The concept of being "confined" in the Bible often relates to physical imprisonment, spiritual bondage, or a state of limitation imposed by circumstances or divine will. Throughout Scripture, confinement serves as both a literal and metaphorical theme, illustrating God's sovereignty, justice, and the potential for redemption and deliverance.

Physical Imprisonment

Physical confinement is a recurring theme in the Bible, often involving key figures who are imprisoned for their faith or actions. Joseph, for example, was confined in an Egyptian prison after being falsely accused by Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39:20). Despite his unjust imprisonment, Joseph's faithfulness led to his eventual rise to power, demonstrating God's providential care and the potential for divine intervention in times of confinement.

The Apostle Paul also experienced physical confinement, frequently imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. In his letter to the Philippians, written from prison, Paul expresses joy and contentment despite his circumstances, stating, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). His letters from prison, including Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, continue to encourage believers to remain steadfast in faith regardless of external limitations.

Spiritual Bondage

Beyond physical imprisonment, the Bible addresses spiritual confinement, often depicted as bondage to sin or spiritual forces. Jesus Christ's mission is portrayed as one of liberation from such bondage. In Luke 4:18, Jesus declares, "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed" . This passage highlights the spiritual freedom offered through Christ, emphasizing His role as the ultimate liberator.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on spiritual confinement in Romans 6:6, stating, "We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin" . Through Christ's sacrifice, believers are freed from the bondage of sin, illustrating the transformative power of the Gospel.

Divine Confinement

At times, God Himself imposes confinement as a form of judgment or discipline. The account of Jonah serves as a notable example, where Jonah is confined within the belly of a great fish for three days and nights (Jonah 1:17). This period of confinement leads to Jonah's repentance and eventual obedience to God's command to preach to Nineveh. Such instances underscore the theme of divine correction and the opportunity for repentance and restoration.

Similarly, the Israelites experienced confinement during their Babylonian exile, a period of seventy years as prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11-12). This national confinement served as both punishment for their disobedience and a period of purification, ultimately leading to their return and the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

Metaphorical Confinement

The Bible also uses confinement metaphorically to describe the limitations of human understanding and the need for reliance on God's wisdom. Proverbs 3:5-6 advises, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" . This passage encourages believers to recognize their own limitations and seek divine guidance.

In summary, the theme of confinement in the Bible encompasses physical imprisonment, spiritual bondage, divine discipline, and metaphorical limitations. Through these narratives, Scripture reveals God's power to deliver, redeem, and guide His people, offering hope and assurance of His presence in times of confinement.(imp. & p. p.) of Confine.2346. thlibo -- to press, afflict
... constrict (compress), ie together; (figuratively) afflict (distress), ie like when
circumstances "rub us the wrong way" that make us feel confined (hemmed in ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2346.htm - 7k

442. anthropinos -- human
... 442 (from 444 , "mankind, relating to human nature") -- properly, ("of
mankind/human-kind"); (figuratively) what is (finite), ie confined to effort ( ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/442.htm - 7k

1537. ek -- from, from out of
... 1537 ("out of") is one of the most under-translated (and therefore mis-translated)
Greek propositions -- often being confined to the meaning "by." 1537 () has ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1537.htm - 7k

2347. thlipsis -- tribulation
... what constricts or rubs together), used of a narrow place that "hems someone in"; ,
especially that causes someone to feel confined (restricted, "without ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2347.htm - 7k

5564. chorion -- a place, property
... 5564 (the grammatical diminutive of 5561 , "a field") -- a limited , a of a larger
area; a confined piece of ground; "a definite portion of space that is ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5564.htm - 7k

488. antimetreo -- to measure in return
... 488 () is only used twice in the NT (), each time in relation to "law of
reciprocity" (Mt 7:2; Lk 6:38). [The is confined to Lk 6:38.]. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/488.htm - 7k

1753. energeia -- mute, speechless
... Phonetic Spelling: (en-erg'-i-ah) Short Definition: working, activity Definition:
working, action, productive work, activity; in the NT, confined to superhuman ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1753.htm - 6k

4730. stenochoria -- narrowness of space, fig. difficulty
... 4730 (from 4728 , "narrow, confined" and 5561 , "space, territory, area") -- properly,
a narrow place; (figuratively) a circumstance -- which God always ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4730.htm - 7k

6113. atsar -- to restrain, retain
... root Definition to restrain, retain NASB Word Usage able* (2), bond (5), checked
(3), closed fast (1), confined (3), could (1), detain (2), detained (1), held ...
/hebrew/6113.htm - 6k

8104. shamar -- to keep, watch, preserve
... Usage attend (4), being careful (1), beware (8), bodyguard* (1), careful (32), careful
to keep (1), cares (1), charge (4), confine (1), confined (1), defending ...
/hebrew/8104.htm - 7k

631. asar -- to tie, bind, imprison
... NASB Word Usage began (1), begin (1), bind (8), bind me tightly (1), bind you fast
(1), binds (3), bound (28), captivated (1), captured (1), confined (4), get ...
/hebrew/631.htm - 6k

