Topical Bible: Iron: Made Into: Fetters

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Topical Encyclopedia

Iron, a strong and durable metal, is frequently mentioned in the Bible, symbolizing strength, oppression, and bondage. In the ancient Near East, iron was a valuable resource used for various purposes, including the crafting of fetters—chains or shackles used to bind prisoners. The use of iron for making fetters is emblematic of the severe and often harsh conditions faced by those in captivity.

Biblical References:

1. Psalm 105:17-18 : "He sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles and placed his neck in irons." This passage recounts the account of Joseph, who, despite his eventual rise to power in Egypt, endured the hardship of being bound in iron fetters. The use of iron here underscores the severity of his imprisonment and the strength of the bonds that held him.

2. Judges 16:21 : "Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and took him down to Gaza, binding him with bronze shackles. He was forced to grind grain in the prison." Although this verse mentions bronze, it is important to note that iron was also commonly used for shackles during this period. The binding of Samson illustrates the use of metal fetters to subdue and control a powerful individual, reflecting the oppressive nature of such restraints.

3. 2 Samuel 3:34 : "Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen." This lament for Abner highlights the absence of fetters, contrasting his honorable death with the disgrace of being bound in iron. The mention of fetters serves as a metaphor for subjugation and dishonor.

4. Job 36:8 : "And if men are bound with chains, caught in cords of affliction," While not explicitly mentioning iron, this verse alludes to the concept of being bound, which often involved iron fetters. The imagery of chains and cords signifies the trials and tribulations faced by individuals, often seen as a form of divine discipline or testing.

Symbolism and Interpretation:

In the biblical context, iron fetters symbolize more than just physical restraint; they represent the spiritual and emotional bondage that can accompany sin and disobedience. The use of iron, a metal known for its strength and durability, emphasizes the formidable nature of such bondage. However, the Bible also speaks of liberation from these bonds through divine intervention and redemption.

The imagery of iron fetters serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of turning away from God and the hope of deliverance through faith and repentance. Throughout Scripture, the breaking of chains and fetters is often associated with God's saving power, illustrating His ability to free individuals from both physical and spiritual captivity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 105:18
Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 149:8
To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Northern Iron and the Steel
... The iron has not broken the northern iron and the ... our brethren speak in a way that
made me inwardly ... tearful eye, brother and sister have looked into your face ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the northern iron and the.htm

Psalm CXLIX.
... It was put into his power to preach the Word of ... They are being made so at this day;
they have been ... understand their being bound in fetters and chains of iron? ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxlix.htm

He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who ...
... Burnt with such a branding-iron he meditated flight, for ... announcing that a raid had
been made into their lands ... with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron ...
/.../chapter vii he does battle.htm

The Power of God
... made the fire not to burn; he made the waters ... Xerxes, the Persian monarch, threw
fetters into the sea, when its ... sinner be once taken in God's iron net, there ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/6 the power of god.htm

Christ the Breaker
... that you 'stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free ... the Christ
comes to us all, and the iron gate which leadeth out into freedom opens ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/christ the breaker.htm

The Reconnoitering of Greece.
... continual restlessness and anguish on his couch, made constantly worse ... ragged and
wretched, and shackled with iron fetters upon his feet, into the presence ...
/.../abbott/darius the great/chapter vi the reconnoitering of.htm

Preface
... occasionally to listen to one who made it his ... the Chaldeans, the Chaldeans turn
immediately into a parable of ... injection of which might put iron into the blood ...
//christianbookshelf.org/whyte/lord teach us to pray/preface.htm

'Other Sheep'
... His sceptre is no rod of iron, but the shepherd's ... these deductions, which ought fairly
to be made, how much ... The Bible has been put into the languages of seven ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/other sheep.htm

The Worst Things Work for Good to the Godly
... This was sad to see " a crown of gold changed into fetters; but it ... He was more beholden
to his iron chain, than to his golden crown; the one made him proud ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/the worst things work for.htm

The Cords of Sin
... fodder held before it, and at last driven into it by ... net which his own evil deeds
have made for him ... silken at first, rapidly are exchanged for iron chains, and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the cords of sin.htm