Interpreting Figures
of Speech
Σ2005 G. Lee Griffith, Ph. D.
The Problem
This skill is one
of the most misunderstood in interpreting the Bible.
When Jesus says,
"I am the door" does he really mean it?
No of course he
does not mean that he has a handle and hinges.
He does really
mean that he is the doorway to God.
When you speak
about spiritual realities you must use analogies to physical realities.
God is not located
in one place so we cannot expect that a physical door will lead to him. But
just as we need doors to enter rooms, and need to know where they are and which
is the correct one, Jesus tells us that He is the door to God and that is
really true and very important.
When a writer or
speaker refers to something that is not directly perceivable by the senses the
author will use a figure of speech.
There are many
different types and learning to recognize and interpret them is a very
important skill.
Study carefully
the lists below so you will easily recognize the most common figures of speech.
The Solution
1. Identify the fact that the author is
using a figure of speech.
2. Determine the type of figurative language
used.
3. Interpret what the author meant by his
[or her] use of that particular figure of speech.
4. Translate the figure into nonfigurative
language.
(Arthur, Kay. How to Study Your Bible. 1994)
Sources
(Note: The
material below has been extensively modified from notes supplied by Rod Jamison
based on a class taken at Biblical Theological Seminary)
Other links:
The List
Simile
Metaphor
Metonymy
Synecdoche
Personification
Euphemism
Apostrophe
Litotes
Hyperbole
Irony
Symbol
Fable
Parable
Allegory
Simile
A figure of speech
in which two essentially unlike things are compared, often in a phrase
introduced by like or as, as in How like the winter hath my
absence been or So are you to my thoughts as food to life
(Shakespeare).
Amos 2:9 "Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before
them, Though his height was like the height of cedars And he
was strong as the oaks;
Isaiah 53:6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has
turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall
on Him. (NASB)
Luke 13:34 O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
Jeremiah. 23:29 "Is not my word like fire?" declares
the Lord, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock? (NASB)
Revelation
1:14-15 His head and His hair were
white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His
feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace,
and His voice was like the sound of many waters.
Psalm 42: 1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my
soul pants for Thee, O God
Metaphor
Compares two
items and gives the point of similarity, but differs from a simile in that the
comparison is not made explicit (formal) by the use of words such as
"like" or "as". Rather, the comparison is left
inexplicit (direct). The two items being compared are apparently
equated.
Isaiah 56:10 Israel's
watchmen are blind, they all lack
knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they
cannot bark; they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep. [The watchmen were not dogs but apparently they were
useless]
Matthew 10:6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (NASB)
[The disciples were not to go to the sheep of Israel but to the people who were
like sheep.]
1 John 1:5. And this is the message we have heard from Him and
announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
(NASB) [God is not light but is like light in some respects]
John 15:5 Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the
branches." [Jesus is a person not a vine but our relation to Him is like
vine to branch]
Comparison
Metonymy
me·ton·y·my (mə-tŏn'ə-mē) A figure of speech in which one word or
phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated, as in
the use of Washington for the United States government.
The associative
relation may temporal, spatial, or logical. The pen (written word) is mightier
than the sword (violence).
Luke 16:29 But Abraham*
said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them. (NASB) [Moses and
prophets represents the Old Testament Scriptures]
Romans 3:30 Or is God {the God} of Jews only? Is He not {the God}
of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the
circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. (NASB)
["circumcised" = Jews "uncircumcised" = Gentiles]
1 Corinthians
11:26 For whenever
you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord's death
until he comes [You do not drink
the cup but the contents of the cup]
Synecdoche
syn·ec·do·che (sĭ-nĕk'də-kē) n. A figure of speech in which a part
is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part
(as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as
cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief
for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel
for sword).
