Similes are a literary device used throughout the Bible to draw comparisons between two different things, often using the words "like" or "as." These comparisons serve to illuminate spiritual truths, moral lessons, and divine characteristics by relating them to familiar human experiences or natural phenomena. The use of similes in Scripture enriches the text, making abstract concepts more tangible and relatable to the reader.

Old Testament Examples

1. Psalm 1:3 · "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does." This simile compares a righteous person to a well-nourished tree, emphasizing stability, growth, and prosperity as a result of living in accordance with God's law.

2. Isaiah 40:31 · "But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint." Here, the strength and endurance of those who trust in the Lord are likened to the majestic and tireless flight of eagles, symbolizing divine empowerment and perseverance.

3. Proverbs 25:11 · "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." This simile highlights the value and beauty of well-timed and wise words, comparing them to precious and artfully crafted objects.

New Testament Examples

1. Matthew 13:44 · "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Jesus uses this simile to illustrate the incomparable value of the kingdom of heaven, suggesting that it is worth sacrificing everything to obtain.

2. Matthew 23:27 · "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity." This simile criticizes the religious leaders for their outward appearance of righteousness while harboring inner corruption, emphasizing the importance of inner purity over external appearances.

3. James 1:6 · "But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." This simile warns against the instability and lack of direction that comes with doubt, urging believers to maintain steadfast faith.

Theological Significance

Similes in the Bible are not merely decorative language; they serve a deeper theological purpose. By drawing on everyday experiences and natural imagery, similes make divine truths accessible and memorable. They invite readers to reflect on the nature of God, the human condition, and the moral and spiritual lessons conveyed through Scripture. Through similes, the Bible communicates complex ideas in a way that resonates with the human experience, encouraging believers to apply these truths to their lives.(n.) Plural of Simile.

Fac-Similes
... SECOND DIVISION. INTERPRETATION VIEWED ON THE DIVINE SIDE FAC-SIMILES. OF ANCIENT
NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS,. TO ILLUSTRATE CHAPTER XXVI., PAGE 380. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barrows/companion to the bible/fac-similes.htm

Striking Similes
... SECTION VIII STRIKING SIMILES. STRIKING SIMILES. A. A blind rage like a fire
swept over him. A book that rends and tears like a broken saw. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section viii striking similes.htm

The Similes Applied to the Whole Universe, Seen and Unseen.
... Against the Heathen. Section 44. The similes applied to the whole Universe,
seen and unseen. For by a nod and by the power of the ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/section 44 the similes applied.htm

Three Similes to Illustrate the Word's Relation to the Universe.
... Against the Heathen. Section 43. Three similes to illustrate the Word's
relation to the Universe. And for so great a matter to be ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/section 43 three similes to.htm

Quibus Pr??textibus Utantur H??retici Ad Omnis Genetis Licentiam ...
... Jesu filii ejus emundat nos a peccato." [2464] Quomodo ergo sunt hi hujus mundi
hominibus meliores, qui h??c faciunt, et vel pessimis hujus mundi sunt similes? ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/caput iv quibus praetextibus utantur haeretici.htm

The Interpretation of the Articles.
... Arianos, Eunomianos, Mahometistas,. et omnes horum similes. Damnant et Samosatenos ...
in rebus creatum. et omnes horum similes. Damnamus et Samosatenos ...
/.../ 81 the interpretation of.htm

Elegance and Grace
... To throw light, also, upon things, similes have been invented, some of which by
way of proof are inserted among arguments, and others are calculated for ...
/.../kleiser/the training of a public speaker/elegance and grace.htm

The Publicans' Friend
... III. Jesus adds two similes, which are condensed parables, to deal with
a wider question rising out of the preceding principles. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/the publicans friend.htm

Select Works and Letters or Athanasius
... Section 43. Three similes to illustrate the Word's relation to the Universe. Section
44. The similes applied to the whole Universe, seen and unseen. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/

Israel Returning
... The blessings consequent on the gift of God's love are described in lovely imagery,
drawn, like Hosea's other abundant similes, from nature, and especially ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/israel returning.htm

Similes (22 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Similes (22 Occurrences). Matthew 13:3 and he spake to
them many things in similes, saying: 'Lo, the sower went forth to sow, (YLT). ...
/s/similes.htm - 12k

Simile (61 Occurrences)
... Matthew 13:34 All these things spake Jesus in similes to the multitudes, and
without a simile he was not speaking to them, (Root in YLT). ...
/s/simile.htm - 22k

Speaking (376 Occurrences)
... (WEB ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV). Matthew 13:34 All these things spake Jesus in similes
to the multitudes, and without a simile he was not speaking to them, (YLT). ...
/s/speaking.htm - 34k

Similitude (18 Occurrences)

/s/similitude.htm - 13k

Using (88 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Numbers 21:27 therefore those using similes say -- 'Enter ye
Heshbon, Let the city of Sihon be built and ready, (YLT). ...
/u/using.htm - 31k

Vine-growers (13 Occurrences)
... Mark 12:1 And he began to speak to them in similes: 'A man planted a vineyard, and
put a hedge around, and digged an under-winevat, and built a tower, and gave ...
/v/vine-growers.htm - 9k

Under-winevat (1 Occurrence)
... Mark 12:1 And he began to speak to them in similes: 'A man planted a vineyard, and
put a hedge around, and digged an under-winevat, and built a tower, and gave ...
/u/under-winevat.htm - 6k

Lebanon (66 Occurrences)
... 4:8). The scenes of the Lebanon are remarkable for their grandeur and beauty, and
supplied the sacred writers with many expressive similes (Psalm 29:5, 6; 72:16 ...
/l/lebanon.htm - 45k

Wherefore (448 Occurrences)
... (KJV WBS). Matthew 13:10 And the disciples having come near, said to him,
'Wherefore in similes dost thou speak to them?' (YLT). Matthew ...
/w/wherefore.htm - 34k

Wall (227 Occurrences)
... In the former of these similes he refers to an actual wall in the temple at Jerusalem,
beyond which no one was allowed to pass unless he were a Jew, the ...
/w/wall.htm - 49k

What is the significance of the refiner's fire and launderer's soap in Malachi 3:2? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16)? | GotQuestions.org

What will be the purpose of the walls around the New Jerusalem? | GotQuestions.org

Similes: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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