In biblical literature, the concept of a "fence" is often used figuratively to represent protection, separation, or divine boundaries. This metaphorical use is prevalent throughout Scripture, illustrating spiritual truths and moral principles.

1. Protection and Security: In the Bible, a fence can symbolize God's protection over His people. In Job 1:10, Satan acknowledges God's protective "hedge" around Job, saying, "Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns?" . This imagery conveys the idea of divine safeguarding, where God acts as a protective barrier against harm and evil.

2. Separation from Sin: Fences also represent the separation between the holy and the profane. In Ezekiel 42:20, the temple is described as having a wall to separate the holy from the common, "So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common" . This separation underscores the call for believers to live distinct and consecrated lives, set apart from worldly influences.

3. Divine Boundaries: The concept of a fence can also illustrate the boundaries set by God for human conduct. In Proverbs 15:19, the path of the sluggard is compared to a hedge of thorns, "The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway" . This metaphor highlights the consequences of laziness and the moral boundaries that guide righteous living.

4. Spiritual Discipline: Figuratively, a fence can denote the discipline and self-control required in the Christian life. In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul speaks of disciplining his body to keep it under control, akin to erecting a fence around one's desires and actions to ensure they align with God's will.

5. Community and Fellowship: In a communal sense, fences can symbolize the unity and fellowship within the body of Christ. Ephesians 2:14 speaks of Christ breaking down the "dividing wall of hostility" between Jews and Gentiles, "For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility" . This imagery reflects the removal of barriers that separate believers, fostering a unified community in Christ.

The figurative use of fences in Scripture serves as a powerful reminder of God's protection, the call to holiness, the importance of moral boundaries, the necessity of spiritual discipline, and the unity within the Christian community. Through these metaphors, believers are encouraged to trust in God's safeguarding presence, live lives set apart for His purposes, and maintain the integrity and unity of the faith.Ezekiel 22:30
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Nave's Topical Index

Introduction.
... the institutes of the commonwealth were symbolical, the language of the people was
figurative. ... and fables; but this is laboriously to erect a fence between two ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/introduction.htm

Ephesians iv. 25-27
... both your mind and your tongue, and fence you with a sure fence, even His ... The figurative
form of the precept also (apothemenoi, putting off') is an echo from ...
/.../homily xiv ephesians iv 25-27.htm

Hebrews x. 26, 27
... from them, even whilst they wilfully continue in their Sins: yet, fence there are ...
a thing absolutely impossible: and goeth so high, in the figurative way of ...
/.../sermon viii hebrews x 26.htm

The Long, Rough Road He Trod
... The word Nazareth has become a high fence hiding from view thirty of the thirty ... This
was surely some of His intensely figurative language again, they think. ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on following the christ/the long rough road he.htm

The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
... And observe it, that of all the particulars that you read of, touching the fence,
fashion, or frame of this city, and of all her glory, the firs thing that he ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy city or the.htm

From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus.
... a goad, how to escape rains, how to elude cold, how to fence off blows ... is supplied,
and eikotos omitted in the clause, Paul using appropriate figurative language ...
/.../who is the rich man that shall be saved/i from the latin translation of.htm

Mr. Bunyan's Last Sermon:
... AND A. SKETCH OF HIS LIFE, TIMES, AND CONTEMPORARIES. VOLUME THIRD. ALLEGORICAL,
FIGURATIVE, AND SYMBOLICAL. EDITED BY. GEORGE OFFOR, ESQ. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/mr bunyans last sermon .htm

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