---

As an English Literature major in college, I have always been interested in literary devices. Symbolism, hyperbole, allegory, imagery, metaphor, analogy, and simile are some common literary devices, and we can add parable to the list.

Jesus often spoke in parables, but he also used other literary devices. The statement that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God is both figurative and hyperbole.

According to the Oxford Dictionary online, “figurative” means “departing from a literal use of words; metaphorical.” Many literary devices are figurative, including all the ones I listed in the opening paragraph. Literary devices make our communication more interesting, and they communicate truth in a way that is more nuanced, robust, and multi-dimensional than literal statements.

Jesus often used literary devices to convey nuanced, spiritual meaning. For instance, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encouraged a more nuanced (spiritual) understanding of sin when he said:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ [Literal] But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” [Figurative]

Matthew 5:27-28

In fact, Jesus used figurative language often. To some people, he spoke only figuratively! (Matthew 13:34) (in parables) He even spoke figuratively to his disciples, and he seems to express frustration when they didn’t get it:

“When the disciples went to the other side, they forgot to take bread. ‘Watch out,’ Jesus said to them, ‘beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ So they began to discuss this among themselves, saying, ‘It is because we brought no bread. When Jesus learned of this, he said, ”You who have such little faith! Why are you arguing among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you took up? How could you not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!’ Then they understood that he had not told them to be on guard against the yeast in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” [emphasis added]

Matthew‬ ‭16:5‭-‬12‬ ‭NET‬

The “yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees” is a figurative statement. Jesus wasn’t talking about bread (literally). When the disciples didn’t get what he was talking about, Jesus told them literally not to take him literally! He also seems to suggest that seeing the figurative meaning is a matter of faith. (Not the other way around.)

Jesus was talking figuratively about the influence of the Pharisees and Sadducees in the community, their thinking, their teaching, their attitudes, their assumptions, their hypocrisy, and…. Truth be told, I am not exactly sure exactly what all he meant by their “yeast”.

That’s the thing with figurative speech. It isn’t as precise. It doesn’t carry with it a detailed explanation. Figurative speech can be more profound than more literal speech, and it can carry fuller and deeper meaning. Often, however, it requires explanation for us to understand it, and we don’t always get all the explanation we want.

Jesus provides some explanation to the disciples in this case (telling them that he wasn’t making a point about bread at all), but he doesn’t really explain exactly when he meant by their “yeast”. What is it about the Pharisees and Sadducees that Jesus was talking about? He doesn’t really say!

People we often call “fundamentalists” have developed the idea that we do not take the Bible seriously if we do not take it literally. The ministry of Jesus is replete with examples that run completely counter to that idea, but it’s easy to understand why people might want to read the Bible literally. It’s easier! We don’t have to wonder what is meant if we simply take it literally, but we clearly run the risk of missing the whole point if we insist on reading everything literally.

Biblical passages often display levels of meaning that are both literal and figurative. If you spend any time with Hebrew words, you see that many, if not most, Hebrew words have both literal and figurative meanings.

The Hebrew lexicon of words is quite limited compared to other languages, so Hebrew words tend to have a multiplicity of meanings. Sometimes, Hebrew words have multiple literal and figurative meanings.

This requires the reader to be discerning, which includes reading everything in context, to determine when the intended meaning is the literal one or the figurative one. (We should not only be mindful of the immediate context; we should consider the larger context as well, including the sweep of the whole biblical narrative.)

Sometimes, we cannot definitively determine whether the literal meaning or the figurative one is the best reading. Sometimes it seems evident that the words are meant to be taken both ways, providing layers of understanding. Sometimes, the figurative meaning is clearly meant to be the primary one, as in the yeast example.

I find it interesting, in light of modern views on reading the Bible, though, that Jesus literally told his disciples (at least once) to not take him literally. It seems obvious to us that Jesus wasn’t talking about bread when he spoke of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but it wasn’t obvious to them. How often might we miss an “obvious” figurative meaning when we are focused on a literal meaning?