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This article first appeared in the printed version of "Positive Words", August 1976 ff. Revised and Copyright
© 2004
Peter Wade.
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Figures of Speech--An Introduction
by Peter Wade
God has declared that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3:16,17 NKJV). Since we are dealing with the God-breathed Word, we should be very careful to apply logically and accurately the rules of grammar and language.
One major area that is so often overlooked or misunderstood is the field of figures of speech. Unfortunately many sincere believers, when confronted with a statement in the Bible that is obviously not true to fact, declare, "Oh, that's only figurative", as if it were of little importance. Their understanding of what God is saying would come alive for them if they only realized that the reverse is true -- it is not "only figurative" but that part of The Word that the Father wishes to emphasize.
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Figures of speech are legitimate departures from accepted grammatical forms in order to give emphasis to what has been written or spoken. In the Word of God, figures of speech are the Holy Spirit's marking as to what is important. When God gave the New Testament epistles to holy men, they committed it to writing in uncial letters -- what we would term capital or upper case letters. There were no breaks between words and no punctuation. For example, the first part of John 3:16 would look like this (in English):
FORGODSOLOVEDTH EWORLDTHATHEGAVE...
Today printers and publishers have many mechanical devices available to them when they wish to emphasize a word or a phrase. The word can be set in italic type (a typeface that slopes to the right), or in bold face type (a heavy black typeface), or it can be set in all CAPITAL letters. Using any of these methods, the word will stand out clearly from the rest of the text. Also, with the right use of punctuation, a writer can show the reader what he feels is the impact of the sentence. There are various rules that govern these matters, rules THAT vary from language to language.
Mechanical methods have changed down through the years, yet for God's Word to be accurate and applicable to all generations in all nations, some perfect method of emphasis was needed. God, in His great wisdom, employed figures of speech as the timeless and accurate way in which to give His emphasis, to His life-giving Word.
It may be true for several reasons that we may not immediately understand the figure that is employed, but we should endeavour to recognize that a figure of speech is before us. Then our task is that of II Timothy 2:15: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (NKJV). Workers need tools, and this introductory discussion of figures of speech is designed to open your mind to the presence and meaning of some of the major figures, and thus bring you closer to the mind of God as He revealed Himself in the Word.
The major Christian work in this field is Figures of Speech Used in the Bible by E. W Bullinger (first published in 1898 and still in print), a monumental 1,100-page treatise explaining and illustrating some 212 figures of speech the author had recognized in the Word of God. (You can read extracts from the Introduction online.) I am acquainted with only one other work that discusses figures of speech in any detail, and that is a 40-page appendix to the "Keyword Concordance to the New Testament" (Concordant Publishing Concern, 1970 edition; sadly omitted from current editions). This appendix is to be especially commended, for it is designed for those who do not know the Biblical languages and who do not know the technical terms for the various figures. What follows is largely based on these two works.
In the introductory paragraph to the appendix mentioned above, the unnamed author (possibly A.E. Knoch) sets the stage beautifully with these words: "God, Who studded the sky with jewels and carpeted the earth with colours, has written His revelation in language which reflects the beauties of His visible creation. The diction of the East and of the Scriptures is full of fine figures, over which we walk with ruthless tread, seldom stopping to admire the blooms beneath our feet. It is the voice of feeling as well as fact. Nor is its beauty merely ornamental. Unless our eyes are opened to their presence and we feel their force, we may fail to enter beneath the surface of bare facts, into the heart of God's truth, and be led astray by mere externals."
How to Recognize a Figure of Speech
Dr. E. W. Bullinger introduces his great work () with these helpful words: "A figure is simply a word or a sentence thrown into peculiar form, different from its original or simplest meaning or use. These forms are constantly used by every speaker or writer. It is impossible to hold the simplest conversation, or to write a few sentences without, it may be unconsciously, making use of figures. We may say, 'the ground needs rain': that is a plain, cold, matter-of-fact statement; but if we say 'the ground is thirsty', we immediately use a figure. It is not true to fact, and therefore it must be a figure. But how true to feeling it is! how full of warmth and life! Hence we say, 'the crops suffer'; we speak of 'a hard heart,' 'a rough man,' 'an iron will.' In all these cases we take a word which has a certain, definite meaning, and apply the name, or the quality, or the act, to some other thing with which it is associated, by time or place, cause or effect, relation or resemblance.
