H7568 H7568
A net for catching prey (literal or figurative); also a lattice-work or grating, especially of the tabernacle altar.
This noun covers two related but distinct artifacts: the hunter's or fisherman's net and the metalworker's grating. In its dominant sense, it appears frequently in the Psalms and prophets as a powerful metaphor — the wicked spread nets for the righteous (Ps 10:9; 31:4), and God himself casts a net over faithless nations (Ezek 12:13; 17:20). Proverbs 1:17 offers the memorable proverb that even a bird can see when a net is spread openly. In its second sense, it denotes the bronze network or grating of the tabernacle altar (Exod 27:4–5; 38:4), a lattice structure placed beneath the altar ledge — a technical architectural term rendered consistently as 'network' or 'grating' across translations.
Senses
1. net for catching — A net used for catching birds, fish, or animals — literal or, more commonly, figurative. The figurative use dominates: the wicked ensnare the innocent (Ps 9:15; 10:9; 25:15), and God spreads his net in judgment over Egypt (Ezek 32:3) and unfaithful Israel (Hos 7:12). Proverbs 1:17 provides the only purely literal instance. Spanish 'red' and French 'filet' both preserve the trapping imagery, while the consistent pairing with verbs like פרשׂ ('to spread') marks the net-as-trap metaphor across 18 occurrences. 18×
AR["الشَّبَكَةُ", "بِ-شَبَكَةِ-", "بِ-شَبَكَتِهِ", "شَبَكَةً", "شَبَكَتي", "شَبَكَتَهُمْ", "شَبَكَتِهِم", "شَبَكَتِي", "فِي-شَبَكَةٍ", "مِنَ-الشَّبَكَةِ", "وَشَبَكَةً", "وَشَبَكَتُهُ"]·ben["-জাল-থেকে", "-জালে", "-টি-জাল", "আমার-জাল", "এবং-জাল", "ও-তার-জাল", "জাল", "জাল-থেকে", "জালে-", "তাদের-জাল", "তাদের-জালের", "তার-জালে"]·DE["[ברשת]", "[הרשת]", "[ורשת]", "[רשת]", "[רשתי]", "[רשתם]", "ein-Netz", "hinein-sein-Netz", "ihr-Netz", "in-der-Netz-", "und-sein-Netz", "von-der-Netz"]·EN["My-net", "a-net", "and-his-net", "and-net", "from-the-net", "in-the-net-", "into-a-net", "into-his-net", "my-net", "net-my", "net-of-me", "net-their", "the-net", "their-net"]·FR["[רשת]", "dans-filet", "dans-ברשת", "de-filet", "et-filet", "filet", "le-הרשת", "רשת"]·heb["ב-רשת", "ב-רשת-", "ב-רשתו", "ה-רשת", "ו-רשת", "ו-רשת-ו", "מ-רשת", "רשת", "רשת-ם", "רשתי", "רשתם"]·HI["अपना-जाल", "अपने-जाल-में", "और-जाल", "और-जाल-उसका", "जाल", "जाल-अपना", "जाल-उनका", "जाल-में", "जाल-मेरी", "में-जाल", "में-सभा", "से-जाल"]·ID["dalam-jaring-", "dan-jaring", "dengan-jaringnya", "jala", "jaring", "jaring-Ku", "jaring-mereka", "ke-dalam-jaring"]·IT["da-rete", "e-rete", "il-il-rete", "in-dentro-un-rete", "in-rete", "la-mia-rete", "rete", "un-rete"]·jav["ing-jaring", "ing-jaring-", "ing-jaring-ipun", "jala-Kawula", "jaring", "jaring-Kawula", "jaring-Kula", "jaring-nipun", "jaring-tiyang-punika", "lan-jala", "lan-jaring-nipun", "mugi-kaluhuraken", "saking-jaring"]·KO["그-그물을", "그-그물이", "그들의-그물을", "그리고-그물이", "그물-로", "그물-속으로", "그물-에", "그물-에서", "그물-을", "그물-이", "그물을", "나의-그물을"]·PT["Rede", "a-rede", "da-rede", "e-rede", "e-sua-rede", "em-rede", "minha-rede", "na-rede", "na-sua-rede", "rede", "rede-minha", "sua-rede"]·RU["в-сеть", "в-сеть-", "в-сеть-свою", "и-сеть", "и-сеть-его", "из-сети", "сети-своей", "сеть", "сеть-Мою", "сеть-их"]·ES["de-la-red", "de-red", "en-red", "en-red-", "en-su-red", "la-red", "mi-red", "red", "red-de-mí", "su-red", "una-red", "y-red", "y-su-red"]·SW["Wavu", "katika-wavu", "kutoka-wavu", "na-wavu", "na-wavu-wake", "wavu", "wavu-wangu", "wavu-wao", "wavuni-mwake"]·TR["-ağdan", "ağ", "ağa", "ağda-", "ağdan-", "ağlarını", "ağımı", "ağına", "ağını", "kuş-gibi", "ve-ağ", "ve-ağı"]·urd["-جال-سے", "-جال-میں", "اور-اُس-کا-جال", "اور-جال", "اپنا-جال", "اپنے-جال-میں", "اپنے-جال-کا", "جال", "جال-میرا", "جال-میں"]
2. network or grating — A lattice-work, network, or grating — specifically the bronze mesh grating of the tabernacle altar described in Exodus 27:4–5 and 38:4. This architectural sense denotes a rigid, open-weave metal structure rather than a flexible catching device. The uniform rendering across languages as 'network' or 'grating' (Spanish 'la red,' English 'the network') distinguishes this technical cultic term from the hunting-net imagery. 4×
AR["الشَّبَكَةُ", "الشَّبَكَةِ", "شَبَكَةٍ"]·ben["জাল", "জালের", "সেই-জাল", "সেই-জালের"]·DE["der-network", "network"]·EN["network", "the-network"]·FR["le-network", "network"]·heb["ה-רשת", "רשת"]·HI["जाली", "जाली-का", "जालीदार"]·ID["jala", "jala-itu", "jaring"]·IT["il-network", "network"]·jav["jaring", "jaring-punika"]·KO["그-그물", "그-그물이", "그물", "그물망"]·PT["a-rede", "rede"]·RU["сети", "сетка", "сетке", "сетки"]·ES["la-red", "red"]·SW["wavu", "ya-wavu"]·TR["ag", "agın", "ağ"]·urd["جال", "جال-کا", "جالی-کا"]
Related Senses
H2719 1. sword, weapon of war (410×)H4196 1. altar (place of sacrifice) (403×)H7393 1. chariot, chariotry (117×)H7198 1. bow (weapon) (72×)H7979 1. table (71×)H7782 1. ram's horn trumpet (69×)H4294 2. staff, rod, scepter (63×)H4043 1. shield, defensive weapon (60×)H0646 1. ephod (priestly garment) (49×)H8504 1. blue (violet-blue yarn/fabric) (49×)H2595 1. spear, lance (48×)H2671 1. arrow, projectile weapon (46×)H4818 1. chariot, war-chariot (44×)H3658 1. lyre, harp (stringed instrument) (42×)H1537 1. Gilgal (place name) (41×)H0713 1. purple (fabric/dye) (38×)H0905 3. poles, staves (37×)H7392 1. Qal participle: rider, charioteer (37×)H4501 1. cultic lampstand (menorah) (36×)H0212 1. wheel (35×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רֶ֫שֶׁת n.f. Ex 27:5 net;—abs. רֶשֶׁת Ho 5:1 + 11 times; רָ֑שֶׁת Pr 1:17; cstr. רֶשֶׁת Ex 27:4; 38:4; sf. רִשְׁתִּי Ho 7:12 + 2 times; רִשְׁתּוֹ ψ 10:9; 35:8; רִשְׁתָּם Ez 19:8 ψ 35:7;— 1. net: a. for catching (birds, etc.) חִנָּם מְזֹרָה הָרָ֑שֶׁת Pr 1:17 to no purpose is the net spread in the eyes of any bird; elsewhere fig. (1) of judgment of י׳, all c. פרשׂ: Ho 7:12 (‖ כְּעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם…