Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, the concept of a net-work is primarily associated with fishing, a common occupation among the people of ancient Israel, particularly those living near the Sea of Galilee. Nets were essential tools for fishermen, and their use is frequently mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. The net-work, or the act of casting and drawing in nets, serves as a powerful metaphor for spiritual truths and divine calling.
Old Testament ReferencesThe use of nets in the Old Testament is often literal, describing the tools used by fishermen. For example, in
Habakkuk 1:15, the prophet speaks of the Chaldeans, saying, "The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook; they catch them in their net and gather them in their dragnet. So they rejoice and are glad." Here, the net symbolizes the means by which the Chaldeans capture and subdue their enemies, illustrating the power and reach of their conquest.
Nets are also mentioned in the context of traps and snares, symbolizing the dangers and temptations that can lead people away from righteousness. In
Proverbs 1:17, it is written, "How futile it is to spread the net in the sight of any bird!" This proverb highlights the futility of setting traps for those who are aware and vigilant.
New Testament ReferencesIn the New Testament, the imagery of nets takes on a more spiritual dimension, particularly in the ministry of Jesus Christ. The calling of the first disciples is a significant event involving nets. In
Matthew 4:18-19, Jesus encounters Simon Peter and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. He says to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." This call transforms the net from a tool for catching fish into a symbol of evangelism and the gathering of souls into the Kingdom of God.
The miraculous catch of fish, as recorded in
Luke 5:4-6, further emphasizes the divine power associated with the net-work. Jesus instructs Simon Peter to "Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Despite their previous unsuccessful efforts, they obey and enclose a great number of fish, causing their nets to begin breaking. This miracle demonstrates the abundance and blessing that come from obedience to Christ.
In
John 21:6, after His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples and instructs them to cast the net on the right side of the boat. They do so and are unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. This event reaffirms the disciples' mission and the effectiveness of their work when guided by the Lord.
Symbolic and Theological SignificanceThe net-work in biblical literature serves as a metaphor for the Kingdom of God and the mission of the Church. Just as nets gather fish, the Gospel message is intended to gather people from all nations into the community of believers. The parable of the net in
Matthew 13:47-48 illustrates this point: "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."
This parable underscores the inclusive nature of the Gospel and the eventual separation of the righteous from the wicked at the end of the age. The net-work, therefore, is not only a practical tool but also a profound symbol of divine judgment and grace.
In summary, the concept of net-work in the Bible is rich with meaning, encompassing both the practical aspects of daily life in ancient times and the deeper spiritual truths of God's redemptive plan. Through the imagery of nets, Scripture communicates the call to discipleship, the power of obedience, and the ultimate gathering of believers into the eternal Kingdom.
Strong's Hebrew
7639. sebakah -- latticework,network... sabak; a
net-
work, ie (in hunting) a snare, (in architecture) a ballustrade; also
a reticulated ornament to a pillar -- checker, lattice,
network, snare, wreath
...2355. chor --network
... chor. 2356 .network. Transliteration: chor Phonetic Spelling: (khore) Short
Definition:network....network The same as chuwr; white linen --network....
7730. sobek -- anetwork (of boughs)
... 7729, 7730. sobek. 7731 . anetwork (of boughs). Transliteration: sobek
Phonetic Spelling: (so'-bek) Short Definition: branches....
7568. resheth -- a net
... Word Origin from yarash Definition a net NASB Word Usage net (20),network (2).
net work. From yarash; a net (as catching animals) --net(-work)....
4639. maaseh -- a deed, work
... deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation,
possession, X well, ((handy-, needle-,net-))work(ing, - manship...
5908. akkabish -- a spider
... spider. Probably from an unused root in the literal sense of entangling; a spider
(as weaving anetwork) -- spider. 5907, 5908. akkabish. 5909 ....
Library
Achan's Sin, Israel's Defeat
... The site of Ai seems to have been satisfactorily identified on a small plateau among
the intricatenetwork of wild wadys and bare hills that rise behind Jericho...
The Allies of the Tempter.
... Neither can you estimate the mysterious attraction that plays all through thisnetwork
of social relations, nor the energy of good or of evil with which it is...
Elucidation.
... have supposed that even the learning and ingenuity of Lightfoot could fish out of
very dark waters such shining booty as fills thenetwork about "Abercius of...
The First Theban Empire
... other two, passes the town of Shodu, and is then subdivided into numerous canals
and ditches, whose ramifications appear on the map as anetwork resembling the...
The Influence of Tradition.
... to do is thwarted, counteracted, or destroyed by influences of this sort, and how
weak and imitative souls are entangled in thenetwork of traditional...
With the Rev. William Burns
... in southern KIANG-SU and north CHEH-KIANG, living in our boats, and following the
course of the canals and rivers which here spread like anetwork over the...
The God of the Rain
... humanly speaking, sure to be fertile, because always supplied with water, brought
out of the Nile by dykes and channels which spread in anetwork over every...
Calcutta and the Mission Centres from Delhi to Amboyna
... Under Danish passports, and often without them, missionary tours were
made over Central Bengal, aided by itsnetwork of rivers....
Introductory Essays
... them the superstitions with which the original institutions of Christ had been overlaid,
and thus releasing men's consciences from a vastnetwork of ceremonial...
Dialogue Between a Gentleman and a Shepherd.
... hand, which he laid upon his left shoulder; in his right hand he had a long switch,
and under the armpit a bag, in a small net of hemp-cordnetwork; the net...
Thesaurus
Network (19 Occurrences)... 2. (n.) Any system of lines or channels interlacing or crossing like the fabric
of a net; as, a
network of veins; a
network of railroads. Int.
...NETWORK.
...Net-work (11 Occurrences)
Net-work.Network,Net-work. Networks . Multi-Version ConcordanceNet-work
(11 Occurrences).... (WBS YLT).Network,Net-work. Networks . Reference Bible.
Apples (11 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 And he made ornaments of apples; and two lines of apples all round
over thenetwork, covering the crowns of the pillars, the two crowns in the...
Crowns (27 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 And he made ornaments of apples; and two lines of apples all round
over thenetwork, covering the crowns of the pillars, the two crowns in the...
Pomegranates (20 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the onenetwork,
to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so...
Cups (28 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:41 The two pillars and the two cups of the crowns which were on the tops
of the two pillars; and thenetwork covering the two cups of the crowns on...
Capitals (21 Occurrences)
... for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for eachnetwork, to cover... upon it;
and the hight of one capital was five cubits, withnet-work and pomegranates...
Lines (42 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 And he made ornaments of apples; and two lines of apples all round
over thenetwork, covering the crowns of the pillars, the two crowns in the...
Grate (6 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Anetwork of brass for the bottom of the great altar of
sacrifice (Exodus 27:4; 35:16; 38:4, 5, 30). Noah Webster's Dictionary....
Rows (29 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 So he made the pillars; and there were two rows around on the onenetwork,
to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars: and so did...
Resources
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