ἰχθύδιον G2485
little fish, small fish used as food, especially in the feeding miracles
This diminutive form of 'fish' appears in the accounts of Jesus feeding the four thousand, where a few small fish supplement the seven loaves (Matt 15:34; Mark 8:7). The term's affectionate smallness—rendered in comedy and everyday speech—fits the humble provisions of an ordinary meal. Yet these ἰχθύδια, like the loaves, become instruments of abundance when blessed by Jesus, feeding thousands with leftovers to spare. The word captures both the ordinariness of the provision and the extraordinary multiplication that follows.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both Gospel occurrences describe the modest starting point of the second multiplication miracle. The diminutive suffix conveys small size, reflected in Spanish 'pececillos' and French 'petit-poisson.' Classical sources show the term in mundane culinary contexts, which heightens the miraculous transformation when Jesus gives thanks and distributes them. The small fish, together with the loaves, become sacramental signs of Jesus' power to provide abundantly from meager resources. 2×
AR["سُمَيْكَاتٌ"]·ben["ছোট-মাছ", "ছোটো-মাছ"]·DE["ἰχθύδια"]·EN["small-fish"]·FR["petit-poisson"]·heb["דָּגִים", "דָּגִים-קְטַנִּים"]·HI["छोटी-मछलियां", "मचलियन"]·ID["ikan-kecil"]·IT["ichthudia"]·jav["ulam-alit", "ulam-alit."]·KO["물고기를", "작은-물고기들-을"]·PT["peixinhos"]·RU["рыбок"]·ES["pececillos"]·SW["samaki-wadogo"]·TR["balıkçıklar", "küçük-balık"]·urd["چھوٹی-مچھلیاں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἰχθύδιον, τό, diminutive of ἰχθύς, little fish, frequently in Comedy texts (see. below), Refs 5th c.BC+, etc.; but ῠ in dact., Refs 4th c.BC+