In biblical times, the concept of a net-work is primarily associated with fishing, a common occupation among the people of ancient Israel, particularly those living near the Sea of Galilee. Nets were essential tools for fishermen, and their use is frequently mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. The net-work, or the act of casting and drawing in nets, serves as a powerful metaphor for spiritual truths and divine calling.

Old Testament References

The use of nets in the Old Testament is often literal, describing the tools used by fishermen. For example, in Habakkuk 1:15, the prophet speaks of the Chaldeans, saying, "The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook; they catch them in their net and gather them in their dragnet. So they rejoice and are glad." Here, the net symbolizes the means by which the Chaldeans capture and subdue their enemies, illustrating the power and reach of their conquest.

Nets are also mentioned in the context of traps and snares, symbolizing the dangers and temptations that can lead people away from righteousness. In Proverbs 1:17, it is written, "How futile it is to spread the net in the sight of any bird!" This proverb highlights the futility of setting traps for those who are aware and vigilant.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the imagery of nets takes on a more spiritual dimension, particularly in the ministry of Jesus Christ. The calling of the first disciples is a significant event involving nets. In Matthew 4:18-19, Jesus encounters Simon Peter and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. He says to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." This call transforms the net from a tool for catching fish into a symbol of evangelism and the gathering of souls into the Kingdom of God.

The miraculous catch of fish, as recorded in Luke 5:4-6, further emphasizes the divine power associated with the net-work. Jesus instructs Simon Peter to "Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Despite their previous unsuccessful efforts, they obey and enclose a great number of fish, causing their nets to begin breaking. This miracle demonstrates the abundance and blessing that come from obedience to Christ.

In John 21:6, after His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples and instructs them to cast the net on the right side of the boat. They do so and are unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. This event reaffirms the disciples' mission and the effectiveness of their work when guided by the Lord.

Symbolic and Theological Significance

The net-work in biblical literature serves as a metaphor for the Kingdom of God and the mission of the Church. Just as nets gather fish, the Gospel message is intended to gather people from all nations into the community of believers. The parable of the net in Matthew 13:47-48 illustrates this point: "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish. 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 underscores the inclusive nature of the Gospel and the eventual separation of the righteous from the wicked at the end of the age. The net-work, therefore, is not only a practical tool but also a profound symbol of divine judgment and grace.

In summary, the concept of net-work in the Bible is rich with meaning, encompassing both the practical aspects of daily life in ancient times and the deeper spiritual truths of God's redemptive plan. Through the imagery of nets, Scripture communicates the call to discipleship, the power of obedience, and the ultimate gathering of believers into the eternal Kingdom.7639. sebakah -- latticework, network
... sabak; a net-work, ie (in hunting) a snare, (in architecture) a ballustrade; also
a reticulated ornament to a pillar -- checker, lattice, network, snare, wreath ...
/hebrew/7639.htm - 6k

2355. chor -- network
... chor. 2356 . network. Transliteration: chor Phonetic Spelling: (khore) Short
Definition: network. ... network The same as chuwr; white linen -- network. ...
/hebrew/2355.htm - 5k

7730. sobek -- a network (of boughs)
... 7729, 7730. sobek. 7731 . a network (of boughs). Transliteration: sobek
Phonetic Spelling: (so'-bek) Short Definition: branches. ...
/hebrew/7730.htm - 6k

7568. resheth -- a net
... Word Origin from yarash Definition a net NASB Word Usage net (20), network (2).
net work. From yarash; a net (as catching animals) -- net(- work). ...
/hebrew/7568.htm - 6k

4639. maaseh -- a deed, work
... deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation,
possession, X well, ((handy-, needle-, net-))work(ing, - manship ...
/hebrew/4639.htm - 6k

5908. akkabish -- a spider
... spider. Probably from an unused root in the literal sense of entangling; a spider
(as weaving a network) -- spider. 5907, 5908. akkabish. 5909 . ...
/hebrew/5908.htm - 5k

