BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

“Hey, Turtledove!”

How metaphors, similes, and nicknames make the Bible sparkle

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.

Biblical writers in both testaments are known for their excellent writing, vibrant verbs, limited descriptions, and—above all!—brevity. 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?

As a biblical scholar dealing daily with the Bible’s 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.

In particular, as I discuss here, they deftly use a variety of literary tools—including similes (introduced by “as” and “like”), metaphors, and the pronoun “who”—to add color, character, and meaning to the biblical story. Here are some examples:

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

Metaphors for the Lord

David, a singularly gifted character, was songster, giant killer, leader of men, and wooer of women. As a military hero, David acknowledged the Lord’s presence during multiple life-and-death skirmishes with the Philistines and Saul’s forces.

In Psalm 18, David praises the Lord by renaming him. Note the repetition of “rock” and “shield.” David seems to write of a specific battle in which rocks offered cover; one easily hears the clash of shields and smells the fighters’ sweat in his song. Although his metaphors are highly personalized—my stronghold and my refuge—verse 30 enlarges the psalm to include all readers and hearers.

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 and towebah, quickly dismiss the three as “abominations,” something unclean and detestable. In this case, a metaphor serves as a nickname and reveals something of the deity’s character.

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Naming the Holy City

Sometimes, the biblical text seems to encourage a guessing game via diction. Deuteronomy 12 talks about “the place the Lord your God will choose to put his name.” That’s a long-winded definition, yet the chapter mentions it six—yes, six!—times (vv. 5, 11, 14, 18, 21, 26).

In this case, the guessing game also involved a long wait. Suspense mounted until centuries later when the place was revealed as Jerusalem. Actually, Jerusalem’s forerunner, Jebus, already existed. David conquered it and made it his capital; it became known as “the city of David” (2 Samuel 5:7); similarly in the New Testament, Bethlehem became known as “the city of David (Luke 2:11).

Many poetic endearments hallmark Jerusalem. Metaphors of love, honor, and location in Psalm 48, for example, convey the city’s uniqueness:

Poetic Prophets

Metaphors, nicknames, and renamings adorn Isaiah 62:2–4; its magnificent poetry highlights changes and speaks of coming glory. The prophecy to Zion broadly reflects a nation, city, people, and/or person. Brilliant metaphors bridge current predicament and upcoming glory. But first comes a new name.

The nations will see your righteousness and all kings your glory; You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow; You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married.

This text shows something to watch in both testaments: A new name indicates a new era, a new assignment, and one season’s end.

Loaded Names

I laughed repeatedly as I noticed the importance of names as literary tools. One was learning that the name of a family, bene parosh, literally means “sons of the flea” (Ezra 2:3). Although this may sound strange to modern ears, individual Israelites were often named for insects and animals. After all, people are “sheep” and a congregation is a “flock” (Psalms 100:3; 74:1). The name of the great judge Deborah means “bee,” and that of the prophetess Huldah means “weasel.” Some scholars see a connection between bene parosh and Caleb, the name of the faithful spy, which means “dog”; both names denote faithful fighters.ⁱⁱ

A new name may serve as an advance warning. It can expose destructive behaviors that may harm others. Take, for example, Cushan-Rishathaim (Judges 3:8), the name of an overlord who was already in the land when the Israelites arrived. The second part of his name, Rishathaim, likely means “doubly wicked.”

Since it can be reasonably assumed that no mother would call her newborn son “doubly wicked,” he must have earned it! Arguably, that indicates his actions and words made him quintessentially evil. His name leads one to imagine the horror he brought his subjects and the gratitude the Israelites felt at his death. Judges 3:10 gives the context: “The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram, into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.”

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Self-Description

The Lord set the tone for self-disclosure by describing himself to Moses as “compassionate” and “gracious” (Exodus 34:6), two adjectives broadly lending themselves to nicknames.

David, evidently writing in a time of deep humiliation, described himself thusly: “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people” (Psalm 22:6).

However, the Lord, through the prophet Isaiah, uses the same description but in a hope-filled way and then further defines himself: “Do not be afraid, you worm, Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you, declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 41:14).

Nicknames, a common but under-recognized literary tool, show familiarity in a relationship. Job called the Lord, “Watcher of Men” (Job 7:20). The Lord later countered by calling Job “a faultfinder” and asking if he would “contend with the Almighty” (Job 40:2).

Love in the Song of Songs

The language of love involves ongoing creativity. Song of Songs, perhaps the best-known love story in the Bible, excels in verbal praises and descriptions; it expresses the intensity of passion. The young man and young woman, the book’s principle speakers, chronicle love’s erotic, emotional, fun, explorative, appreciative (and many more!) phases. The two seem to try to outdo the other in superlatives. They know they play a game that each enjoys and each wins.

Nod and smile at these examples. The Lover is the young man, and the Beloved is the young woman.

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The “Best” Names

The English language has tools for forming superlatives; one is good, better, best.

In Hebrew, one way to express the superlative is simply to use words or phrases that convey, by definition, something that is of the highest standard or quality. Metaphors often follow that form. Some examples are “special treasure,” “apple of his eye,” and “turtledove.”

The first two indicate endearments for Israel. The third gives the psalmist a chance to identify himself personally as the beloved of the Lord.

Robin Gallaher Branch serves as an adjunct professor at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee. She holds a research appointment at North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa, where she served as a Fulbright scholar in 2002–2003.

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Notes

i Several English translations of the Bible were used for this article.

ii S.D. Goitein, “Nicknames as Family Names,” Journal of the American Oriental Society 90.4 (1970), p. 517.

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