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Figurative Language Figurative language is common in our speech. We say things like, "She is on top of the world" or "I waited forever to catch the bus." Obviously those statements are not to be taken literally. The scripture contains figurative language. There are many times that figures of speech are employed to make a point. For instance, Jesus called Herod a "fox" (Lk. 13:32). Does that mean Herod had four legs and whiskers? No. It means he was cunning or sly. Jesus referred to himself as a "door" (Jn. 10:9). Does that mean he was a piece of wood with hinges and a knob? No. It means he was the entrance or way to safety. Paul called false teachers "wolves" and the congregation a "flock" (Acts 20:29). He used those figures because wolves are natural enemies to sheep. The parallel is obvious. Paul called the Judaizers "dogs" (Phil. 3:2). Peter described the devil as a "roaring lion" (1 Pet. 5:8). John called an immoral woman "Jezebel" (Rev. 2:20). All of these figures are clearly understood by the context. Numbers are sometimes used figuratively as well. For instance, the number 1,000 represents completeness or fullness (Ps. 50:10, 105:5; Eccl. 6:6, 7:28; 2 Pet. 3:8). Jesus told Peter to forgive his brother "seventy times seven" (Matt. 18:22). Does that limit forgiveness to 490 times? No. Our forgiveness is to be unlimited. Warning There
are times when people mistakenly take literal passages and give them a symbolic
meaning. This is dangerous. Passages should be taken literally unless the
context demands otherwise. |
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