SIMILITUDES - FIGURES {Metaphors
&Types}
When we study the Bible we should seek out and make note
of “Bible words” (“words” that are used in the Holy Bible); and
we should make it a practice to use those specific “words” in
instruction wherever possible. If we want to reinforce God’s “words” in
our teaching we should use “His words” whenever we can rather
than words that can not be defined with Scripture.
The words “Metaphor” and “Type” can not be found in
the Bible – which does not mean that there are no “metaphors” or “types” in the
Bible, or that we are prohibited from using those words; but on the other hand,
if we want to receive instruction and understanding from God’s word, we should
make it a practice to use words that can be found in the Holy Bible whenever we
can, since we then can “search the Scriptures” for the meaning or definition
of those words.
THE USE OF THE WORD “SIMILITUDE”
IN THE BIBLE {Look for the word “as” in Scripture}
Numbers 12:8 With him will I speak mouth to
mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were
ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 4:16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and
make you a graven image, the similitude
of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
2 Chronicles 4:3 And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did
compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two
rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.
Psalms 106:20 Thus they changed their glory into
the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
Psalms 144:12 That our sons may be as plants
grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished
after the similitude of a
palace:
Daniel 10:16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men
touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake,
and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are
turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.
Hosea
Romans
Hebrews
James 3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the
Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
WEBSTER’S 1828 DICTIONARY
MET'APHOR, n. Gr. to transfer, over, to carry.
A short similitude; a similitude reduced to a single word; or
a word expressing similitude without the signs of comparison. Thus
"that man is a fox," is a metaphor; but "that man is like a
fox," is a similitude or comparison. So when I say, "the
soldiers fought like lions," I use a similitude. In metaphor, the similitude
is contained in the name; a man is a fox, means, a man is as crafty as a fox.
So we say, a man bridles his anger, that is, restrains
it as a bridle restrains a horse.
THE USE OF THE WORD “FIGURE”
IN THE BIBLE {Look for the word “LIKE” in
Scripture}
Deuteronomy 4:16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and
make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
1 Kings
Isaiah 44:13 The carpenter stretcheth
out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh
it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to
the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
Matthew
Matthew 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and
his raiment was white as the light.
Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth
them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians 4:6 And these things, brethren, I have
in a figure transferred to
myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of
men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one
against another.
Hebrews 9:9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both
gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as
pertaining to the conscience;
Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the
holy places made with hands, which are the figures
of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for
us:
Hebrews
1 Peter
WEBSTER’S 1828 DICTIONARY
TYPE, n. L. typus; Gr. from the root of tap; to beat, strike, impress.
1. The mark of something; an emblem; that which represents something else.
Thy emblem, gracious queen, the British rose,
Type of sweet rule and gentle majesty.
2. A sign; a symbol; a figure of something to come; as, Abraham's sacrifice and the paschal lamb, were types of Christ. To this word is opposed antitype. Christ, in this case, is the antitype.
3. A model or form of a letter in metal or other hard material; used in printing.
4. In medicine, the form or character of a disease, in regard to the intension and remission of fevers, pulses, &c.; the regular progress of a fever.
5. In natural history, a general form, such as is common to the species of a genus, or the individuals of a species.
6. A stamp or mark.
TYPE, v.t. To prefigure; to represent by a model or symbol beforehand. Little used.
When studying the Holy Bible there
are two simple words (as & like) which
are often overlooked, but which we must be aware of, since they can be a great
help to us in our understanding of the Bible. God uses these words to illustrate a teaching; or to clarify a
Bible truth (or doctrine) that He wants to teach us.
For example in the case of “AS”:
Matthew
Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the
flood came, and destroyed them all.
28
Likewise also as it was in the days of
29
But the same day that
30
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Or in
the case of “LIKE”:
Matthew
Matthew 13:44 Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like unto treasure hid
in a field; the which when a man hath
found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he
hath, and buyeth that field.
Additional examples:
Ephesians
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as
Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour
of the body. {A Similitude}
24 Therefore as the church
is subject unto Christ, so let the wives
be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for
it; {A Similitude}
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by
the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not
having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and
without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth
his wife loveth himself. {A Similitude}
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth
and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his
body, of his flesh, and of his bones. {A declarative statement - No Similitude}
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and
shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak
concerning Christ and the church.
{The Apostle Paul uses the Scriptural relationship between a married
man & woman (a husband & his wife), as a “similitude”, to describe (explain)
the same relationship between the Lord Jesus Christ and His
church. Verse 32 is a declarative statement explaining the “similitude”
- There is NO “as” or “like” in it.}
2 Corinthians
11:2 For I am jealous over you
with godly jealousy: for I have espoused
you to one husband,
{A declarative statement - No Similitude} that I may present
you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
{The Apostle Paul uses a “Similitude” to describe (explain)
his preceding declarative statement of fact.}
Romans
7:1 Know ye not,
brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath
dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 For the woman which hath an husband
is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth;
but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth,
she be married
to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband
be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she
be married to another
man.
