Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Context: The term "drag" in a biblical context can refer to a net used for fishing, as well as the act of pulling or drawing something with force. In the ancient world, fishing was a common occupation, and the use of drag nets was a familiar image. The concept of dragging can also metaphorically represent the drawing of people or events into a particular situation or judgment.
Biblical References:
1.
Fishing Nets: The imagery of drag nets is used in the Bible to describe the gathering of people for judgment or the kingdom of heaven. In
Matthew 13:47-50 , Jesus uses the parable of the net to illustrate the kingdom of heaven: "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the men pulled it ashore. Then they sat down and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw the bad away. So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
2.
Metaphorical Use: The act of dragging can also symbolize the forceful drawing of individuals into situations of judgment or consequence. In
Habakkuk 1:14-15 , the prophet laments the prosperity of the wicked, using the imagery of fishing: "You have made men like the fish of the sea, like sea creatures with no ruler. The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook; they catch them in their dragnet and gather them in their fishing net; so they rejoice and are glad."
3.
Judgment and Consequence: The concept of dragging is often associated with divine judgment or the consequences of sin. In
Ezekiel 32:3 , God speaks of judgment against Pharaoh, king of Egypt: "This is what the Lord GOD says: 'I will spread My net over you with a company of many peoples, and they will haul you up in My net.'"
Theological Implications: The use of drag nets in biblical parables and prophecies often serves to illustrate the comprehensive and inevitable nature of divine judgment. Just as a drag net gathers all kinds of fish indiscriminately, God's judgment will encompass all people, separating the righteous from the wicked. This imagery underscores the importance of living a life in accordance with God's will, as the final judgment will reveal the true nature of each individual's life and choices.
Cultural and Historical Background: In the ancient Near East, fishing was a vital part of daily life and economy. The use of nets, including drag nets, was a common practice for catching fish in large quantities. This cultural backdrop made the imagery of drag nets a powerful and relatable metaphor for Jesus' audience and the readers of the prophetic books.
Moral and Ethical Lessons: The biblical use of "drag" as a metaphor for judgment serves as a reminder of the moral and ethical responsibilities of believers. It calls for self-examination and repentance, emphasizing the need to align one's life with the teachings of Scripture to be counted among the righteous in the final judgment.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A confection; a comfit; a drug.
2. (v. t.) To draw slowly or heavily onward; to pull along the ground by main force; to haul; to trail; -- applied to drawing heavy or resisting bodies or those inapt for drawing, with labor, along the ground or other surface; as, to drag stone or timber; to drag a net in fishing.
3. (v. t.) To break, as land, by drawing a drag or harrow over it; to harrow; to draw a drag along the bottom of, as a stream or other water; hence, to search, as by means of a drag.
4. (v. t.) To draw along, as something burdensome; hence, to pass in pain or with difficulty.
5. (v. i.) To be drawn along, as a rope or dress, on the ground; to trail; to be moved onward along the ground, or along the bottom of the sea, as an anchor that does not hold.
6. (v. i.) To move onward heavily, laboriously, or slowly; to advance with weary effort; to go on lingeringly.
7. (v. i.) To serve as a clog or hindrance; to hold back.
8. (v. i.) To fish with a dragnet.
9. (n.) The act of dragging; anything which is dragged.
10. (n.) A net, or an apparatus, to be drawn along the bottom under water, as in fishing, searching for drowned persons, etc.
11. (n.) A kind of sledge for conveying heavy bodies; also, a kind of low car or handcart; as, a stone drag.
12. (n.) A heavy coach with seats on top; also, a heavy carriage.
13. (n.) A heavy harrow, for breaking up ground.
14. (v. t.) Anything towed in the water to retard a ship's progress, or to keep her head up to the wind; esp., a canvas bag with a hooped mouth, so used. See Drag sail (below).
15. (v. t.) Also, a skid or shoe, for retarding the motion of a carriage wheel.
16. (v. t.) Hence, anything that retards; a clog; an obstacle to progress or enjoyment.
17. (v. t.) Motion affected with slowness and difficulty, as if clogged.
18. (n.) The bottom part of a flask or mold, the upper part being the cope.
19. (n.) A steel instrument for completing the dressing of soft stone.
20. (n.) The difference between the speed of a screw steamer under sail and that of the screw when the ship outruns the screw; or between the propulsive effects of the different floats of a paddle wheel. See Citation under Drag, v. i., 3.
Greek
2694. katasuro -- todrag away... to
drag away. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: katasuro Phonetic Spelling:
(kat-as-oo'-ro) Short Definition: I
drag down Definition: I pull down,
drag away
...4951. suro -- to draw,drag
... to draw,drag. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: suro Phonetic Spelling:
(soo'-ro) Short Definition: I draw,drag Definition: I draw,drag, force away....
1670. helko -- todrag
... todrag. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: helko Phonetic Spelling:
(hel-koo'-o) Short Definition: Idrag, draw, pull, persuade Definition: Idrag,...
645. apospao -- to draw off, draw away
... draw off, draw away. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apospao Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-os-pah'-o) Short Definition: I wrench away from,drag away, withdraw...
385. anaspao -- to draw up
... to draw up. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: anaspao Phonetic Spelling:
(an-as-pah'-o) Short Definition: Idrag up, pull up Definition: Idrag up, pull...
293. amphiblestron -- to throw around
... around. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: amphiblestron Phonetic Spelling:
(am-fib'-lace-tron) Short Definition: a fishing net,drag-net Definition...
