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Key to Scripture Metaphors
- A. 1. ADDER. Because (1st) it is often deaf, Ps. lviii. 4. (2nd) It is po sonous, Ps. cxi. 3. (3rd) It stings, Prov. xxiii. 32 Note.-It stings our conscience, Rom. ii. 15; and it stings to death, Jas. i. 15; 1 Cor. xv. 56. (4th) It is to be trodden under foot, Ps. xci. 13. Hence Gen. iii. 15; Rom. xvi. 20. 2. ADVOCATE. 1 John ii. 1; because he is a mediator between the judge and the prisoner, 1 Tim. i. 5. 3. ANCHOR. This is made an emblem of hope, because (1st) It fastens itself on something out of sight, Heb. vi. 19; and (2nd) It stays the ship in the storm, Ps. xlii. 5; Rom. viii. 24. 4. ANTS. Used metaphorically of industry, in Prov. vi. 6; of forethought, in Prov. xxx. 25; and of individual responsibility, in Prov. vi. 7, 8. 5. ASHES. Metaphorical of frailty in Gen. xviii. 27; because worthless, and the remains of something better: of humiliation in Esther iv. 1; Isa. lxi. 3: of sin in Isa. xliv. 20, because unsatisfying, and miserable to the taste. 6. AWAKING. Used of repentance in Rom. xiii. 11; Eph. v. 14; and of resurrection in Job. xiv. 12; John xi. 11 Dan, xii. 2.
B. 1. BABES. 1 Pet. ii. 2. (1st) They are free from pride and malice, Mark x. 14, 15. (2nd) They partake of the nature of their father, John iii. 6. (3rd) They grow as they advance in years, 2 Pet. iii. 18. 8. BLINDNESS. 2 Cor. iv. 4; Eph. iv. 18. 9. BULLS, in Ps. xxii. 12, 13; Isa. xxxiv. 7. BEARS, in Prov. xxviii. 15; BOARS, in Ps. lxxx. 13; BEES, in Ps exviii. 12; BIRDS, in Rev. xviii. 2. 10. BEAM, in contrast with Mote, Matt. vii. 3, 4. 11. BRIDEGROOM. Matt. xxv. 5, 6. BISHOP. 1 Pet. 11. 25. BREAD. John vi. 48. 12 BROOKS. Used metaphorically of wisdom in Prov. xviii. 4: of prosperity in Job xx. 17: of consolation in Ps. xlii. 1; cx. 7. 13. BALANCES. Dan. v. 27.
C. 14. CROWN. Used for immortal life in Jas. i. 12; Rev. ii. 10: for eternal glory in 1 Pet. v. 4: and for heavenly purity in 2 Tim. iv. 8. 15. CANDLE. Signifies the soul of man in Prov. xx. 27: the favor of God in Job xxix. 3: and spiritual gifts in Matt v. 15. 16. COVER. (verb). Used for protecting in Ps. xci. 4; and for pardoning in Ps. xxxii. 1. 17 CORD. Is associated with death in Eccles. xii. 6; ruin in Jer. x. 20; strength in Eccles. iv. 12; enlargement in Isa. liv. 2; love in Hos. xi. 4; affliction in Job. xxx. 11, and xxxvi. 8; sin in Prov. v. 32, and Isa. v. 18. 18. CEDAR. It denotes a king, 2 Kings xiv. 9; an empire, Ezek. xxxi. 3; the faithful people of God, Ps. xcii. 12. 19. CHAFF. Used of false doctr...e, Jer. xxiii. 28; and of the destruction of the wicked in Ps. i. 4; Isa. v. 24.
D. 20. Dogs. Ps. xxii. 16; Matt. xv. 26. This metaphor possesses its forces from the contempt in which dogs are held in Fastern towns:- (1) Dogs snarl and gnash with their teeth. So the wicked, Ps. xxxvii. 12. (2) Dogs have to be shut out of doors. So the wicked from heaven, Rev. xxii. 15. (3) Dogs are greedy and dissatisfied. So are the wicked, Isa. lvi. 11. (4) Dogs are foolish, Frov. xxvi. 11 (5) Dogs are to be avoided, Phil. iii. 2. 21. DEW. Ps. cx. 3; Hos. vi. 4. DISTIL. Deut. xxxii. 2
DRAW. Isa. xii. 3. DROWN. 1. Tim. vi. 9. DROP. I's.
lxv. 11; Ezek. xx. 46; Prov. xix. 13. DRINK. Job xv
16. DROUGHT. Isa. lviii. 11. DITCH. Job. ix. 31. DEEP
Ps. xlii. 7; or DEPTHS. Mic. vii. 19. 22. DARKNESS. Used for sorrow in Joel ii. 2; for death in Job X. 21, 22 ; for secrecy in Matt. x. 27 for sin in John i. 5; for hell in Matt. viii. 12; 2 Pet. ii. 4. 23. The word Door is used (1) of Christ, in John x. 9, because he is the only way into heaven for sinners; (2nd)
of faith, in Acts xiv. 27, because faith opened salvation to the Gentiles; 3rd) of opportunity for preaching, in 1 Cor. xvi. 9, Col. iv. 3, because, by the utterance of the mouth, preaching enters into the heart; (4th) of the heart in Rev.
iii. 20, as giving entrance to truth; (5th) of the lips, as sending forth the voice, Ps. cxli. 3; (6th) of heaven,
Matt. xxv. 10; (7th) of sloth, Prov. xxvi. 14. 24. DEN. Applied to Jerusalem in Jer. ix. 11; and to the
Temple in Matt. xxi. 13.
E. 25. END. Prov. xxiii. 18, and 1 Pet. i. 9. 26. EYE-SALVE. Rev. iii. 18.
F. 27. FOUNDATION. Isa. xxviii. 16; 1 Cor. iii. 11. FOUNTAIN. Zech. xiii. 1. FORERUNNER. Heb. vi. 20. FIRSTFRUITS. 1 Cor. xv. 20. 28. FLOWER. Job. xiv. 2. 29. FOWLER. Prov. vi. 5. 30. FAN. Jer. xv. 7, and Matt. iii. 12. 31. Fox. Used of false prophets, Ezek. xiii. 4; of a wicked ruler, Luke xiii. 32.
G. 82. GREY HAIRS. Hosea vii. 9 GOLD TARNISHED. Lam. iv 1. GRASS WITHERED. 2 Kings xix. 26.
CURIOSITIES OF THE BIBL.Ε. 33. GRASSHOPPERS. Judges vi. 5. 34. GOATS. Matt. xxv. 32. GRASS. Ps. xcii. 7; xxxvii. 2. 35. GIRDLE. Eph. vi. 14. It is meant to show that we are held up when weak by the power of truth. (Isa. xxii. 21.) 36 HOUSE. The grave, Job XXX. 23. The body, Job iv. 19, 2 Cor. V. 1. The church, 1 Tim. iii. 15. Heaven, John xiv. 2. iii. 15. IHeaven, John 37. HAMMER. Jer. xxiii. 29. HONEY. Ps. cxix. 103. 38. HEN GATHERING HER CHICKENS UNDER HER WINGS.