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye
also are become dead to the
law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is
raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
{This is a
declarative statement - There is NO “as” or “like” in the
statement.}
Revelation
21:1 And I saw a
new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
{The Apostle John
uses a “Similitude” here to describe (or explain) what he saw - “the
holy city, new Jerusalem” . . . . “prepared as a bride”.}
Revelation
21:9 And there came
unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven
last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain,
and shewed me that great city, the holy
{The Apostle John
records a declarative statement (made by an angel of God) as to WHO the
“Bride” is; this is not a “Similitude” - There is NO “as” or “like”
in the statement.}
WEBSTER’S
1828 DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS
AL'LEGORY, n. Gr. other, to speak, a
forum, an oration.
A figurative sentence or discourse, in which the
principal subject is described by another subject resembling it in its properties
and circumstances.
The principal subject is thus kept out of view, and we are left to collect the
intentions of the writer or speaker, by the resemblance of the secondary to the
primary subject. Allegory is in words that hieroglyphics are in painting. We
have a fine example of an allegory in the eightieth Psalm, in which God's
chosen people are represented by a vineyard. The distinction in scripture
between a parable and an allegory, is said to be that
a parable is a supposed history, and an allegory, a figurative description of
real facts. An allegory is called a continued metaphor.
PAR'ABLE, n. L. parabola; Gr. to throw forward or against, to compare to or against; as in confero, collatum, to set together, or one thing with another.
A fable or allegorical relation or representation
of something real in life or nature, from which a moral is drawn for
instruction; such as the parable of the trees choosing a king, Judges 9.; the
parable of the poor man and his lamb. 2 Sam. 12.; the
parable of the ten virgins, Matt.25.
PAR'ABLE, v.t. To represent by fiction or fable.
ANAL'OGY, n. Gr. ratio, proportion.
1. an
agreement or likeness between things in some circumstances or effects,
when the things are otherwise entirely different. Thus a plant is said to have
life, because its growth resembles in some degree, that of an animal. In life
and growth, then, there is an analogy between a plant and an animal. Learning
enlightens the mind, because it is to the mind, what light is to the eye,
enabling it to discover things before hidden. When the things which have an
analogy follow a preposition, that preposition must be between or betwixt; as
there is an analogy between plants and animals, or between customs. When one of
the things precedes a verb, and the other follows, the preposition used must be
to or with; as, a plant has some analogy to or with an animal.
2.
With grammarians, analogy is conformity of words to the genius, structure or
general rules of a language. Thus the general rule in English is that the
plural of a noun ends in es; therefore all nouns
which have that plural termination have an analogy, or are formed in analogy
with other words of a like kind.
if & but
It should
be noted that there are two additional words in Scripture (if & but)
that are also often overlooked in Bible study but which are extremely important
to everything that follows them. We must be very careful when we encounter
these words for whole doctrines (usually false) have been concocted over the
misuse or the purposeful omission of these words.
For
example in the case
of “IF”:
Matthew
John
Matthew
Matthew
Matthew
Or in
the case of “BUT”:
Matthew
Matthew 4:4 But he answered and
said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God. Or:
Matthew
Based on the use of these words in the Holy Bible, the
following are the Scriptural definitions of the words IF & BUT:
IF: A conditional prerequisite
or requirement, the outcome of which is (or was) determined
by the response of an individual; a church; or a nation.
BUT: A particular determinate
outcome (almost always unfavorable), in direct response to an individual’s;
or a church’s; or a nation’s conduct.
ABBREVIATIONS, ETC.
i.e. - abbreviation
An abbreviation for id est, a Latin phrase meaning “that is.” It indicates that an explanation or paraphrase is about to follow:
“Many workers expect to put in a forty-hour week — i.e., to work eight hours a day.” (Compare e.g.)
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural
Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights
reserved.
i.e. - abbreviation
1598, abbreviation of id est,
from L., lit. "that is;" used in
Online
Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Dictionary.com
Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
e.g. - abbreviation
An abbreviation meaning “for example.” It is short for the Latin exempli gratia, “for the sake of example.”
A list of examples may be preceded by e.g.: “She loved exotic fruit, e.g., mangoes, passion fruit, and papayas.” (Compare i.e.)
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural
Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights
reserved.
a.k.a. - abbreviation
Also known as:
According to police records he is Joe Smith a.k.a. “Baby Face Smith” and Joseph Smathers.
et al – adverb
1.and others ('et al.' is used as an abbreviation of
'et alii' (masculine
plural) or 'et aliae' (feminine
plural) or 'et
alia' (neuter plural) when referring to a number of people);
"the data reported by Smith et al."
[syn:
et al.]
2.and elsewhere
(used when
referring to
other occurrences in a
text) [syn: et al.]
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by
¶ = Pilcrow