By Wayne Clapp

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.

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.

Deuteronomy 12:32:
What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Proverbs 30:5 and 6:
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

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:
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 teachings 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. In our next teaching in this series, we will see how God uses additions, changes, and omissions in three basic figures of comparison.