{"id":37332,"date":"2026-10-19T11:10:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T09:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kernbeisser.ch\/figurative-language-in-the-bible\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T12:24:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T10:24:36","slug":"figurative-language-in-the-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kernbeisser.ch\/en\/figurative-language-in-the-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"Figurative language in the Bible"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”180936″]<\/p>\n

Sweeter than honey<\/h3>\n

\u201cHow sweet are your words to my palate, sweeter than honey to my mouth!\u201d<\/em>
\n(Ps. 119:103, Rev. Elbf.)<\/p>\n

The Bible is rich in imagery and figures of speech. We, too, often use figurative comparisons in our own speech. They help us convey emotions or add depth to what we\u2019re saying. The Psalm quote above reads: \u201cHow sweet are\u2026 your words.\u201d<\/em> Of course, words aren\u2019t actually sweet. That\u2019s figurative language. We can only hear words; we can never taste them.<\/p>\n

The psalmist uses this figurative language to say something about<\/em> God\u2019s Word. It is not meant literally here. We intuitively understand that he is expressing something positive. Sweetness is pleasant; it does him good. To make the comparison even clearer and more personal, he says: \u201c<\/em> How sweet are<\/em> your words to my palate.\u201d<\/em> It is an expansion of the statement\u2014using another image. The palate symbolizes the writer\u2019s entire person. God\u2019s Word does him good as a human being, just as sweetness does the palate.<\/p>\n

In the second part of the sentence, the comparison is taken even further and strengthened:<\/p>\n

A. “How sweet to my palate are your words,
\n<\/em>B. More than honey to my mouth!”<\/em><\/p>\n

The sweetness is compared to honey in the second line. The increase says: Sweet<\/em> are your words to my palate, more than honey<\/em> to my mouth. Even sweeter than honey are God’s words. This cannot be increased any further (see also Prov 16:24).<\/p>\n

To experience the Bible in this way is a great blessing. The comparison to honey is figurative, and in some Jewish traditions, this verse is also used quite literally as an example to teach children the value of God\u2019s Word. Around the age of eight, children begin studying the Torah and learning the Hebrew language. This beginning is celebrated with a small ritual. The words of this verse are carved into wood. The grooves are filled with honey, and the children are allowed to lick it off\u2014which they certainly enjoy doing. A fitting way to describe this is: \u201cAs sweet as this tastes, so good is God\u2019s Word.\u201d Thus, an everyday food has found its way into the Bible as a metaphor and has been carried back from there as an example into everyday life.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”156670″]<\/p>\n

Not everything is literal<\/h3>\n

The Bible, as God\u2019s Word, is reliable, but not everything in it is literally true. This is also true in our everyday language. Figurative language and tropes symbolically explain important concepts, but they should not be confused with reality. In the example above, for instance, it\u2019s not about honey, and it certainly isn\u2019t about beekeeping. Note: Figurative language explains the main theme, but it is never the main theme.<\/p>\n

Figurative language
\n– explains the main theme,
\n– but never is the main theme.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n

“A land flowing with milk and honey”<\/em>
\nDeut. 27:3<\/p>\n

Milk and honey symbolize the fertility of the land and indirectly explain that it is good to live there.<\/p>\n

But this does not mean (as I have heard someone doing) that a Christian should be living on nothing but milk and honey. If I take the words out of context and interpret them quite literally, they lose their original meaning. The text becomes nothing more than a canvas for projection. The way this man approached it disregarded, on the one hand, the figurative language, and on the other hand, the context, which speaks of a promise to Israel<\/em> and of a specific land<\/em>. When this happens in the life of faith, trust is replaced by projection.<\/p>\n

Figurative language is a richness of our language. We think in pictures, draw comparisons, explain pictorially. All of this makes our language come alive. Visual language should not lead to false conclusions. For us to take advantage of the richness of figurative language, it is worth thinking about these things. Here is another example:<\/p>\n

\u201cYour word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.\u201d<\/em>
\nPs 119:105<\/p>\n

The Bible provides \u201clight\u201d for our daily \u201cjourney\u201d and helps us navigate our lives. The imagery also suggests that we can illuminate our path well even in the dark \u201cnight.\u201d However, this verse does not say that the Word (the Bible did not yet exist!) is, for example, a literal lamp.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”376773″]<\/p>\n

Metaphors<\/h2>\n

Famous are the eight “I am” words from the Gospel of John:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. “I am the bread of life”<\/em>(Jn 6:35 Jn 6:48).<\/li>\n
  2. “I am the bread from heaven”<\/em>(John 6:41).<\/li>\n
  3. “I am the light of the world”<\/em>(John 8:12 and John 9:5).<\/li>\n
  4. “I am the door”<\/em>(John 10:7)<\/li>\n
  5. “I am the good shepherd”<\/em>(John 10:11).<\/li>\n
  6. “I am the resurrection and the life”<\/em>(John 11:25).<\/li>\n
  7. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14<\/em>:6)<\/li>\n
  8. “I am the true vine”<\/em>(John 15:1).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    They are metaphors. Figures of speech like these explain connections and functions. They symbolize important truths. Literally speaking, Jesus is not a piece of bread; he is not a door; and, as far as we know, he did not work as a shepherd. This figurative language says something about<\/em> Jesus. Figurative language can point to the subject<\/em> in just a few words.<\/p>\n

    When Jesus says, \u201cI am the way, the truth, and the life<\/em>, \u201d<\/em> these are not separate elements; rather, they belong together. It is a single statement. If we listen carefully, Jesus is saying, \u201cI am the true way to life\u201d (a figure of speech called hendiatris<\/em>, \u201cone through three\u201d). It is a composite statement with a single theme.<\/p>\n

    There are also several metaphors of God himself, for example:<\/p>\n