LITERARY ANALYSIS

Whenever you read anything (virtually), you encounter various literary devices used by the author to explain, to clarify, to illustrate, or to establish his point.  Even straight documentary or historical reporting will employ some literary devices.  It is the reader's responsibility to recognize these devices and try to understand them as the author intended.  In this section, we will review some of the more prominent literary devices used by biblical writers so that we may understand more clearly what they are trying to communicate to their readers.

1.  Consider the employment of figures of speech (a general survey).

A valuable book for any student of the Bible is E. W. Bullinger's Figures of Speech Used in the Bible.  This book is readily available in reprint and is fairly inexpensive.  It is the ultimate reference for studying figures of speech in depth. 

Here is a survey of some figures that are frequently encountered.  [Since these are figures of speech, one must not try to take these "literally."  This is obvious when the figure is obvious; however, figures of speech are not always obvious at first sight.]

a.  Simile.  A simile indicates "resemblance," declaring that one thing "resembles" another thing.  Genesis 25:25: "Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau."  Matthew 7:24-27: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. . . . Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. . . . . "

b.  Metaphor.   A simile expresses "likeness" or shows resemblance, whereas a metaphor "makes a declaration that one thing is (or represents) another" [Bullinger].  In a metaphor, a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another or is conceived as representing another, making an implicit comparison. Matthew 26:26:  "While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.'" 

c.  Metonymy. Metonymy is a figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another to which it is closely associated, as in the use of Washington for the United States government.  This causes the reader or hearer to "call to mind" the object indicated by the author.  Some examples: Luke 16:29,  "They have Moses and the Prophets" meaning that the writings of the Old Testament which are available for all to read;  Isa. 22:22, "the key of the house of David" indicates control or rule over the house of the king by the king [The one who has the key to enter the house has control over the house.];  Acts 7:8,  "circumcision" is called a "covenant," but the meaning is that it was a sign of  the covenant which reminds of the covenant. 

d.  Synecdoche.   Here, one idea is exchanged for the idea of another.  A part of a whole may be used to express the whole: Genesis 3:19, "By the sweat of your face you will eat bread (bread is the general expression for one's whole diet), till you return to the ground." The whole may be used to express only a part of the whole: Genesis 6:12, "God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth."  A universal may be used to express a particular: Matthew 3:5, "Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan" ("many people" from these regions are intended, not every individual who lived in Jerusalem, every individual who lived in Judea, etc.); or a particular may be used to express the universal: Matthew 6:11, "Give us this day our daily bread."

e.  Ellipsis.  Authors will intentionally leave a gap in a sentence by omitting some words, expecting the reader or hearer to understand what was omitted and to "add" the necessary words to complete the sentence.  There are many different kinds of ellipses which Bullinger discusses at length.  The careful student should review his presentation.  Here are a few examples: Genesis 26:7, "And the men of the place asked about his wife.  And he said, 'She is my sister'; for he was afraid to say, 'She is my wife,' because he thought, 'lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold'"; 1 Timothy 1:3-4,  "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do" [here the focal command is omitted but understood];  Genesis 1:30, "And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so"; 1 John 3:24, "And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he [Christ] [dwells] in him [the active Christian]."

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by South Woods Baptist Church.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy:

Copyright South Woods Baptist Church. Website: www.southwoodsbc.org. Used by permission as granted on web site. Questions, comments, and suggestions about our site can be sent here.