as they did with the sean at other times. In verse 20 the Evangelist uses the term [Greek: diktya] (nets), saying "they left their nets," and meaning