Jonah’s being swallowed by a “great fish,” this incident is frequently cited with a view to discrediting the reliability of the Scriptural record. (Matt. 12:40) Of course, it should be remembered that the Bible simply states that “Jehovah appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah,” the kind of fish not being named. (Jonah 1:17) There definitely are sea creatures capable of swallowing a man, among them being the white shark, the whale shark and the sperm whale.

FIGURATIVE USAGE

In the Scriptures men are at times likened to fish. The congregator compared men to fish from the standpoint of their “being ensnared at a calamitous time” like fish in a net. (Eccl. 9:12) Jesus Christ constituted his followers as fishers of men, and likened righteous persons to fine fish, and the wicked to unsuitable fish that are thrown away.—Mark 1:17; Matt. 13:47-50; see HUNTING AND FISHING.

FISH GATE

See GATE, GATEWAY.

FISHING

See HUNTING AND FISHING.

FLATTERY

The act of pleasing by artful commendation; adulation; false, insincere, or excessive praise. It is usually done to gratify the self-love or vanity of the one flattered, and is therefore damaging to him. Its motive is to gain favor or material benefits from another, to create a feeling of obligation toward the flatterer or to bring glory to him. Often it is designed to lead the other person into a trap. (Prov. 29:5) The use of flattery is not evidence of the wisdom from above, but is of this world, being characterized by selfishness, the making of partial distinctions and hypocrisy. (Jas. 3:17) Insincerity, lying, adulating or glorifying men and playing on the vanity of others are all displeasing to God.—2 Cor. 1:12; Gal. 1:10; Eph. 4:25; Col. 3:9; Rev. 21:8.

A contrast of the Christian course with that of flattery is found in the apostle’s words at 1 Thessalonians 2:3-6: “For the exhortation we give does not arise from error or from uncleanness or with deceit, but, just as we have been proved by God as fit to be entrusted with the good news, so we speak, as pleasing, not men, but God, who makes proof of our hearts. In fact, at no time have we turned up either with flattering speech, (just as you know) or with a false front for covetousness, God is witness! Neither have we been seeking glory from men, no, either from you or from others, though we could be an expensive burden as apostles of Christ.”

While the use of flattery may appear to be the gainful course, the Bible points out that “he that is reproving a man will afterward find more favor than he will that is flattering with his tongue.” (Prov. 28:23) When a person employs flattery to gain advantage over another person, it is the opposite of love. A hater may resort to flattery but will eventually have his deceptiveness roll back on him like a stone.—Prov. 26:24-28.

Flattery employs smooth talk in order to beguile its victim. The expressions “flattery,” “smooth” (tongue, lip, or words) (Ps. 5:9; 12:2, 3; Dan. 11:32), “smoothness” (Prov. 7:21; Dan. 11:34) and “doublefaced” (Ezek. 12:24) are English translations drawn from forms of the Hebrew root word hha·laqʹ. In every Bible instance cited the motive of the smooth talker is bad.

An example of the disastrous result of accepting flattery and the praise of men is Herod Agrippa I, who was flatteringly praised by the crowd as speaking with “a god’s voice.” Because he accepted the flattery, and did not give the glory to God, he was struck by God’s angel and died. (Acts 12:21-23) On the other hand, Barnabas and Paul quickly prevented a crowd from deifying them. (Acts 14:11-15) Also, when a Jewish ruler attempted application of the flattering title “Good Teacher” to Jesus Christ, Jesus instantly corrected him, saying: “Why do you call me good? Nobody is good, except one, God.”—Luke 18:18, 19; compare Job 32:21, 22.

FLAX

A plant that has been cultivated from ancient times, the fibers of which were, as now, commonly made into linen. The plant itself may grow from one to four feet (.3 to 1.2 meters) in height. The slender stalk of the plant, with its pale-green linear leaves, branches out only at the top. Each branch or branchlet terminates in a deep- or pale-blue (rarely white) five-petal flower.

When the flax was “bolled” or had “flower buds” it was ready for harvesting (Ex. 9:31), which was done by pulling or hoeing it up. The flax was then dried. Likely the stalks of flax on the roof of Rahab’s house at Jericho had been laid there for this purpose.—Josh. 2:6.

The method employed by the Hebrews in processing flax probably corresponded to the description given by Pliny the Elder of the first century C.E. in his Natural History, and to the ancient pictorial representation preserved at Beni Hasan in Egypt. After the seedpods had been removed, the stalks of flax were completely submerged in water and weighted down with stones to prevent them from floating. As the flax soaked in water, the woody part rotted, freeing the fibers. After the exterior part or rind of the stalks became loose the stalks were taken out of the water and were repeatedly turned over in the sun until completely dry. The flax was thereafter beaten with mallets on stone slabs, and the fibers separated and cleansed by combing them. The inferior fibers next to the rind were used for lampwicks (see Isaiah 42:3; 43:17; Matthew 12:20), whereas the interior fibers, of a whiter and finer quality, were made into yarn that was polished by striking it again and again on a hard stone.

Low ground and alluvial soil, so characteristic of Egypt, are said to be especially suited for the cultivation of flax. Even today Egypt ranks as the greatest producer of flax in Africa. In the ancient world this country was famous for its fine linen. Thus the divinely sent plague of hail, which ruined the flax and the barley, was a severe blow to the economy of Egypt. (Ex. 9:23, 31) Later, the pronouncement against Egypt, recorded by Isaiah (19:9), included the “workers in carded flax” among those who would become ashamed.—See LINEN.

[Picture on page 586]

Flax, from which linen is made

FLEA

A very small wingless parasitic insect that feeds on blood; a dangerous pest in that it can transmit bubonic plague and typhus. Fleas are common in Palestine. There is even a saying: “The king of the fleas holds his court at Tiberias.” But with the advent of hot weather the number of fleas gradually decreases. In the larval stage the flea is not parasitic nor are the eggs laid on a host. They are merely dropped on floors of dwellings or where infected animals sleep, and the maggotlike larvae live on decaying matter.

Fleas are usually reddish brown and have short front and middle legs but long hind legs. The flea’s strong and spiny legs as well as its flat sides enable it to move with ease and rapidity through the hairs or feathers of its host. The short rearward-pointing