Genesis 42:38 But Jacob said, "My son shall not go down with
you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him
on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol
in sorrow. (NASB) ["my gray head" = whole body]
Luke 10:23 And turning to the disciples, He said privately,
"Blessed {are} the eyes which see the things you see, (NASB)
Acts 5:9 Then Peter {said} to her, "Why is it that you
have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet
of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you
out {as well}. (NASB)
Metonymy vs. Synecdoche
Metonymy:
close relationship
White
House says= President says
Synecdoche:
part to whole or whole to part
Give
me a hand=you actually want the whole person
Euphemism
An agreeable word
or expression substituted for one that is potentially offensive, often having
to do with bodily functions, sex, or death; for example, rest room for toilet,
lady of the evening for prostitute. The Nazis used euphemism in
referring to their plan to murder the world's Jews as the Final Solution.
Used in NT of God,
death, the Gentiles, and sex.
John 19:11 Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over
Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered
Me up to you has {the} greater sin. "(NASB) [Above is an indirect way of
referring to God.]
Philippians
1:23 But I am hard-pressed from both
{directions,} having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for {that} is
very much better; (NASB) [Depart and be with Christ is a less direct way of
saying die.]
Acts 2:39 "For the promise is for you and your children,
and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to
Himself. (NASB) [All who were far off is a way of referring to the Gentiles
without using the word.]
Matthew 1:25 And kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son;
and he called His name Jesus. (NASB) [Kept her a virgin is a less direct way of saying they did not have
sexual intercourse.]
Personification
A figure of speech
in which inanimate objects or abstractions are endowed with human qualities or
are represented as possessing human form, as in Hunger sat shivering on the
road or Flowers danced about the lawn.
Numbers 16:32 And the earth
opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men
who belonged to Korah, with {their} possessions. (NASB) [The earth does not
have a mouth like a person.]
Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. [Days do not
worry like people.]
Psalms 114:3-6 The sea looked and fled; The Jordan turned back. The
mountains skipped like rams, The hills, like lambs. What ails you, O sea, that
you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? O mountains, that you skip like rams? O
hills, like lambs? (NASB) [Each of these natural phenomenon are described as
people]
Romans. 7:11 for sin, taking opportunity through the commandment,
deceived me, and through it killed me. (NASB) [Sin does not deceive people
deceive.]
Psalm 73:9 They have set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue parades through the earth.
[Tongues do not parade people do.]
Genesis 4:10 And he [Cain] said, "I do not know.
Am I my brother's keeper?" And He said,
"What have you done? The voice of your brother's
blood is crying to Me from the ground.
[Blood does not cry, people cry].
Apostrophe
Figure of speech
in which an absent person, a personified inanimate being, or an abstraction is
addressed as though present. The term is derived from a Greek word meaning a
turning away, and this sense is maintained when a narrative or dramatic thread
is broken in order to digress by speaking directly to someone not there, e.g.,
Envy, be silent and attend!Alexander Pope, On a Certain Lady at Court.
Psalms. 114:5-7 What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that
you turn back? O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?
Tremble, O earth, before the Lord, Before the God of Jacob, (NASB)
Zechariah. 4:7 "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before
Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to
shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' "
2 Samuel 18:33 And the king was deeply moved and went up to the
chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, "O my son
Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my
son, my son! (NASB)
Revelation
18:10 Terrified at her torment, they
will stand far off and cry: " 'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon,
city of power! In one hour your doom has come!'
Personification vs. Apostrophe
In both inanimate
objects are
portrayed as human
In
personification the characteristics
of the objects are stated directly.
Gershwin-- love walked in
In apostrophe the
object is addressed as if it were a person (or as if the person was present)
Simon-- hello darkness, my old friend
Hart -- blue
moon, you saw me standing alone;
Mercer--
Moon River, Im crossing you in style someday
Litotes (ly ta tees)
Figure of speech
in which a statement is made by indicating the negative of its opposite, e.g.,
not many meaning a few. A form of irony, litotes is meant to emphasize by
understating. Its opposite is hyperbole.
Mark 9:41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of
water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his
reward. [Actually will gain a reward.]
Acts 21:39 Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in
Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the
people." [Tarsus was an important city.]
Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the
power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew,
then for the Gentile. [Paul was proud of the gospel declaring it to everyone.]
1 Corinthians
1:26 Brothers, think of what you were
when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many
were influential; not many were of noble birth. [Not many just a few.]
