{"id":91351,"date":"2025-07-23T06:45:31","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T10:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/?p=91351"},"modified":"2025-07-23T08:40:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T12:40:45","slug":"hey-turtledove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/biblical-topics\/bible-interpretation\/hey-turtledove\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cHey, Turtledove!\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>

Found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Great Isaiah Scroll is the oldest complete copy of the Book of Isaiah from the Hebrew Bible.Credit: Israel Museum, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Biblical writers in both testaments are known for their excellent writing, vibrant verbs, limited descriptions, and\u2014above all!\u2014brevity. Instead of lengthy explanations, they control the narrative by seeming to weigh every word: Does it contribute to the theme of both chapter and book?<\/p>\n

As a biblical scholar dealing daily with the Bible\u2019s terseness, I sometimes wryly wonder if the writers kept one eye on the price of papyrus and parchment! Yet the more I study, the more I applaud the authors for the creative, succinct ways they hook our hearts and engage our imaginations.<\/p>\n

In particular, as I discuss here, they deftly use a variety of literary tools\u2014including similes (introduced by \u201cas\u201d and \u201clike\u201d), metaphors, and the pronoun \u201cwho\u201d\u2014to add color, character, and meaning to the biblical story. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n

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Simile: As a north wind brings rain<\/em>, so a sly tongue brings angry looks (Proverbs 25:23).<\/p>\n

Simile: The heavens will wear out like a garment<\/em> (Psalm 102:26).<\/p>\n

Metaphor: You, Lord, are a shield around me<\/em> (Psalm 3:3).<\/p>\n

Who: O You who hear prayer<\/em> (Psalm 65:2).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

These and other tools figure prominently in both biblical narration and poetry. They guide interpretation and paint nuances. I marvel at the palette they present.i<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Metaphors for the Lord<\/h4>\n

David, a singularly gifted character, was songster, giant killer, leader of men, and wooer of women. As a military hero, David acknowledged the Lord\u2019s presence during multiple life-and-death skirmishes with the Philistines and Saul\u2019s forces.<\/p>\n

In Psalm 18, David praises the Lord by renaming him. Note the repetition of \u201crock\u201d and \u201cshield.\u201d David seems to write of a specific battle in which rocks offered cover; one easily hears the clash of shields and smells the fighters\u2019 sweat in his song. Although his metaphors are highly personalized\u2014my stronghold<\/em> and my refuge<\/em>\u2014verse 30 enlarges the psalm to include all readers and hearers.<\/p>\n

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Verse 1: I love you, O Lord, my strength.<\/em><\/p>\n

Verse 2: The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer<\/em>. My God is my rock in whom I take refuge<\/em>. He is my shield<\/em>, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Verse 30: He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Not surprisingly, the Bible accords other gods no such praise! For example, the writer of 2 Kings 23:13 succinctly conveys contempt for the respective gods of the Ammonites (Milcom), Moabites (Chemosh), and Sidonians (Ashtoreth). Two words, shiqquwts<\/em> and towebah<\/em>, quickly dismiss the three as \u201cabominations,\u201d something unclean and detestable. In this case, a metaphor serves as a nickname and reveals something of the deity\u2019s character.<\/p>\n

Ashtoreth: The abomination<\/em> (shiqquwts<\/em>) of the SidoniansChemosh: The abomination<\/em> (shiqquwts<\/em>) of the Moabites<\/p>\n

Milcom: The abomination<\/em> (towebah<\/em>) of the people of Ammon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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