4884. sunarpazo -- to seize and carry away
... to seize and carry away. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: sunarpazo Phonetic
Spelling: (soon-ar-pad'-zo) Short Definition: I seize,drag by force Definition...
1828. exelko -- to draw out or away
... draw away. From ek and helkuo; todrag forth, ie (figuratively) to entice (to sin) --
draw away. see GREEK ek. see GREEK helkuo. (exelkomenos) -- 1 Occurrence....
4506. rhuomai -- to draw to oneself, ie deliver
... Word Origin akin to eruo (todrag) Definition to draw to oneself, ie deliver NASB
Word Usage deliver (3), delivered (1), Deliverer (1), rescue (3), rescued (7...
4049. perispao -- to draw away
... distract. From peri and spao; todrag all around, ie (figuratively) to distract
(with care) -- cumber. see GREEK peri. see GREEK spao....
Strong's Hebrew
1641. garar -- todrag,drag away... 1640, 1641. garar. 1642 . to
drag,
drag away. Transliteration: garar Phonetic
Spelling: (gaw-rar') Short Definition: away. Word Origin a prim.
...5498. sachab -- todrag
... 5497, 5498. sachab. 5499 . todrag. Transliteration: sachab Phonetic Spelling:
(saw-khab') Short Definition:drag. Word Origin a prim....
4900. mashak -- to draw,drag
... 4899, 4900. mashak. 4901 . to draw,drag. Transliteration: mashak Phonetic
Spelling: (maw-shak') Short Definition: draw. Word Origin a prim....
4365. mikmereth -- a net, fishing net
... 4364b, 4365. mikmereth. 4365a . a net, fishing net. Transliteration: mikmereth
Phonetic Spelling: (mik-meh'-reth) Short Definition:drag.drag, net...
5423. nathaq -- to pull, draw, or tear away, apart, or off
... root Definition to pull, draw, or tear away, apart, or off NASB Word Usage break
(1), broke apart (1), broken (2), burst (1),drag off (1), draw away (1...
Library
The Parable of theDrag-Net.
... Book X. 11. The Parable of theDrag-Net. "Again the kingdom of heaven
is like unto a net that was cast into the sea." [5205] As...
TheDrag Net.
... THE PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM THEDRAG NET. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is
like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered...
In Proof of the Unity in Trinity the Passage of Isaiah which Has...
... Consider now lest perchance something may not beseem Him, or if this displease thee,
O Arian,drag Him down from His fellowship with the Father and the Son....
The Reasons of the Hatred against the Christians are Examined and...
... why not by argument, but by bodily tortures? Whence it is manifest that that is
an evil, to which you do not allure me willing, butdrag me refusing....
Providential Guidance
... Unsuccessful, I looked around in agonising suspense, and saw close to me a
fishing-boat with a peculiardrag-net furnished with hooks, which I knew would bring...
A Faithful Friend
... A man maydrag along a miserable existence in proud solitary dignity, but his life
is scarce life, it is nothing but an existence, the tree of life being...
Habakkuk's Rhapsody of the Chaldeans
... He taketh up all of them with the angle, he catcheth them in his net, and gathereth
them in hisdrag: therefore he rejoiceth and is glad....
A Faithful Friend
... A man maydrag along a miserable existence in proud solitary dignity, but his life
is scarce life, it is nothing but an existence, the tree of life being...
Petilianus Said: "If You Wish that we Should be Your Friends...
... friends? "216. Petilianus said: "If you wish that we should be your
friends, why do youdrag us to you against our will? But...
Concerning those who Call by the Name of Fate, not the Position of...
... With virtuous cheerfulness. The Fates do lead the man that follows willing;
But the man that is unwilling, him theydrag." [192]....
Thesaurus
Drag (19 Occurrences)... haul; to trail; -- applied to drawing heavy or resisting bodies or those inapt for
drawing, with labor, along the ground or other surface; as, to
drag stone or
...Drag-net (1 Occurrence)
Drag-net. Dragnet,Drag-net. Dragon . Multi-Version Concordance
Drag-net (1 Occurrence). Matthew 4:18 And walking along...
Dragged (19 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) ofDrag. Multi-Version Concordance
Dragged (19 Occurrences). Matthew 10:18 Yes, and you will...
Hale (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (a.) Sound; healthy; robust; not impaired; as, a hale body. 2. (n.) Welfare.
3. (vt) To call; to pull; todrag; to haul. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia....
Drags (5 Occurrences)
... when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way;
and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shalldrag itself along...
Appalled (31 Occurrences)
... counsel of Jehovah, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath
purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they shalldrag them away...
Counselled (26 Occurrences)
... ye the counsel of Jehovah, That He hath counselled concerning Edom, And His devices
that He hath devised Concerning the inhabitants of Teman:Drag them out do...
Devised (35 Occurrences)
... ye the counsel of Jehovah, That He hath counselled concerning Edom, And His devices
that He hath devised Concerning the inhabitants of Teman:Drag them out do...
Planned (34 Occurrences)
... the counsel of Yahweh, that he has taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he
has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they shalldrag them away...
Devices (43 Occurrences)
... ye the counsel of Jehovah, That He hath counselled concerning Edom, And His devices
that He hath devised Concerning the inhabitants of Teman:Drag them out do...
Resources
What does it mean that God draws us to salvation? | GotQuestions.orgIs “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” a true statement? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12)? | GotQuestions.orgDrag: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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