In biblical times, the concept of a "cottage" is not directly analogous to the modern understanding of a small, cozy dwelling. Instead, the term is often used to describe simple, temporary shelters or dwellings that were typically associated with agricultural or pastoral life. The Bible references cottages in a few instances, providing insight into the living conditions and societal structures of ancient times.

Biblical References:

1. Isaiah 1:8 : "And the Daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a city besieged." In this verse, the prophet Isaiah uses the imagery of a "shelter in a vineyard" or a "hut in a field of melons" to describe the desolation and vulnerability of Jerusalem. The "cottage" or "hut" here symbolizes a temporary and fragile structure, emphasizing the precarious state of the city.

2. Job 27:18 : "The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman." In this passage, Job speaks of the transient and fragile nature of the wicked man's prosperity. The "hut" or "cottage" is likened to a temporary shelter, underscoring the fleeting and unstable nature of earthly wealth and security.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Israel, cottages or huts were often used by watchmen or laborers in fields and vineyards. These structures were typically made from readily available materials such as branches, leaves, and mud, providing basic shelter from the elements. They were not intended for permanent residence but served as temporary accommodations during harvest seasons or for those tending to livestock.

The use of cottages in biblical imagery often conveys themes of impermanence and vulnerability. These structures, being simple and easily dismantled, reflect the transient nature of human endeavors and the reliance on God's providence for true security and stability.

Symbolism and Theological Implications:

The imagery of cottages in the Bible can also be seen as a metaphor for the human condition. Just as a cottage is a temporary dwelling, so too is human life on earth considered temporary in the biblical worldview. This perspective encourages believers to focus on eternal matters and to place their trust in God rather than in the fleeting comforts and securities of this world.

Furthermore, the use of cottages in prophetic literature, such as in Isaiah, serves to highlight the contrast between human frailty and divine strength. While human structures may be fragile and temporary, God's promises and His kingdom are enduring and unshakeable.

In summary, cottages in the Bible are emblematic of simplicity, transience, and reliance on divine provision. They serve as a poignant reminder of the temporary nature of earthly life and the enduring hope found in God's eternal promises.

The Ascent of the Body
... A hundred cottages placed in a row would never form a castle. What makes
the castle superior to the hundred cottages is not the ...
/.../drummond/the lowell lectures on the ascent of man/chapter i the ascent of.htm

Gregory the Patriarch and the Society at Kunwald, 1457-1473.
... oath as councillors. They built cottages, tilled the land, opened workshops,
and passed their time in peace and quietness. For a ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter v gregory the patriarch.htm

Yorkshire and the Settlement System.
... sun. But then the slope was wild and unkempt, covered over with briars and
brambles. Along the crown were a few small cottages. At ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter x yorkshire and the.htm

Creation's Groans and the Saints' Sighs
... devoureth its thousands: there is sorrow on the sea, and there is misery on the
land; and into the highest palaces as well as the poorest cottages, death, the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 14 1868/creations groans and the saints.htm

A Provision Ground
... As for separate bedrooms for boys and girls, and all those decencies and moralities
for which those who build model cottages strive, and with good cause"of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xvi a provision ground.htm

A Prefatory Letter.
... in my mind, I began to fear that a formal dedication at the beginning of such a
volume would look like a grand lodge in front of a set of cottages; while a ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/a prefatory letter.htm

The Rock of Castello.
... When the poor peasants were persecuted by their foes, their cottages and hamlets
plundered, their loved sanctuaries burnt with fire, and "all their pleasant ...
/.../macduff/the cities of refuge or the name of jesus/the rock of castello.htm

Prior Hugh
... cannot be given to us." So the king was forced to do a little traffic, which he
considered to be a dead loss, and acquired some very old cottages with rotten ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/marson/hugh bishop of lincoln/chapter iii prior hugh.htm

Composition and Style
... not in composition only; and if they were not allowed to make any alterations for
the better, of course they would not have exchanged their cottages for houses ...
/.../kleiser/the training of a public speaker/composition and style.htm

Of the Hindrances which an Unbelieving Husband Puts in his Wife's ...
... For who would suffer his wife, for the sake of visiting the brethren, to go round
from street to street to other men's, and indeed to all the poorer, cottages? ...
/.../tertullian/to his wife/chapter iv of the hindrances which.htm

Cottages (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Cottages (1 Occurrence). Zephaniah 2:6 The sea coast will
be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks. ...
/c/cottages.htm - 6k

Cotton (3 Occurrences)

/c/cotton.htm - 8k

Cottage (2 Occurrences)

/c/cottage.htm - 8k

Folds (18 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Zephaniah 2:6 The sea coast will be pastures, with cottages for shepherds
and folds for flocks. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV). ...
/f/folds.htm - 11k

Dot (2 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To mark with dots or small spots; as, to dot a line. 5. (vt) To mark or
diversify with small detached objects; as, a landscape dotted with cottages. ...
/d/dot.htm - 7k

Meadows (6 Occurrences)
... Yahweh. (See NIV). Zephaniah 2:6 And the sea-coast shall be pastures, with
cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks. (See JPS RSV). ...
/m/meadows.htm - 8k

Pens (8 Occurrences)
... sheepfolds; (See NIV). Zephaniah 2:6 The sea coast will be pastures, with
cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks. (See NIV). ...
/p/pens.htm - 8k

Caves (17 Occurrences)
... prey. (WEB JPS ASV RSV). Zephaniah 2:6 The sea coast will be pastures, with
cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks. (See NAS). ...
/c/caves.htm - 11k

Carmel (33 Occurrences)
... Two or three villages and some scattered cottages are found on it; its groves are
few but luxuriant; it is no place for crags and precipices or rocks of wild ...
/c/carmel.htm - 25k

Sea-coast (5 Occurrences)
... (See JPS ASV DBY YLT). Zephaniah 2:6 And the sea-coast shall be pastures, with cottages
for shepherds and folds for flocks. (See JPS ASV DBY YLT). ...
/s/sea-coast.htm - 7k

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