"It may be asked, 'How are we to know, then, when words are to be taken in their simple, original form (i.e. literally), and when they are to be taken in some other and peculiar form (i.e. as a figure)?' The answer is that, whenever and wherever it is possible, the words of Scripture are to be understood literally, but when a statement appears to be contrary to our experience, or to known fact, or revealed truth, or seems to be at variance with the general teaching of the Scriptures, then we may reasonably expect that some figure is employed. And as it is employed only to call our attention to some specially designed emphasis, we are at once bound to diligently examine the figure for the purpose of discovering and learning the truth that is thus emphasized.
"There is an additional reason for using greater exactitude and care when we are dealing with the words of God. Man's words are scarcely worthy of such study. Man uses figures, but often at random and often in ignorance or in error. But 'the words of the Lord are pure words' (Psalm 12:6). All His works are perfect, and when the Holy Spirit takes up and uses human words, He does so, we may be sure, with unerring accuracy, infinite wisdom, and perfect beauty. We may well, therefore, give all our attention to 'the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth' (I Corinthians 2:13)." Thus, with great clarity and beauty, Dr. Bullinger introduces the subject.
It may come as a shock to you to realize that much of God's Word is not literally true. Some of its most precious and important statements simply cannot be taken as they stand. This is perhaps as great a shock as that when you first discovered that the Bible was an Eastern book and that the customs and mannerisms you were reading about have little in common with the way a Westerner lives today. Neither of these concepts are contradictory to the great truth of the God-inspired Word. They are simply an acknowledgement of the way in which God handled human words as a vehicle of His thoughts and of the cultural background against which His words are set.
When Jesus told his disciples "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep", they took His words literally and were thus mistaken. The words spoken by Jesus were not false, they were figurative. "Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead" (see John 11:11-14). Some of the greatest statements found in the Word of God are emphasized and shown their importance by the use of a figure. Anything in God's Word that is not literally true to fact is not false, it is figurative. When God spoke, He said what He meant, and it is up to us to show ourselves as "a worker who does not need to be ashamed".
Classifying the figures
The Greeks and the Romans devised several ways in which figures of speech can be classified. Most of these are too involved and somewhat unnecessary to our present discussion. Perhaps it is sufficient to say that all figures can be classified under the following major heads:1. Figures involving omission;
2. Figures involving addition; and
3. Figures involving change.
I will not necessarily introduce the common figures in this order, but it does throw some light on the fact of how figures are produced from plain statements of fact. Some figures deliberately leave out words in order to hurry the reader on to the important part of the statement; other figures add words in order to slow the reader down; and yet other figures change words or change the order of words in order to catch the reader's attention.
In the time of Shakespeare and the time of the King James Bible, every grammar school student would have been able to recognize the figures we will be discussing, and also give to them their correct Greek or Latin name (see "Shakespeare's Use of the Arts of Language" by Miriam Joseph [Part One]; 1947 ). What ground we have lost in these days of "enlightenment"! To help you remember the figures of speech that I will discuss and illustrate, I am going to use English names for them (as given in the Keyword Concordance) and not the technical names. Should you wish to know the technical names, I suggest you obtain or get access to Dr. Bullinger's work.
I believe it will take a lifetime of study to know and recognize the vast number of figures in God's Word. However, the important thing at this point of time is for you to start recognizing one or two, so that when you do, you will stop your reading and think: "Now, what is God emphasizing here?" The more often you observe a figure, the more you will recognize it the next time and thus grow in your appreciation of its greatness.
This page Copyright © 2002 Peter Wade. The Bible text in this publication, except where otherwise indicated, is from the King James Version. This article appears on the site: http://www.peterwade.org/. Would you like your own copy of books by Peter Wade and other authors? Go to our Catalog. | |
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