Achan's Sin, Israel's Defeat
... The site of Ai seems to have been satisfactorily identified on a small plateau among
the intricate network of wild wadys and bare hills that rise behind Jericho ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/achans sin israels defeat.htm

The Allies of the Tempter.
... Neither can you estimate the mysterious attraction that plays all through this network
of social relations, nor the energy of good or of evil with which it is ...
/.../chapin/humanity in the city/discourse vi the allies of.htm

Elucidation.
... have supposed that even the learning and ingenuity of Lightfoot could fish out of
very dark waters such shining booty as fills the network about "Abercius of ...
/.../urbanus/the extant writings of asterius urbanus/elucidation.htm

The First Theban Empire
... other two, passes the town of Shodu, and is then subdivided into numerous canals
and ditches, whose ramifications appear on the map as a network resembling the ...
/.../chapter iiithe first theban empire.htm

The Influence of Tradition.
... to do is thwarted, counteracted, or destroyed by influences of this sort, and how
weak and imitative souls are entangled in the network of traditional ...
/.../percival/sermons at rugby/iv the influence of tradition.htm

With the Rev. William Burns
... in southern KIANG-SU and north CHEH-KIANG, living in our boats, and following the
course of the canals and rivers which here spread like a network over the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/taylor/a retrospect/chapter xi with the rev.htm

The God of the Rain
... humanly speaking, sure to be fertile, because always supplied with water, brought
out of the Nile by dykes and channels which spread in a network over every ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon xvii the god of.htm

Calcutta and the Mission Centres from Delhi to Amboyna
... Under Danish passports, and often without them, missionary tours were
made over Central Bengal, aided by its network of rivers. ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter vii calcutta and the.htm

Introductory Essays
... them the superstitions with which the original institutions of Christ had been overlaid,
and thus releasing men's consciences from a vast network of ceremonial ...
/.../luther/first principles of the reformation/introductory essays.htm

Dialogue Between a Gentleman and a Shepherd.
... hand, which he laid upon his left shoulder; in his right hand he had a long switch,
and under the armpit a bag, in a small net of hemp-cord network; the net ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hodson/old daniel/chapter five dialogue between a.htm

Network (19 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Any system of lines or channels interlacing or crossing like the fabric
of a net; as, a network of veins; a network of railroads. Int. ...NETWORK. ...
/n/network.htm - 14k

Net-work (11 Occurrences)
Net-work. Network, Net-work. Networks . Multi-Version Concordance Net-work
(11 Occurrences). ... (WBS YLT). Network, Net-work. Networks . Reference Bible.
/n/net-work.htm - 9k

Apples (11 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 And he made ornaments of apples; and two lines of apples all round
over the network, covering the crowns of the pillars, the two crowns in the ...
/a/apples.htm - 11k

Crowns (27 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 And he made ornaments of apples; and two lines of apples all round
over the network, covering the crowns of the pillars, the two crowns in the ...
/c/crowns.htm - 14k

Pomegranates (20 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network,
to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so ...
/p/pomegranates.htm - 13k

Cups (28 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:41 The two pillars and the two cups of the crowns which were on the tops
of the two pillars; and the network covering the two cups of the crowns on ...
/c/cups.htm - 15k

Capitals (21 Occurrences)
... for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover ... upon it;
and the hight of one capital was five cubits, with net-work and pomegranates ...
/c/capitals.htm - 13k

Lines (42 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 And he made ornaments of apples; and two lines of apples all round
over the network, covering the crowns of the pillars, the two crowns in the ...
/l/lines.htm - 19k

Grate (6 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A network of brass for the bottom of the great altar of
sacrifice (Exodus 27:4; 35:16; 38:4, 5, 30). Noah Webster's Dictionary. ...
/g/grate.htm - 10k

Rows (29 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:18 So he made the pillars; and there were two rows around on the one network,
to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars: and so did ...
/r/rows.htm - 15k

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