In biblical literature, the term "net" is often employed figuratively to convey various spiritual and moral lessons. The imagery of a net is used to illustrate concepts such as entrapment, divine judgment, and the gathering of people for God's kingdom. This metaphorical use of "net" is found throughout both the Old and New Testaments, providing rich symbolism that underscores the themes of divine sovereignty, human responsibility, and the ultimate fulfillment of God's purposes.

Entrapment and Deception

The net is frequently used to symbolize entrapment and the deceptive schemes of the wicked. In the Psalms, David often speaks of his enemies laying nets to ensnare him, highlighting the dangers posed by those who seek to harm the righteous. Psalm 140:5 states, "The proud hide a snare for me; the cords of their net are spread along the path, and lures are set out for me." Here, the net represents the cunning and malicious intentions of the wicked, who seek to trap the innocent through deceit.

Similarly, in Proverbs, the net serves as a warning against the seductive allure of sin. Proverbs 1:17 observes, "How futile it is to spread the net in the sight of any bird!" This verse suggests the futility of attempting to ensnare those who are wise and vigilant, emphasizing the importance of discernment and awareness in avoiding the traps of sin.

Divine Judgment

The net is also a powerful symbol of divine judgment. In the prophetic literature, God is depicted as using a net to capture and judge nations and individuals who have turned away from His commandments. Ezekiel 12:13 declares, "I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he will not see it, and there he will die." This imagery underscores the inescapability of God's judgment and the certainty that His justice will prevail.

Gathering for the Kingdom

In the New Testament, Jesus employs the metaphor of a net to describe the kingdom of heaven and the gathering of people for God's purposes. In the Parable of the Net, found in Matthew 13:47-50 , Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to a net that is cast into the sea, gathering fish of every kind. "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 illustrates the comprehensive nature of God's kingdom, which includes a diverse array of people, and the eventual separation of the righteous from the wicked at the end of the age.

Spiritual Warfare

The Apostle Paul also uses the concept of a net in the context of spiritual warfare. In 2 Timothy 2:26 , he speaks of those who have been ensnared by the devil: "Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." Here, the net symbolizes the spiritual traps set by the adversary, from which believers must seek deliverance through repentance and the truth of the Gospel.

In summary, the figurative use of "net" in the Bible serves as a multifaceted symbol that conveys themes of entrapment, divine judgment, the inclusivity of God's kingdom, and the spiritual battles faced by believers. Through this imagery, Scripture provides profound insights into the nature of God's dealings with humanity and the moral and spiritual challenges that individuals encounter.Job 18:8
For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walks on a snare.
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Job 19:6
Know now that God has overthrown me, and has compassed me with his net.
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Psalm 9:15
The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
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Psalm 10:9
He lies in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lies in wait to catch the poor: he does catch the poor, when he draws him into his net.
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Psalm 25:15
My eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
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Psalm 31:4
Pull me out of the net that they have laid privately for me: for you are my strength.
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Psalm 35:7,8
For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have dig for my soul.
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Psalm 57:6
They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have dig a pit before me, into the middle whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
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Psalm 66:11
You brought us into the net; you laid affliction on our loins.
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Psalm 140:5
The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.
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Psalm 141:10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I with escape.
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Proverbs 12:12
The wicked desires the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yields fruit.
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Proverbs 29:5
A man that flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.
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Ecclesiastes 7:26
And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
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Ecclesiastes 9:12
For man also knows not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
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Isaiah 19:8
The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets on the waters shall languish.
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Ezekiel 26:5,14
It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the middle of the sea: for I have spoken it, said the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.
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Ezekiel 47:10
And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand on it from Engedi even to Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
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Hosea 7:12
When they shall go, I will spread my net on them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.
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Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew
... 12. The Divine Scriptures Compared to a Net. 13. Relation of Men to Angels. ... 8. The
Leaven Figurative Like the Water Spoken of by Jesus to the Woman of Samaria. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origens commentary on the gospel of matthew/

The Second Coming of Christ.
... But this perplexing expression under this theory refers exclusively to the figurative
and not to the ... [The image of a snare is that of a net which suddenly ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxiv the second coming of.htm

Regeneration.
... that the term heart is used in the Bible in these senses, but net when the ... 6. The
term heart, when applied to mind, is figurative, and means something in the ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxvii regeneration.htm

The Exile --Continued.
... for instance, as the figure of God his rock (ver.3), the net which his ... sufferings
inflicted on some unknown confessor in Babylon, or in figurative language the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/the life of david/viii the exilecontinued.htm

The Tares.
... to the twelve, the Lord Jesus undertook to translate a figurative expression which ...
represent the Church; (3.) That the parable of the fishing-net confirms this ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/ii the tares.htm

Doctrinal and Moral Treatises. Index of Subjects.
... Abraham, Christ the promised Seed of, [268]339, [269]340; His example cited,
[270]408, [271]409, [272]412; actions of, figurative, [273]470; told no lie, [274 ...
/.../on care to be had for the dead /doctrinal and moral treatises index.htm

From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus.
... toinun ton logon is supplied, and eikotos omitted in the clause, Paul using appropriate
figurative language. ... [3715] The text here has like a drag-net or (sicut ...
/.../who is the rich man that shall be saved/i from the latin translation of.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... Indeed, the whole, in a manner, was a typical and a figurative thing ... There was also
upon these chapiters a net-work, or nets like unto chequer-work, which still ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm

part i
My Life in Christ. <. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part i.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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