Whales, dolphins, fish, etc.

What is a "whale"? What is a "fish"? What is the difference? Does it make a difference?

The Latin word "balaena" ≈ "whale".
The modern Greek word "φάλαινα" (FA-leh-na) ≈ "whale".
The modern and ancient Greek word "κήτος" (KEE-tos) ≈ "whale, sea monster"
The Russian word "кит" ≈ "whale" which appears to have come from the Greek.

In the book of Jonah, the prophet Jonah is swallowed by a great "fish". Or is it a "whale"?

In Bible times, there was not a lot of difference between a "great fish" and a "whale". In modern times, of course, we make that distinction. And there is a tendency to require naturalistic explanations of what would otherwise be called miracles. The naturalistic reasoning here is that since whales are mammals and breath air through lungs that this might have allowed Jonah to survive the three day and three nights in the belly of the whale. Since a fish breaths air through gills and not lungs, Jonah could not have survived that long in a fish.

For some people, the need for a naturalistic explanation appears to lead to the conclusion that it must have been a "whale". Then, critics of the Bible claim that the Bible is wrong when it says a "fish".

The English word "fish" used to mean just a creature, animal or something else, that lived in the sea.

starfish
crawfish

One sees this in Jonah when Jonah is swallowed by a big fish.

More: English word fish

Be that what it may, let us look at the terms used for "whale" and "fish" in various translations of the Bible.

Jonah 1:17

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KJV: Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Greek: και προσεταξεν κυριος κητει μεγαλω καταπιειν τον ιωναν και ην ιωνας εν τη κοιλια του κητους τρεις ημερας και τρεις νυκτας

Latin: et praeparavit Dominus piscem grandem ut degluttiret Ionam et erat Iona in ventre piscis tribus diebus et tribus noctibus

Geneva: Nowe the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallowe vp Ionah: and Ionah was in the belly of the fish three dayes, and three nightes.

Luther: Aber der Herr verschaffte einen großen Fisch, Jona zu verschlingen. Und Jona war im Leibe des Fisches drei Tage und drei Nächte.

Spanish: Pero Jehová había prevenido un gran pez que tragase a Jonás: y estuvo Jonás en el vientre del pez tres días y tres noches.

Note that the Russian version originated in the Old Church Slavonic and does not have the verse for Jonah 1:17

Jesus reaffirms the three days and three nights in Matthew.

Matthew 12:40

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KJV: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Greek: ωσπερ γαρ ην ιωνας εν τη κοιλια του κητους τρεις ημερας και τρεις νυκτας ουτως εσται ο υιος του ανθρωπου εν τη καρδια της γης τρεις ημερας και τρεις νυκτας

Latin: sicut enim fuit Ionas in ventre ceti tribus diebus et tribus noctibus sic erit Filius hominis in corde terrae tribus diebus et tribus noctibus

Wessex: Witodlice swa swa ionas waes on þas hwaeles innoðe þreo dages & þreo niht. swa beoð mannes sune on eorðan heortan þreo dages & þreo niht.

Wycliffe: For as Jonas was in the wombe of a whal thre daies and thre nyytis, so mannus sone shal be in the herte of the erthe thre daies and thre nyytis.

Tyndale: For as Ionas was thre dayes and thre nyghtes in the whales belly: soo shall ye sonne of man be thre dayes and thre nyghtes in ye hert of ye erth.

Geneva: For as Ionas was three daies and three nights in the whales belly: so shall the Sonne of man be three daies and three nights in ye heart of the earth.

Luther: Denn gleichwie Jona war drei Tage und drei Nächte in des Walfisches Bauch, also wird des Menschen Sohn drei Tage und drei Nächte mitten in der Erde sein.

Russian: ибо как Иона был во чреве кита три дня и три ночи, так и Сын Человеческий будет в сердце земли три дня и три ночи.

Spanish: Porque como estuvo Jonás en el vientre de la ballena tres días y tres noches; así estará el Hijo del Hombre tres días y tres noches en el corazón de la tierra.

Jonah 2:1

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KJV: Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

Greek: και προσηυξατο ιωνας προς κυριον τον θεον αυτου εκ της κοιλιας του κητους

Latin: et oravit Iona ad Dominum Deum suum de utero piscis

Wycliffe: And the Lord made redi a greet fisch, that he shulde swolowe Jonas; and Jonas was in the wombe of the fisch thre daies and thre niytis.

Geneva: Then Ionah prayed vnto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly,

Luther: Und Jona betete zudem Herrn, seinem Gott, im Leibe des Fisches

Russian: И повелел Господь большому киту поглотить Иону; и был Иона во чреве этого кита три дня и три ночи.

Spanish: Entonces oró Jonás a Jehová su Dios desde el vientre del pez,

Jonah 2:10

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KJV: And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Greek: και προσεταγη τω κητει και εξεβαλεν τον ιωναν επι την ξηραν

Latin: et dixit Dominus pisci et evomuit Ionam in aridam

Geneva: And the Lord spake vnto the fish, and it cast out Ionah vpon the dry lande.

Luther: Und der Herr sprach zum Fisch, und derselbe speiete Jona aus ans Land.

Spanish: Y mandó Jehová al pez, y vomitó a Jonás en tierra.

Note that killer whales and dolphins can interbreed.

Result: A wholphin

The word "dolphin" comes from the Greek and relates to the concept of "mother" since the Greeks noticed that these "fish" had mothers whereas most "fish" did not have a "mother".

The modern Greek word "δελφίνι" (thehl-FEE-nee) ≈ "dolphin".

Note that killer whales and dolphins can interbreed so they would seem to have come from the same genetic roots.

Dolphins are considered intelligent animals.

Popularized by the TV show "Flipper", located in south Florida, first show (in black and white) in the 1964.
Miami Dolphins NFL football team, mid 1966.
Story: Group of attendees out for lunch at an International Linguistics Conference in Baltimore, 2014.

A church group was on a camping trip by the ocean. Dolphins come near as the pastor was ready to start his sunrise sermon. How did he start?

For all in tents and porpoises.

A "porpoise" appears to be a variation of a dolphin, though most claim them as distinct species.

Would anyone be upset if I called a porpoise a "pig-fish" since it has a snout like a pig? What about a "sea hog"?

The word "porpoise" comes from the Old French "porpais" which means, through Latin, literally, "pig fish".

The Latin word "porcus" ≈ "pig" from which we get the English word "pork".
The Latin word "piscis" ≈ "fish". One of the 12 Zodiac signs is "Pisces", the fish.
The modern Greek word "γουρουνόψαρο" (ghu-ru-NO-psa-ro) ≈ "porpoise".
The modern Greek word "γουρούνι" (ghu-RU-nee) ≈ "hog, pig"
The modern Greek word "ψάρι" (PSA-ree) ≈ "fish"

The French word appears to have come from the Germanic "mere-swin" or "sea hog" (swine).