Topical Bible: Prisoners: Figurative

◄ Prisoners: Figurative ►

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In the Bible, the concept of being a prisoner is often used figuratively to describe spiritual or emotional states, as well as the condition of being bound by sin or oppression. This metaphorical use of "prisoners" is prevalent throughout both the Old and New Testaments, illustrating the transformative power of God's deliverance and redemption.

Spiritual Captivity and Deliverance

The imagery of captivity is frequently employed to depict the spiritual bondage of humanity due to sin. Isaiah 61:1, a prophetic passage later quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18, speaks of the Messiah's mission: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners." Here, prisoners symbolize those trapped in sin and despair, awaiting the liberating power of the Gospel.

Bondage to Sin

The Apostle Paul often uses the language of imprisonment to describe the human condition under sin. In Romans 7:23, he writes, "But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me." This captivity is not physical but spiritual, indicating the struggle and bondage that sin imposes on the human soul.

Freedom in Christ

The New Testament emphasizes the freedom that comes through faith in Christ. In Galatians 5:1, Paul exhorts believers, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery." The imagery of release from prison is used to convey the liberation from the law and sin that believers experience through the redemptive work of Jesus.

Captivity to Fear and Death

Hebrews 2:14-15 speaks of Christ's victory over the devil, who holds the power of death, and the liberation of those who were "held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death." This passage uses the metaphor of imprisonment to describe the existential dread and bondage that fear of death imposes on humanity, from which Christ delivers His followers.

Prisoners of Hope

Zechariah 9:12 offers a hopeful perspective, calling the exiles "prisoners of hope": "Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; even today I declare that I will restore to you double." This phrase suggests that even in captivity, there is an expectation of divine intervention and restoration, highlighting the faithfulness of God to His promises.

Conclusion

The figurative use of "prisoners" in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for the human condition under sin and the transformative freedom offered through Christ. It underscores the themes of redemption, hope, and the ultimate victory over spiritual bondage.

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Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on me; because the LORD has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
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Luke 4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
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Library

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
... one of this class of expositors, the maiming of the body is figurative language,
and so ... so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxv the figurative language.htm

Acts IV
... The prisoners had been arrested without a formal charge being preferred against
them ... And, leaving the figurative language of David, he more fully declares, that ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts iv.htm

Rom. xvi. 5
... had [1677] not been, but he had suffered things worse [1678] than prisoners, in
being ... If so meant it might be figurative, but it most likely refers either to ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxxi rom xvi 5.htm

Love and Service.
... Confining ourselves to the figurative expression which the Saviour uses, it
unquestionably ... to the oppressive yoke under which they were to be held prisoners. ...
/.../schleiermacher/selected sermons of schleiermacher/xi love and service.htm

Professor of Sanskrit, Bengali, and Marathi
... that the poems of Hafiz are to be understood in a figurative or mystical sense ... preaching
and his Benevolent Institution, to his visits to the prisoners and his ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter ix professor of sanskrit.htm

Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
... Credner refers this to the Hebrew prisoners of war, living as servants and handmaids
among ... as in the one before us, the extinction has not a figurative, but a ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/exposition of chap iii ii.htm

And ii.
... whom the correct view is found; only that he, giving up the figurative representation,
substitutes ... so shall the king of Assyria lead away the prisoners of Egypt ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i and ii.htm

Extracts No. Ix.
... and only about ninety-seven thousand, not a tenth part, were taken prisoners. ... to
the multitudes, was nothing more than the bold figurative language of the day ...
/.../ballou/a series of letters in defence of divine revelation/extracts no ix.htm

Covenanting Provided for in the Everlasting Covenant.
... or high places, as the stronghold provided in the covenant to prisoners of hope ... It
makes use of figurative and other language of the same origin as that of the ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter vi covenanting provided for.htm

The Second Commandment
... signify his power, yet it is absurd, from such metaphors and figurative expressions,
to ... 2:8. Mercies for the prisoner: he despiseth not his prisoners.' Psalm 69 ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 2 the second commandment.htm