Hyperbole
Figure of speech
in which exceptional exaggeration is deliberately used for emphasis rather than
deception*
Mark 9:43-47 "And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it
off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than having your two hands,
to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, [where \their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.] "And if your foot causes you to stumble,
cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than having your two feet,
to be cast into hell, [where \their worm does not die, and the fire is not
quenched.] "And if your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out; it is
better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes,
to be cast into hell, (NASB)
Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own
father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even
his own life, he cannot be My disciple. (NASB)
John 12:19 The Pharisees therefore said to one another, "You
see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after
Him."(NASB)
John 21:25 And there are
also many other things which Jesus did, which if they* were written in detail,
I suppose that even the world itself* would not contain the books which* were
written. (NASB)
Exodus 8:17 All the dust of the earth became gnats...
Deuteronomy
1:28 The cities are large and
fortified to heaven
Examples of Hyperbole
"Your sister
is so dumb, she walked by the YMCA and thought they spelled MACY'S wrong" Alicia, from Shannon Elementary School, in Pinole,
California, USA
"I think of
you a million times a day" Vern
Sal, from Jose Rizal Memorial State College, in Dipolog City, the Philippines
"The test was
so hard, by the time I finished it I was 100 years old!" Ranada, from Larose M.S., Larose, Louisiana, USA
"Saskatchewan
is so flat, you can see your dog run away for 4 days!" Jenna, from Olympic Heights School, Calgary
"Your momma
is so dumb, she got locked in the grocery store and starved to death!" Vicky Moreno, from T.C. Marsh M.S., Dallas, Texas, USA
"Your momma
is so dumb, she thought TACO BELL was a Mexican phone company." Mrs. Jonas' 4th Period Class, T.C. Marsh M.S., Dallas,
Texas, USA
"It was so
cold, even the polar bears were wearing jackets." Elizabeth, from Covington, USA
"Our library
is so old, its book pages are numbered with roman numarals ... written by the
Romans!" Bobby W.
"My
girlfreind is so popular, she has her own 900 number." Ed, from Lebanon, USA
"That boy's
eyes are so big, they look like they're going to jump out and grab you! Ashley Clarke
"My best
friend is so forgetful, I sometimes have to remind her what her name is!" Katie Holmes
"The Eiffel
Tower is so big, when I looked up I nearly got whiplashed!" Kerri, from Dexter, Missouri
Litotes vs. Hyperbole
Litotes is
understatement for effect
He is no Einstein = he is not very smart
Hyperbole is
overstatement for effect
"Your sister's so skinny, she has to run around
in the shower to get wet" Cliff, from Valley View Elementary School, in
Richmond, California, USA
Irony
Figure of speech
in which what is stated is not what is meant. The user of irony assumes that
his reader or listener understands the concealed meaning of his statement.
Perhaps the simplest form of irony is rhetorical irony, when, for effect, a
speaker says the direct opposite of what she means.*
1 Kings 18:27 And it came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and
said, "Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied
or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be
awakened. (NASB) [Elijah does nor believe he is a god.]
Job 12:1-2 Then Job replied: "Doubtless you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you ![Job does not think them wise or that it will die
with them.]
1 Corinthians
4:8,10 8 Already you have all you
want! Already you have become rich! You have become kingsand that without us!
How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with
you!. . . 10 We are fools for Christ,
but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are
honored, we are dishonored!
Hyperbole vs. Irony
There is overlap
between these two.
Hyperbole is used
when there is some truth to the statement but it is being exaggerated.
"My history teacher's so old, he lived through
everything we've learned about ancient Greece" Ryan, CFS, Willingboro,
USA [The teacher is old but not that old.]
Irony is saying
the opposite.
The Jewish leaders said of Christ: Hail, King of the Jews! [The Jewish leaders did not
regard Christ as their king.]
Symbol
An image
transferred by something that stands for or represents something else, like flag
for country, or autumn for maturity. Symbols can transfer
the ideas embodied in the image without stating them*
Symbols can be
ambiguous if no "key" is given to their interpretation, e.g., the
number of the beast, 666, is an ambiguous symbol.
