Like an Everflowing Spring: Symbol and Metaphor from the Natural World
This chapter on symbol and metaphor in the Bible looks at the Bible through the lens of nature. The Bible and later rabbinic literature often use animals, plants and other elements from nature as symbols. Understanding these passages is challenging because we may not be familiar with the exact animal or plant. And even when we are sure of the meaning of the Hebrew term, it is still difficult to interpret the comparison of a person or an idea to a lion or to a palm tree. The following ten essays examine a variety of examples from the natural world to explore the Hebrew terms and what meanings they might have as metaphor. An appreciation of nature can help us understand these biblical texts.