Cage

A cage in Scripture refers to an enclosure for confining birds or, figuratively, a place of captivity and corruption. Jeremiah uses the image of a cage full of birds to describe the abundance of deceit among those who grow rich through treachery (Jeremiah 5:27). Amos uses a similar figure in describing a basket of summer fruit as a sign of Israel's ripeness for judgment (Amos 8:1–2). In Revelation 18:2, fallen Babylon is called "a cage of every unclean and hateful bird," depicting the city as a gathering place of evil. The cage thus functions consistently in Scripture as a symbol of spiritual corruption, false prosperity, and divine judgment.