SOUNDING
OUT:
An Introduction to Figures of Speech
For the Word of God to be rightly divided, it
must be interpreted both literally and figuratively. The Word
of God is to be believed literally whenever and wherever possible.
However, there are places where a word or words cannot be taken
literally.
For example, Matthew 5:29 and 30 says, “And if thy
right eye offend thee, pluck it out .... And if thy right hand
offend thee, cut it off .... “ Is that to be taken literally?
Of course not! It contradicts so many other scriptures in the
Word indicating that God wants us healed, not dismembered. But
what gives one the right to decide what is to be believed literally
and what is to be understood figuratively? Certainly God would
not, and did not, leave these decisions to man’s judgment
or fancy. He used figures of speech to clearly mark those places
where His Word is to be understood figuratively.
God uses figures of speech in His Word for emphasis. When
He wants special attention given to something, He marks it with
a figure of speech to make it stand out. God uses these figures
to attract our attention so that we place the force of expression,
thought, feeling, or action where He wants it. Figures of speech
bring strength, additional life, or intensified feeling to an
expression. They arrest our attention and cause us to stop and
consider what God is saying.
Such is the case with the “cutting off the hand”
and “plucking out the eye” above. This figure of speech,
called a hyperbole, is not to be understood literally.
These statements figuratively emphasize the importance of avoiding
and removing everything and anything that would cause one to err
from the truth. One should no more continue in the offensive behavior
than cut his hand off or pluck his eye out. The intent is not
to direct one to cut off his hand or pluck out his eye, but to
eliminate any motive, thought, attitude, behavior, action, or
habit that is contrary to God’s Word and will.
The field of figures of speech can be approached with mathematical
exactness and scientific precision. Figures of speech are departures
from the ordinary or natural form of the laws of grammar and syntax.
They are not mistakes due to ignorance or accident. Rather they
are legitimate deviations for a special purpose. Their forms are
fixed and established, and they can be accurately cataloged and
analyzed. There is absolutely no guesswork when figures of speech
are handled properly. If a particular form of expression is a
figure of speech, it can be precisely identified, and its purpose
can be clearly delineated.
God is the Author of His Word. Holy men of God wrote as
they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Figures of speech in the Bible
are used at God’s discretion. He initiated the departures
from the ordinary forms to add force to the truth conveyed and
depth to the meaning of it. No one else has the right to add to
it, to subtract from it, or to change it in any way. God commands
that no one do so.
Moses speaking on God’s behalf states this very clearly.
Deuteronomy
4:2:
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall
ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of
the Lord your God which I command you.
Moses
repeats this truth in chapter 12, thereby establishing it.
Deuteronomy
12:32:
What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt
not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
This
truth was also included in the instruction to young people in
Proverbs.
Proverbs
30:5 and 6:
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their
trust in him.
6 Add thou not unto his words, lest
he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
The
last book of the Bible also echoes these sentiments.
Revelation
22:18 and 19:
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy
of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall
add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away
from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away
his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and
from the things which are written in this book.
In
the encounter with Eve in the Garden of Eden, the serpent questioned
the integrity of God’s Word. This attack stunned her, and
she took the bait. She considered the possibility that God did not
accurately communicate His will. Instead of going to Adam and getting
help, she made the mistake of responding to the serpent and omitted the word “freely.” Then she continued and added “neither shall ye touch it.” Finally she changed the absolute truth of God’s Word, introducing doubt with the
word “lest.” She no longer held the Word in her mind.
Her omitting, adding, and changing God’s Word left her with
“private interpretation” (II Peter 1:20 and 21), which
had no power in resisting her adversary. The serpent’s counterfeit
brilliance distracted her from God’s Word. Instead of the
truth of “thou shalt surely die,” the lie of “ye
shall not surely die” was substituted and accepted.
The serpent’s seduction was accomplished by altering
God’s Word. Neither the Devil nor Eve had a right to do this.
God alone has the option to add to His Word, diminish from it, or
change it. When the Devil or anyone else does, it is private interpretation,
and it changes the truth of God into a lie. In Matthew 4 and Luke
4, when the tempter came to Jesus, he responded with “It is
written!” He did not omit, add, or change anything. He quoted
the precise Word of God that fit the temptation of the situation,
and the power of the Word allowed him to prevail. Eve succumbed,
abandoning God’s Word. Jesus resisted, cleaving to God’s
Word.
To rightly divide the Word of Truth we must interpret literally
what God intended to be literal and figuratively what God intended
to be figurative. Learning to recognize figures of speech in God’s
Word allows the Word to interpret itself, keeping private interpretation
from creeping into the Scriptures.
E. W. Bullinger, in his outstanding work Figures of Speech
Used in the Bible, divides figures of speech into figures involving
omission, figures involving addition, and figures involving change.
How interesting to note that the adversary, as a parasite, tricked
Eve into omitting, adding, and changing words, since that is how
God’s Word adds emphasis and impact and precision in its use
of figures of speech. How brilliantly, then, must the light of the
Word shine forth when those forms are accurately traced and understood.
When God does alter the form of His Word, it is to call our
attention to it. This is usually accomplished by adding to the usual
form of the language, diminishing from the ordinary form of it,
or changing it in some legitimate, prescribed fashion — all
of which are designed to accentuate it. These figurative forms of
expression communicate the truth of God’s Word with more force
and depth than literal statements of truth. They are precise, and
their intent is specific.
In future Sounds Outs we will be investigating many of these
figures of speech to see the divine design of God’s matchless
Word and to build our appreciation and love for that which God has
magnified above all His name. We’ll set aside the first Friday
of each month for a follow-up article on figures of speech.
If any of you would like to get involved and submit
articles for the internet newsletter along the lines of
figures of speech, I’d love to receive them. In
our February 2nd INL, we will see how God uses
additions, changes, and omissions in three basic figures
of comparison. In the March 2nd INL we’ll
look at a few more figures of comparison. Then we’ll
see where we go from there.
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