Special literary forms

1. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
SIMILES, METAPHORS, PROVERBS, PARABLES,
AND ALLEGORIES

2. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
• The literary devices/form/genres
Purpose of using them in:
1. For illustration
2. For clarification
3. For emphasis
4. For maintenance of audience interest

3. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
• Similes: An expressed comparison (= the comparison is made explicit),
and always uses the words either “like” or “as” (example: “The
kingdom of heaven is like a…”)
1. Matt 13:24-26 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted
good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy
came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26
When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also
grew.”
2. The emphasis is on some points of similarity between two ideas,
groups, and actions, and so on.
3. The subject and the thing being compared to our separate— not
“the kingdom of heaven is . . .” but rather “the kingdom of heaven is
like...”

4. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
• Metaphor: Is an unexpressed comparison.( = the comparison is not
made explicit)
1. It does not use “like” like and “as.”
2. The subject and the thing with which it is being compared are
intertwined rather than separate.
3. Examples: “I am the bread of life.” “You are the light of the world.”
4. The author does not intend that his words are to be taken literally.
Christ is no more a piece of bread than Christians are photon emitters.
5. Similes and metaphors are used to express a single point. Example: “I
am the bread of life” means that Christ is the source of sustenance for
our spiritual lives; and “You are the light of the world” means that
Christians are to be examples of godly living in an ungodly world.

5. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
• Parables: The English word parable refers to an extended simile. The
comparison is expressed, and the subject and the thing compared,
explained more fully, are kept separate. Similarly an allegory can be
understood as an extended metaphor: the comparison is
unexpressed, and the subject and the thing compared are
intermingled.
• The Greek word for parable occurs nearly fifty times in the Synoptic
Gospels in connection with his ministry, suggesting that parables were
one of his favorite teaching devices. The typical parable uses a
common event of natural life to emphasize or clarify an important
spiritual truth.
• Unfortunately the biblical words parabolē (Greek) and mashal
(Hebrew) that are translated into English as parable have somewhat
broader definitions.

6. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
• The biblical literature contains a range of extended comparisons, from
strict parables that have a single correspondence between the story
and reality (Luke 16:1–8) to full allegories in which all features have a
comparison with something in reality (Mark 4:1–9, 13–20).
• Purpose of Parables
• Scripture reveals two basic purposes of parables.
• The first is to reveal truth to believers (Matt. 13:10–12; Mark 4:11).
• Second: Parables can also be used effectively to confront listeners
with wrongdoing in their lives. If a believer possesses basically sound
moral standards and yet fails to live up to those standards in some
areas of his life, a parable can be a powerful means of pointing out
this discrepancy. David and Nathan, 2 Samuel 12:1–7

7. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
• By its nature a parable requires a response. When the response is one
that rejects God’s truth, the parable serves as a means of exposing
the condition of the heart. Thus the same parables that led to a desire
for learning and brought insight to faithful believers prompted other
hearers to reject the truth of the parable.

8. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
Principles for the Interpretation of Parables
HISTORICAL CULTURAL-CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS: ILLUSTRATION IN THE BOOK MT 19
LEXICAL-SYNTACTICAL ANALYSIS :The same rules of lexical-syntactical
analysis that apply to other forms of prose should also be applied to
parables.
THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS: The main theological issue that an expositor must
address before he can interpret most of the parables Jesus used is the
nature of the kingdom of God/heaven, which is the frequent topic of
Jesus’ parables. Evangelical scholars almost unanimously agree that (a)
in some senses the kingdom has come, (b) in other senses it is
continuing, and (c) in some senses it will not ultimately come until the
eschatological completion of this age.

9. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
• Orthodox expositors unanimously agree that no doctrine should be
grounded on a parable as its primary or only source. The rationale for
this principle is that clearer passages of Scripture are always used to
clarify more obscure passages, never vice versa. Parables are by
nature more obscure than doctrinal passages.

10. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
• LITERARY ANALYSIS
• A central question regarding parables has been, How much is significant?
Scholars have argued both sides of this question throughout history.
• In the process of literary analysis, the interpreter can look for several clues
to the meaning of the parable:
1. Identify the main characters. It is possible that one main point or
lesson is demonstrated by each main character.
2. Determine the topic or detail that receives the most attention. This
topic is likely to be the focal point.
3. Observe any elements that occur in direct dialogue. Direct dialogue
may serve to emphasize a particular feature within the story.
4. Consider the principle of end stress. Often the main point of the
parable occurs at the end.
5. Identify the unexpected twist in the story. Frequently the
unexpected shock appears for the purpose of catching the listeners’
attention and forcing them to reconsider their perspective.

11. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
• Proverbs: Walter C. Kaiser Jr. has described proverbs as sayings that
are “terse, brief, have a little ‘kick’ to them, and a little bit of salt as
well.” Many people view proverbs as nice slogan.

12. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
• Allegories
• Just as a parable is an extended simile, so an allegory is an extended
metaphor.
• An allegory differs from a strict parable
• An allegory intertwines the story and its meaning
• An allegory generally includes several points of comparison, not
necessarily centered around one focal point
• Principles for Interpreting Allegories
1. Use historical-cultural, contextual, lexical-syntactical, and
theological analyses as with other types of prose.
2. Determine the multiple points of comparison intended by the
author by studying the context and the points that he emphasized.

13. SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS
• LITERARY ANALYSIS OF ALLEGORY
• Scripture contains many allegories. The allegory of Christ as the true
vine (John 15:1–17) is analyzed here to show the relationship of the
several points of comparison to the meaning of the passage.
• There are three foci in this allegory
The first is the vine as a symbol of Christ
The second focus is the Father, symbolized as the vinedresser
The third focus is found in the branches, the disciples
themselves. “Abiding” speaks metaphorically of relationship, and the
present tense speaks of a continuing relationship as a necessity for fruit
bearing