Exodus 13:21-22. And the \Lord was going before them in a pillar of
cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give
them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 He did not take away
the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the
people. (NASB)
Genesis 9:13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be
the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
Matthew
26:26-28 While they were eating,
Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples,
saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." 27Then he took the cup, gave
thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28This
is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness
of sins.
Fable
A poetic story
that illustrates a moral or teaches a lesson, usually in which animals or
inanimate objects are represented as characters.*
Judges
9:6-21 Then all the citizens of
Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem
to crown Abimelech king. 7 When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the
top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, "Listen to me, citizens of
Shechem, so that God may listen to you. 8 One day the trees went out to anoint
a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.' 9 "But
the olive tree answered, 'Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and men
are honored, to hold sway over the trees?' . . .
2 Kings. 14:8-9 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of
Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: "Come, meet
me face to face." 9 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of
Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give
your daughter to my son in marriage.' Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along
and trampled the thistle underfoot.
Parable
A simple story
illustrating a moral or religious lesson.*
An extended
similethe kingdom of heaven is like. . .
Matthew
13:1-9, 18-23 Parable of the soils
Luke 10:25-37 Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 15:11-32 Parable of the Prodigal Son
List of Biblical Parables
The Wise and the
Foolish Builders 7:24-27 - - -
The Sower 13:3-23 4:1-20 8:5-15 -
The Tares 13:24-30 - - -
The Mustard Seed 13:31-32 4:30-32 13:18-19 -
The Leaven 13:33 - 13:20-21 -
The Hidden
Treasure 13:44 - - -
Drawing in the Net 13:47-50 - - -
The Lost Sheep 18:12-14 - 14:3-7 -
Unmerciful Servant 18:23-35 - - -
Laborers in the
Vineyard 20:1-16 - - -
The Two sons 21:28-32 - - -
The Wicked
Husbandman 21:33-44 12:1-12 20:9-18 -
Marriage of the
King's Son 22:1-14 - - -
Leafing Fig Tree 24:32 - - -
The Ten Virgins 25:1-13 - - -
Ten Talents 25:14-30 - - -
Seed Growing
Secretly - 4:26-29 - -
The Leafing Fig
Tree - 13:28-29 - -
Man Going On a Far
Journey - 13:34-37 - -
The Two Debtors - - 7:41-47 -
The Friend at
Night - - 11:5-8 -
The Rich Fool - - 12:16-21 -
Servants Waiting
for Their Lord - - 12:35-40 -
The Barren Fig
Tree - - 13:6-9 -
The Great Supper - - 14:15-24 -
Lost Money - - 15:8-10 -
The Unjust Steward - - 16:1-9 -
The Rich Man and
the Beggar Lazarus - - 16:19-31 -
The Importunate
Widow - - 18:1-8 -
Pharisee and the
Publican - - 18:9-14 -
Parable of the
Pounds - - 19:11-27 -
Good Shepherd - - - 10:11-18
The Vine - - - 15:1-5
Allegory
An extended
metaphor
The
representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or
events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form. *
Isaiah 5:1-7
Allegory of the Vineyard
John 10:1-16
Allegory of the Sheepfold
[Jesus is the Good Shepherd]
John 15:1-6
Allegory of the Vine and Branches
[Jesus is the Vine, we are the branches.]
Examples of Allegories
John Bunyan Pilgrim's Progress
George Orwell Animal Farm
William Golding Lord of the Flies
Herman Melville Moby Dick
Allegory vs. Fable vs. Parable
Sample Exercise: Interpreting Figures of Speech
1. Verse: Matthew 5:14
2. Text: 14 "You
are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither
do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its
stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16. In the same way,
let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise
your Father in heaven.
3. Type of
figure: Metaphor
4. Explanation
of figure: Christians are not literally light. Christians
are to be like light in a specific way. Light is meant for others to see something
other than the light itself. We are to let our light shine, meaning do
our good deeds so that by the "light" of our good deeds others will
see God and glorify Him.