5462. sagar -- to shut, close
... root Definition to shut, close NASB Word Usage battle-axe (1), close (2), closed
(9), confined (1), deliver (5), delivered (6), gave over (2), given (1), given ...
/hebrew/5462.htm - 6k

Nor is this an Opinion Confined to Ourselves Alone. ...
... Section III. Nor is this an opinion confined to ourselves alone.? Nor is
this an opinion confined to ourselves alone. For it was ...
/.../the paschal canon of anatolius of alexandria/section iii nor is this.htm

In the Last Chapter we Confined Ourself to the Old Testament, in ...
... In the last chapter we confined ourself to the Old Testament, in this and the
one that follows we shall treat mainly of Babylon in Rev... ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/in the last chapter we.htm

Jesus Confined in the Subterranean Prison.
... CHAPTER XII. Jesus confined in the subterranean Prison. The ... frightened. Our Divine
Lord was confined in this prison an hour, or thereabouts. ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter xii jesus confined in.htm

But Though Prayer is Properly Confined to Vows and Supplications.. ...
... Of Prayer. John Calvin Chapter 28 But though prayer is properly confined
to vows and supplications? But though prayer is properly ...
/.../of prayer--a perpetual exercise of faith/chapter 28 but though prayer.htm

Christ's Teaching not Confined to Parables, but Conveyed Also in ...
... FORM. A. GENERAL PRINCIPLES. Section 70. Christ's Teaching not confined
to Parables, but conveyed also in longer Discourses. It ...
/.../section 70 christs teaching not.htm

This is the Discourse Concerning Hades, Wherein the Souls of all ...
... Section 5. This is the discourse concerning Hades, wherein the souls of
all men are confined? 5. This is the discourse concerning ...
/.../josephus/discourse to the greeks concerning hades/section 5 this is the.htm

Concerning the Opinions of Varro, Who, While Reprobating the ...
... Chapter 31."Concerning the Opinions of Varro, Who, While Reprobating the Popular
Belief, Thought that Their Worship Should Be Confined to One God, Though He ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 31 concerning the opinions of.htm

The Next Words Are, which Art in Heaven. ...
... HEAVEN. From this we are not to infer that he is enclosed and confined within
the circumference of heaven, as by a kind of boundaries. ...
/.../calvin/of prayer--a perpetual exercise of faith/chapter 40 the next words.htm

The Binding of Satan.
... pit," and "chain," symbolize the instruments of restraint and confinement to which
Satan is to be subjected; and his being bound and confined symbolize his ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the binding of satan.htm

The Hardening of Nations.
... The Church now spread among the nations was hid in Israel. The hardening seldom
occurred among the heathen, and as a rule was confined to the Jews. ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxv the hardening of nations.htm

Confined (18 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Confine. Multi-Version Concordance
Confined (18 Occurrences). Galatians 3:23 But before ...
/c/confined.htm - 11k

Prisoner (87 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) One who is confined in a prison. 2. (n.)
A person under arrest, or in custody, whether in prison ...
/p/prisoner.htm - 42k

Prison (131 Occurrences)
... Prisons and prisoners are mentioned in the book of Psalms (69:33; 79:11; 142:7).
Samson was confined in a Philistine prison (Judges 16:21, 25). ...
/p/prison.htm - 52k

Galatia (6 Occurrences)
... 25. This province of Galatia, within the limits of which these Celtic tribes
were confined, was the central region of Asia Minor. ...
/g/galatia.htm - 23k

Wood (226 Occurrences)
... Exodus 25:5, 10, 13; Exodus 26:15, 26; 27:1, 6 Deuteronomy 10:3)): The word was
originally shinTah, derived from the Arabic sanT, now a name confined to one ...
/w/wood.htm - 42k

Theocracy
... The realization of the idea is not only confined to Israel, but in the pre-exilic
history of Israel the realization of the idea was confined to the Southern ...
/t/theocracy.htm - 11k

Close (186 Occurrences)
... 17. (vt) Narrow; confined; as, a close alley; close quarters. 18. ... 19. (vt) Strictly
confined; carefully guarded; as, a close prisoner. 20. ...
/c/close.htm - 39k

Shittah (2 Occurrences)
... Exodus 25:5, 10, 13; Exodus 26:15, 26; 27:1, 6 Deuteronomy 10:3)): The word was
originally shinTah, derived from the Arabic sanT, now a name confined to one ...
/s/shittah.htm - 8k

Shittim (34 Occurrences)
... Exodus 25:5, 10, 13; Exodus 26:15, 26; 27:1, 6 Deuteronomy 10:3)): The word was
originally shinTah, derived from the Arabic sanT, now a name confined to one ...
/s/shittim.htm - 20k

Omnipresence
... Hence, it is not confined to one place; the altars built in recognition of it are
in patriarchal history erected in several places and coexist as each and all ...
/o/omnipresence.htm - 18k

What does it mean that God is the God of the hills and valleys (1 Kings 20:28)? | GotQuestions.org

Does the string theory have any connection with belief in God? | GotQuestions.org

What is the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1-12)? | GotQuestions.org

Confined: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus