Christ's Object Lessons

by Ellen G. White
Chapter 10: The Net
Based on Matt. 13:47-50

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast of the disciples would enable them to understand. Still, as
into the sea, and gathered of every kind; which, when it in the parable of the Tares, the main thoughts are, (1) the
was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered mingling of the evil with the good in the visible kingdom of
the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be Christ on earth, and (2) the ultimate separation of the two,
at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and that each may receive according to the divine law of
sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them retribution. Here, as there, the parable perforce passes
into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing over the fact that in the actual work of the kingdom the
of teeth." very casting of the net may change, and is meant to change,
The casting of the net is the preaching of the gospel. This the nature of the fish that are taken in its meshes, and,
gathers both good and evil into the church. When the therefore, that those that remain “bad” are so in the end by
mission of the gospel is completed, the judgment will the result of their own will.
accomplish the work of separation. Christ saw how the
existence of false brethren in the church would cause the Benson Commentary
way of truth to be evil spoken of. The world would revile Matthew 13:47-50. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a
the gospel because of the inconsistent lives of false net, &c. — The gospel preached to the world may be
professors. Even Christians would be caused to stumble as compared to a net cast into the sea, and gathering fishes of
they saw that many who bore Christ's name were not all kinds. For by the preaching of it congregations are
controlled by His Spirit. Because these sinners were in the gathered, and a visible church is formed, and both good
church, men would be in danger of thinking that God [p. and bad men are brought to profess themselves members
123] excused their sins. Therefore Christ lifts the veil from of it, and are mingled together in such a manner, that it
the future and bids all to behold that it is character, not would be difficult, if not impossible, to make a proper
position, which decides man's destiny. distinction between them: Christian discipline, however,
and strong, close exhortation, in all well-regulated
Both the parable of the tares and that of the net plainly churches, or properly-constituted Christian societies, begin
teach that there is no time when all the wicked will turn to that separation in this world which shall be accomplished
God. The wheat and the tares grow together until the by the angels of God in the world to come. “This parable
harvest. The good and the bad fish are together drawn will appear peculiarly proper, if we consider that it was
ashore for a final separation. spoken to fishermen, who had been called from their
employments, with a promise that they should catch men,
Again, these parables teach that there is to be no probation Matthew 4:19. It differs from the parable of the tares in its
after the judgment. When the work of the gospel is extent, representing the gathering of wicked men in
completed, there immediately follows the separation general into the visible church along with the good, by
between the good and the evil, and the destiny of each means of the preaching of the gospel, together with the
class is forever fixed. final judgment and state of the wicked; whereas the
parable of the tares represents the introduction and
God does not desire the destruction of any. "As I live, saith punishment of hypocrites in particular.” — Macknight.
the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked;
but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?" Eze. 13:44-52 Here are four parables. 1. That of the treasure hid
33:11. Throughout the period of probationary time His in the field. Many slight the gospel, because they look only
Spirit is entreating men to accept the gift of life. It is only upon the surface of the field. But all who search the
those who reject His pleading that will be left to perish. God Scriptures, so as in them to find Christ and eternal life, Joh
has declared that sin must be destroyed as an evil ruinous 5:39, will discover such treasure in this field as makes it
to the universe. Those who cling to sin will perish in its unspeakably valuable; they make it their own upon any
destruction. terms. Though nothing can be given as a price for this
salvation, yet much must be given up for the sake of it. 2.
EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE) All the children of men are busy; one would be rich,
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers another would be honourable, another would be learned;
(47) The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net.—The net in but most are deceived, and take up with counterfeits for
this case is not the hand-net of Matthew 4:18, but the pearls. Jesus Christ is a Pearl of great price; in having him,
sagenè, or great drag-net, which drew in a larger haul of we have enough to make us happy here and for ever. A
fishes. The day’s teaching in the method of parables ends, man may buy gold too dear, but not this Pearl of great
as it were, in an easy lesson, which the former experience price. When the convinced sinner sees Christ as the
gracious Saviour, all things else become worthless to his weeds, stones, &c. and which, like a net, can do nothing of
thoughts. 3. The world is a vast sea, and men, in their itself, unless cast; and not then neither, unless succeeded
natural state, are like the fishes. Preaching the gospel is with a divine blessing:
casting a net into this sea, to catch something out of it, for that was cast into the sea; by "the sea" is meant the world,
His glory who has the sovereignty of this sea. Hypocrites so called, for the storms and tempests of afflictions, and
and true Christians shall be parted: miserable is the persecutions the saints meet with, and for the continual
condition of those that shall then be cast away. 4. A skilful, troubles that are in it; for the restlessness and instability of
faithful minister of the gospel, is a scribe, well versed in the all things therein; for the dangers of it; and for its being the
things of the gospel, and able to teach them. Christ proper place and element of fishes, as the world is to the
compares him to a good householder, who brings forth men of it. The casting of it into the sea, designs the opening
fruits of last year's growth and this year's gathering, of the Gospel, and the unfolding the mysteries of it, and the
abundance and variety, to entertain his friends. Old preaching it in all the world; and supposes persons qualified
experiences and new observations, all have their use. Our for it; such were the patriarchs and prophets under the Old
place is at Christ's feet, and we must daily learn old lessons Testament; and particularly Christ, John the Baptist, and
over again, and new ones also. the Apostles of Christ, and succeeding ministers under the
New Testament; and requires art, skill, and wisdom, might
Barnes' Notes on the Bible and strength, industry, diligence, and patience; and which is
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net ... - This parable done at a venture, whether there are fish or not; and
does not differ in meaning from that of the tares. The sometimes succeeds, and sometimes not:
gospel is compared to a net dragging along on the bottom
of a lake, and collecting all - good and bad. The gospel may and gathered of every kind; the Persic version adds, "of
be expected to do the same; but in the end of the world, animals"; but much more agreeably Munster's Hebrew
when the net "is drawn in," the bad will be separated from Gospel, and the Vulgate Latin, add, "of fishes"; and so some
the good; the one will be cast away, and the other saved. copies read. The preaching of the Gospel, is the means of
Our Saviour never fails to keep before our minds the great gathering souls to Christ, and into his churches; and those
truth that there is to be a day of judgment, and that there that are gathered into a visible Gospel church state, are of
will be a separation of the good and the evil. He came to every kind, of all nations in the world; Jews and Gentiles: of
preach salvation; and it is a remarkable fact, also, that the all ranks and degrees of men, high and low, rich and poor,
most fearful accounts of hell and of the sufferings of the bond and free; of all sorts of sinners, and of men good and
damned, in the Scriptures, are from his lips. How does this bad; some who have the truth of grace in them, and others
agree with the representations of those who say that all that are only hypocrites: profess in words, and deny in
will be saved? works; have nothing more than a form of godliness, and
name to live, and are dead.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that Geneva Study Bible
was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind—The {8} Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was
word here rendered "net" signifies a large drag-net, which cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
draws everything after it, suffering nothing to escape, as (8) There are many in the Church who nevertheless are not
distinguished from a casting-net (Mr 1:16, 18). The far- of the Church, and therefore at length will be cast out: but
reaching efficacy of the Gospel is thus denoted. This Gospel the full and perfect cleansing of them is deferred to the last
net "gathered of every kind," meaning every variety of day.
character.
EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on "Matthew 13:50". Meyer's NT Commentary
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Matthew 13:47 ff. For αἰγιαλός, see note on Acts 27:39.
Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net,.... By which
also is meant, the Gospel, and the ministry of it. This may τὰ καλά and σαπρά] the good, i.e. the good fish, such as
be compared to a net, for its meanness in the esteem of were fit for use, and the putrid ones (comp. note on
men; being despicable, and of no account in the eyes of the Matthew 7:17), which, already dead and putrefying, are yet
world: and yet like a net, a piece of curious artifice and enclosed in the σαγήνη (large drag-net, Luc. Pisc. 51, Tim.
workmanship, being the produce of the grace of God; in 22; Plut. de solert. an. p. 977 F) along with the others. The
which his manifold wisdom is displayed, and is what angels men took them out of the net (ἔξω) and cast them away.
desire to look into: it is designed, and purposely contrived,
for the gathering in of sinners to Christ, and to his churches, The aorists in Matthew 13:47-48 are to be understood in a
though by accident, it has other uses; such as troubling of historical sense, not as expressing what was the practice,
the world, as the net does the waters of the sea, and but merely as narrating what took place on the occasion,
drawing out the corruptions of the men of it, as that does just as in Matthew 13:44-46.
 4:18, note), that was cast into the sea, and gathered of
Observe further, that the net encloses fish of every γένος, every kind. (For the thought, cf. Matthew 22:10; and for the
i.e. of every species (that is, according to the literal word, συνάγειν, ver. 30, note.)
meaning, out of every nation); yet no γένος, as such, is cast Vincent's Word Studies
away, but only the putrid fish belonging to each γένος, and Net (σαγήνῃ)
that not before the end of the world (in answer to the See on Matthew 4:18. The only occurrence of the word in
whole Donatist view). the New Testament. A long draw-net, the ends of which are
carried out and drawn together. Through the transcription
Matthew 13:50. Closing refrain, as in Matthew 13:42. of the word into the Latin sagena comes seine. From the
fact of its making a great sweep, the Greeks formed a verb
Expositor's Greek Testament from it, σαγηνέυω, to surround and take with a drag-net.
Matthew 13:47-50. The Net. σαγήνῃ, vide on Matthew Thus Herodotus (iii., 149) says: "The Persians netted
4:21.—ἐκ παντὸς γένους συν.: a matter of course, not Santos." And again (vi., 31), "Whenever they became
intended but inevitable; large movements influence all masters of an island, the barbarians, in every single
sorts of people. instance, netted the inhabitants. Now, the mode in which
they practise this netting is the following: Men join hands,
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges so as to form a line across from the north coast to the
47–50. The Parable of the Net, in St Matthew only south, and then march through the island from end to end,
and hunt out the inhabitants." Compare Isaiah 19:8 :
47. a net, that was cast into the sea] The reference is to the "Those who spread nets on the face of the waters shall
large drag-net or seine [Greek σαγήνη—the word in the languish." Also, Habakkuk 1:15-17, where the Chaldaean
text—hence sagena (Vulgate) and English sean or seine]. conquests are described under this figure.
One end of the seine is held on the shore, the other is
hauled off by a boat and then returned to the land. In this Gathered of every kind
way a large number of fishes of all kinds is enclosed. Seine-
fishing is still practised on the coasts of Devonshire and Compare the graphic passage in Homer ("Odyssey," xxii.,
Cornwall. 384-389) of the slain suitors in the halls of Ulysses.
"He saw that all had fallen in blood and dust,
The teaching of this parable partly coincides with that of Many as fishes on the shelving beach,
the parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30). In both are Drawn from the hoary deep by those who tend
exhibited the mixture of good and evil in the visible Church, The nets with myriad meshes. Poured abroad
and the final separation of them. But here the thought is Upon the sand, while panting to return
specially directed to the ingathering of the Church. The To the salt sea, they lie till the hot sun
ministers of Christ will of necessity draw converts of diverse Takes their life from them."
character, good and evil, and actuated by different motives.
From the parable of the Tares we learn not to reject any
from within the Church, in the hope of expelling the
element of evil. It is a parable of the settled Church. This is
a missionary parable. It teaches that as a matter of history
or of fact, no barrier or external test will serve to exclude
the unworthy convert.

Bengel's Gnomen
Matthew 13:47. Ἐκ παντὸς γένους, of every hind) See John
21:11, and Gnomon thereon.
Pulpit Commentary
Verses 47-50. - The parable of the dragnet. This parable at
once recalls that of the tares, but it will be noticed that
there our Lord's aim is to inculcate patience and
hopefulness on the part of his servants when they realize
the close proximity of the ungodly even in districts won
over to the faith, while here his aim is rather to warn. To be
in the kingdom is not enough; some of those now within it
may nevertheless be cast out. It thus greatly resembles the
parable of the ten virgins; save that in that parable greater
stress is laid on personal preparation and continued
watchfulness; in this, on personal worth. Verse 47. - Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net (σαγήνῃ: Matthew