Literal vs Figurative Language in the Bible
Quick Summary
The Bible uses both literal and figurative language to communicate truth. Some passages describe historical events and concrete actions, while others rely on metaphor, poetry, parable, and symbolism. Understanding the difference is not about choosing one approach over the other, but about reading each passage according to its literary form, context, and purpose.
Introduction
Few questions surface more often in Bible study than this one: Is the Bible meant to be read literally, or figuratively? The question itself reveals a modern assumption that truth must come in only one form. Scripture does not share that assumption. From its opening lines to its final visions, the Bible communicates through story, law, poetry, prophecy, wisdom sayings, letters, and apocalyptic imagery.
The Bible speaks truthfully, but not always in the same way. Some texts report events. Others evoke meaning. Still others do both at once. Learning to discern when language is literal and when it is figurative is not a threat to faith. It is part of faithful reading.
What Do “Literal” and “Figurative” Mean in Biblical Interpretation
Literal language refers to words that describe events, objects, or actions in a straightforward way. When Scripture says a king ruled for forty years, a city fell, or a journey took place, it intends to communicate something that happened in space and time.
Figurative language, by contrast, uses images, symbols, and comparisons to express meaning that goes beyond surface description. Metaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification, and symbolism are all common biblical tools. Figurative language is not less true. It is differently true.
The key principle is this: literal reading means reading a text according to its genre and intent. A poem read literally as poetry is still a literal reading. Problems arise when figurative texts are forced into prose expectations or when historical narratives are flattened into symbols alone. (Augustine; Vanhoozer)
Narrative: When the Bible Speaks Historically
Large portions of Scripture are narrative. Genesis recounts ancestral stories. Exodus tells of liberation. Kings and Chronicles track royal history. The Gospels narrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Acts follows the early church.
These texts are anchored in people, places, and events. They name rulers, cities, journeys, and conflicts. The intention is historical memory shaped by theological reflection. The Bible does not present these stories as parables or myths, but as accounts rooted in Israel’s and the church’s lived experience.
This does not mean the narratives are modern journalism. Ancient historiography allowed for selective detail, thematic shaping, and theological emphasis. Still, narrative texts expect to be read as referring to real events, even when those events are interpreted through faith. (Longman; Wright)
Poetry: When Language Carries Meaning Through Image
Poetry fills the Bible. Psalms, much of the Prophets, Job, Song of Songs, and poetic sections scattered throughout Scripture rely heavily on figurative speech. Poetry compresses meaning. It invites reflection rather than explanation.
When the psalmist says God is a rock, no reader imagines granite. When mountains clap their hands, no one expects geology to applaud. The truth lies in what the image communicates: stability, joy, praise, refuge.
Reading biblical poetry literally means honoring its imagery. Treating poetry as prose drains it of its power. The Bible assumes its readers understand how language works. It expects imagination as well as reason. (Alter; Berlin)
Prophetic Language: Symbol, Sign, and Shock
The prophets regularly use figurative language to provoke attention. They speak of stars falling, valleys lifted, animals acting like nations, and bodies behaving in impossible ways. These images are not predictions of cosmic physics but theological speech aimed at moral and spiritual awakening.
Prophets also perform symbolic actions. Ezekiel lies on his side. Jeremiah wears a yoke. Hosea’s marriage becomes a living metaphor. These actions blur the line between literal and figurative because they are literal acts with symbolic meaning.
To read prophecy well is to ask what the image is doing. Prophetic language seeks repentance, hope, and faithfulness. It resists flat readings that miss its urgency and depth. (Brueggemann; Heschel)
Jesus’ Teaching: Parable and Hyperbole
Jesus frequently teaches through parables. These short stories do not function as allegories with one-to-one meanings for every detail. They invite listeners into reflection and decision. The truth emerges through engagement, not explanation.
Jesus also uses exaggeration. He speaks of camels and needles, logs and splinters, hating family, and plucking out eyes. These statements are not commands to self-harm or family rejection. They are rhetorical devices meant to shock listeners into clarity.
Taking Jesus seriously does not require taking every word at face value. It requires understanding how he uses language to expose priorities and call for transformation. (Snodgrass; Keener)
Apocalyptic Imagery: When Symbols Carry Ultimate Meaning
Apocalyptic literature, especially in Daniel and Revelation, relies almost entirely on symbolic language. Beasts represent empires. Numbers convey completeness or intensity. Images layer meaning upon meaning.
These texts emerge in times of persecution and crisis. Their purpose is not to offer a coded calendar of future events, but to proclaim that God remains sovereign despite appearances. Literalizing apocalyptic imagery often leads to confusion and fear rather than hope.
Reading apocalyptic literature faithfully means resisting the urge to decode everything while listening carefully to the message of endurance, justice, and divine faithfulness. (Collins; Bauckham)
How Genre Guides Interpretation
One of the most important tools for interpreting Scripture is genre awareness. The Bible is not one book written in one style. It is a library of texts shaped across centuries.
Questions to ask include: Is this poetry or narrative? Is it wisdom or prophecy? Is it instruction or vision? Genre does not weaken authority. It clarifies meaning.
When readers ignore genre, confusion follows. Poetry is mistaken for science. Parable is mistaken for policy. Symbol is mistaken for statistic. Genre acts as a guide, not a barrier, to understanding. (Fee and Stuart)
Faithfulness and Flexibility in Reading Scripture
Some readers worry that acknowledging figurative language undermines biblical truth. Historically, the opposite has been true. Jewish and Christian interpreters have long recognized layers of meaning in Scripture.
The Bible itself models this flexibility. New Testament writers interpret Old Testament texts figuratively, typologically, and theologically. They see Christ foreshadowed in stories, rituals, and images that were not originally explicit predictions.
Faithfulness to Scripture involves attentiveness, humility, and patience. It resists rigid formulas and listens for what the text is actually saying. (Origen; Calvin)
FAQs
Does reading the Bible figuratively mean it is not true?
No. Figurative language communicates truth through image rather than description. Poetry, metaphor, and symbol can express realities that literal language cannot fully capture.
How can readers tell when a passage is literal or figurative?
Context, genre, and purpose provide guidance. Poetry signals itself differently than narrative. Parables are framed as stories. Paying attention to how a text functions helps clarify how it should be read.
Did Jesus expect his teachings to be taken literally?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Jesus used stories, exaggeration, and metaphor intentionally. His goal was not surface compliance but transformed understanding.
Why does the Bible use figurative language so often?
Figurative language engages imagination, emotion, and memory. It allows Scripture to speak across cultures and generations without being confined to technical language.
Works Consulted
Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Poetry. Basic Books.
Augustine. On Christian Doctrine.
Bauckham, Richard. The Theology of the Book of Revelation. Cambridge University Press.
Berlin, Adele. The Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism. Indiana University Press.
Brueggemann, Walter. The Prophetic Imagination. Fortress Press.
Collins, John J. The Apocalyptic Imagination. Eerdmans.
Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. Zondervan.
Heschel, Abraham Joshua. The Prophets. Harper & Row.
Keener, Craig S. The Historical Jesus of the Gospels. Eerdmans.
Longman, Tremper III. Literary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation. Zondervan.
Snodgrass, Klyne. Stories with Intent. Eerdmans.
Vanhoozer, Kevin J. Is There a Meaning in This Text? Zondervan.
