“He Spake Many Things,
Unto Them in Parables”

Isaiah Used Simple Words as Metaphors: He is reaching those who can see, those who can hear, and those who perceive. "Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." (Isaiah 6:10) Please note the chiasmus: heart, ears, eyes, then eyes, ears, heart. The center point being eyes; Isaiah is giving us an "insight."

Message Within a Message: The most significant message in the parable of the sower is in verse twelve. It is the center of a chiastic image. It is a message of the Gift of the Holy Ghost. The parable uses the wayside, stony place, and the thorns as image points. Then in reverse, consider that the heart was not pricked, the ears were not unplugged (as if stones were in their ears), and their hearts couldn’t understand the way. The inspired translation of that verse makes the lesson of using the gift of the Holy Ghost easier to understand. "For whosoever receiveth to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance; but whosoever continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken even that he hath" (JST Matthew 13:12)

Nature Used in Teaching: "The laws of ritual purity and impurity, the parables taken from nature and the accounts of God's providence over His creatures all involve biology." "The first connection between birds and Judaism is found in the Bible where there are numerous descriptions, parables and allegories taken from bird life, as well as laws concerning their ritual fitness as food. To the 37 birds mentioned in the Bible, the Talmud adds many more discussing in particular, what features make a bird "unclean," and therefore not kosher." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Teaching wit Stories: "When the Gaon of Vilna, the great rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman fell ill and was too weak to study, he asked the Dubno maggid to visit him and read him his stories, parables and biblical interpretations. Once the maggid was asked, "How is it that for every moral lesson you have a beautiful story to teach it with?" The maggid smiled. "To answer that I can tell another story. I was once walking in the woods and saw a boy shooting arrows at targets. There were targets on every tree and each one had an arrow dead center. 'How expert you are!' I said. 'How did you manage so many exactly at the bull's-eye?' 'It's easy,' the boy answered. 'First I shoot the arrow and then I draw the target around it.' I do the same," said the maggid." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Parables fro Comparison: "Parables (are) a story often used in the Bible or rabbinic literature to convey a message by means of comparison. The story helps to capture the attention of the listener and its familiar format provides a simple way of illustrating the point." "The mashal (as the parable is known in Hebrew) takes on many forms in Jewish literature. It can, for example, be an animal tale like Aesop's fables. Thus Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah dissuaded the Jews from revolting against the Romans by telling them the parable of the crane which extracted a thorn from the throat of a lion. When the crane asked for its reward, it was told that it had been sufficiently rewarded in not being eaten when thrust between the lion's jaws. Similarly, the Jews should feel lucky that they had not been annihilated by the Romans." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Connection to Daily Life: "One of the most frequent motifs in Jewish parables is the "king" who usually symbolizes God. Plants, fruits and natural phenomena are also common subjects for these stories. Many parables are taken from daily life and are a rich source of social history." "The rabbis not only used the parable extensively, they also emphasized its great value in understanding the spirit of the Torah. Though the stories in parables are often simplistic and childish, the Midrash warns against ignoring them, "Let not the parable be lightly esteemed in thine eyes, since by its means one can master the whole Torah." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Parables to Explain Mysticism: "Another type of aggadah, also often disguised in simple form, was in reality a mystical message. Since mysticism does not lend itself well to exact expression, the rabbis would use a parable or an allegory to make themselves understood." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Parables vs. Plainness: "The principle involved which necessitates the policy of teaching by parables is found in Amulek's statement: "It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him." (Alma 12:9.) The difference in receptiveness to the truth of the Jews, among whom our Lord ministered in mortality, and the Nephites, to whom he went after his resurrection, is nowhere better shown than in the fact that he gave at least 40 parables to the Jews, but he taught the Nephites, not in parables, but in plainness." (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine , Page 553)

Human Metaphors: Very often the acts of God are referred to figuratively using terms such as "the hand of God." Such metaphors are examples of how the Bible speaks in the language of man in order to help us understand concepts which would otherwise be beyond our grasp. Thus a metaphor like "The hand of God" may be used to represent strength and protection such as in the verse, "Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy" (Exodus 15:6). At the same time, the image of God's hands has been used to show benevolence and loving-kindness, as in the verse, "You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor" (Psalms 145)." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Animal Metaphors: "Animal metaphors are frequently used in the Bible. For example, the Almighty "is for them like the horns of the wild ox; they shall devour enemy nations . . . ; they crouch, they lie down like the lion" (Numbers 24:8--9). In the Book of Proverbs, the references to animals serve mostly to teach good behavior: "Go to the ant; thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise" (Proverbs 6:6-8)." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Seeing, Hearing and Feeling: In our education, entertainment, and communication we use mediums that enhance sight, sound, and motion. Got the picture? Sound all right to you? Get the drift?