Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, baskets were essential household items used for a variety of purposes, including carrying, storing, and serving food. They are mentioned numerous times throughout the Scriptures, often symbolizing provision, abundance, and the practical aspects of daily life.
Old Testament ReferencesBaskets appear early in the biblical narrative. In
Exodus 2:3, Moses' mother uses a basket to save his life: "But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile." This basket, made of papyrus and waterproofed, served as a vessel of deliverance for the infant Moses.
In the context of offerings and worship, baskets were used to present the firstfruits to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 26:2 instructs, "you are to take some of the firstfruits of all the produce of the soil that you harvest from the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name."
Baskets also appear in the narrative of Gideon.
Judges 6:19 describes how Gideon prepared an offering for the angel of the Lord: "Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to Him under the oak."
New Testament ReferencesIn the New Testament, baskets are prominently featured in the miracles of Jesus. The feeding of the multitudes is a significant event where baskets are used to collect leftovers. In the feeding of the five thousand,
Matthew 14:20 records, "They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over." Similarly, in the feeding of the four thousand,
Mark 8:8-9 states, "The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over."
The Apostle Paul also encountered baskets in a more personal context. In
2 Corinthians 11:32-33, Paul recounts his escape from Damascus: "In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp." This basket served as a means of deliverance, much like the basket that saved Moses.
Symbolism and UsageBaskets in the Bible often symbolize God's provision and care. The collection of leftovers in baskets after Jesus' miraculous feedings underscores the abundance of God's blessings and the importance of stewardship. The use of baskets in offerings highlights the act of giving back to God from the bounty He provides.
In a broader sense, baskets represent the practical and everyday aspects of life in biblical times. They were crafted from materials readily available in the region, such as reeds, rushes, and palm leaves, and were woven with skill and care. This craftsmanship reflects the resourcefulness and industriousness of the people.
Overall, baskets in the Bible serve as a reminder of God's provision, the importance of gratitude, and the practical aspects of faith lived out in daily life.
Greek
2894. kophinos -- a basket... Word Origin a prim. word Definition a basket NASB Word Usage
baskets (6).
basket. Of uncertain derivation; a (small) basket -- basket.
...4711. spuris -- a (large, flexible) basket (for carrying...
... Word Origin of uncertain origin Definition a (large, flexible) basket (for carrying
provisions) NASB Word Usage large basket (1), largebaskets (4). basket....
Strong's Hebrew
1731. dud -- a pot, jar... Word Origin from the same as dod Definition a pot, jar NASB Word Usage
basket (3),
baskets (2), kettle (1), kettles (1), pot (1).
...5536. sal -- basket
... Definition: basket. Word Origin from an unused word Definition basket NASB
Word Usage basket (13),baskets (2). basket. From calal...
Library
TwelveBaskets Full of Fragments Gathered from the Miracle of...
... IX. TWELVEBASKETS FULL OF FRAGMENTS GATHERED FROM THE MIRACLE OF CHRIST FEEDING
THE MULTITUDE. 1."MAN NEEDS HELP. "They have nothing to eat." (Mark 6:36.)...
Of the Obedience of a Brother who at the Abbot's Bidding Carried...
... Prolegomena. Chapter XXIX. Of the obedience of a brother who at the Abbot's bidding
carried about in public tenbaskets and sold them by retail....
The Four Thousand
... also before them. And they did eat, and were filled: and they took up, of
broken pieces that remained over, sevenbaskets. And they...
Exposition of the Details of the Miracle.
... capacity of the multitudes but of the disciples who were able to take up that which
remained over of the broken pieces, and to place it inbaskets filled with...
Third Withdrawal from Herod's Territory.
... a neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many
baskets [cophini, probably travelingbaskets] ye took up?...
"Thou Art the Christ"
... also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of
the broken meat that was left sevenbaskets. And they that...
On the Words of the Gospel, Mark viii. 5, Etc. , Where the Miracle...
... 3136] signify the seven-fold operation of the Holy Spirit; the "four thousand men,"
the Church established on the four Gospels; "the sevenbaskets of fragments...
Concerning the Seven Loaves. The Narrative of the Feeding of the...
... And, if according to John, [5546] they were barley loaves of which the twelvebaskets
remained over, but nothing of this kind is said about these, how are not...
"Give Ye them to Eat"
... did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelvebaskets full of the
fragments, and of the fishes.". He who taught the people...
Feeding the Multitudes.
... Even more than this, when the multitude had eaten all that they wanted, the
disciples gathered up twelvebaskets full of the broken pieces....
Thesaurus
Baskets (20 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Baskets (20 Occurrences).
... They took up twelve
baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.
...Fire-baskets (1 Occurrence)
Fire-baskets. Fire, Fire-baskets. Firebrand . Multi-Version Concordance
Fire-baskets (1 Occurrence). Numbers 4:14 Placing...
Hand-baskets (7 Occurrences)
Hand-baskets. Handbags, Hand-baskets. Handbreadth . Multi-Version
Concordance Hand-baskets (7 Occurrences). Matthew...
Fragments (17 Occurrences)
... Fragments (17 Occurrences). Matthew 14:20 And they did all eat, and were filled:
and they took up of the fragments that remained twelvebaskets full....
Bits (54 Occurrences)
... Bits (54 Occurrences). Matthew 14:20 And they all took of the food and had enough:
and they took up twelvebaskets full of broken bits which were not used....
Basketfuls (9 Occurrences)
... Matthew 14:20 and they did all eat, and were filled, and they took up what was
over of the broken pieces twelve hand-baskets full; (See NIV)....
Picked (43 Occurrences)
... Matthew 14:20 They all ate, and were filled. They took up twelvebaskets full of
that which remained left over from the broken pieces. (See NAS NIV)....
Pieces (209 Occurrences)
... They took up twelvebaskets full of that which remained left over from the broken
pieces.... They took up sevenbaskets of broken pieces that were left over....
Basket (40 Occurrences)
... 15, 17, 19). Sometimesbaskets were made of twigs peeled; their manufacture
was a recognized trade among the Hebrews. (2.) That...
Thousand (405 Occurrences)
... Matthew 16:9 Don't you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for
the five thousand, and how manybaskets you took up? (WEB...
Resources
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