Interrogation / rhetorical question
A question used for force, rebuke, reflection, or emphasis rather than merely requesting information. Ask what response the question demands.
Literary language
Figures of Speech in Bible Interpretation
A practical guide to metaphor, simile, symbol, typology, parable, hyperbole, anthropomorphism, and other biblical figures, with examples and interpretation cautions.
How to handle figurative language
Literal interpretation does not mean wooden interpretation. It means reading the text according to the author's intended kind of language. A metaphor should be read as a metaphor. A parable should be read as a parable. Poetry should be read as poetry.
Major figures of speech
| Figure | Plain definition | Example idea | Interpretation rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metaphor | A direct comparison: one thing is spoken of as another to make a point. | "The LORD is my shepherd" uses shepherd language to communicate care, rule, provision, and protection. | Ask what feature is being compared; do not turn every detail into a hidden code. |
| Simile | An explicit comparison using like or as. | "Like a tree planted by streams of water" compares the righteous person to a well-watered tree. | Identify the shared point, not every possible similarity. |
| Metonymy | One related word stands for another reality. | "Cup" can stand for suffering, judgment, or appointed experience. | Ask what associated reality the word represents in context. |
| Synecdoche | A part stands for the whole, or the whole for a part. | "All flesh" can refer to all people, not merely human skin. | Do not interpret the part in isolation from the whole idea. |
| Hyperbole | Deliberate exaggeration for force or emphasis. | A camel through the eye of a needle stresses impossibility by human power. | Do not force literal absurdity when the text is plainly emphatic. |
| Irony | A statement or scene where the real meaning is opposite or deeper than the surface. | Mocking prophets of Baal exposes the emptiness of their god. | Look for narrative clues, tone, reversal, and authorial purpose. |
| Sarcasm | Sharp irony used to rebuke folly or hypocrisy. | Prophetic mockery of idols exposes spiritual blindness. | Do not imitate harsh tone carelessly; first understand why Scripture uses it. |
| Satire | Extended ridicule of folly, evil, or idolatry. | Idol-making scenes can expose the absurdity of worshipping human-made objects. | Trace the moral target of the satire. |
| Personification | Non-human things are described as if they act like persons. | Wisdom cries aloud in the street. | Ask what truth the personified image teaches. |
| Anthropomorphism | God is described with human body language. | The hand or arm of the Lord communicates action, strength, or deliverance. | Do not conclude that God has a physical body unless the text and theology warrant it. |
| Anthropopathism | God is described with human emotion language. | God grieving or relenting communicates his real moral response in terms we can understand. | Preserve the meaning without making God unstable or ignorant. |
| Euphemism | A softer expression for something sensitive or severe. | "Slept with his fathers" may refer to death. | Identify the real action behind the gentle wording. |
| Litotes | A truth stated by denying its opposite. | "Not many days from now" means soon. | Turn the negative expression into its positive force. |
| Pleonasm | Extra wording used for emphasis or fullness. | "I have seen with my eyes" intensifies personal witness. | Do not over-interpret every extra word as a separate doctrine. |
| Paradox | A statement that seems contradictory but expresses a deeper truth. | Whoever loses his life for Christ will find it. | Hold both sides together until the passage resolves the tension. |
| Apostrophe | Addressing an absent person, object, or idea as though present. | Death or mountains may be addressed poetically. | Recognise rhetorical address; do not assume the object literally hears. |
| Allegory | A story or image where elements intentionally correspond to deeper realities. | Paul uses Hagar and Sarah allegorically in Galatians 4. | Only use allegory where Scripture or the genre gives warrant. |
| Parable | A short comparison story that presses a main point and response. | The Good Samaritan exposes neighbour-love through a shocking example. | Find occasion, audience, main point, and demanded response. |
| Type / typology | A real earlier person, event, institution, or pattern that anticipates a later fulfilment. | Passover anticipates redemption fulfilled in Christ. | Require biblical-theological warrant; do not invent types from random details. |
| Symbol | An object, number, colour, creature, or image representing an idea within the text. | Lampstands in Revelation are interpreted as churches. | Use the immediate context first, especially when the text explains its own symbols. |
Four-step figure test
- Identify the signal: unusual comparison, image, exaggeration, personification, or symbolic object.
- Name the figure only if useful. The point is understanding, not showing off terminology.
- Ask what truth the figure communicates in this context.
- State the meaning plainly and avoid building doctrine from uncontrolled details.
Expanded course coverage
Additional figures and genre forms now included
These items help the student recognise questions, veiled sayings, and illustrative forms without forcing allegory.
Fable
A short illustrative story, sometimes involving animals, plants, or objects, used to expose folly or make a point. Interpret the moral force, not every invented detail.
Riddle
A puzzle-like saying that requires insight. Look for the stated answer, surrounding context, and intended test of wisdom.
Enigma / dark saying
A veiled or difficult saying. Move slowly, compare clear context, and avoid dogmatism where Scripture does not explain it fully.