PARABLE/PROVERB: mashal, verb (Strong’s 4911); mashal, masculine noun (Strong’s 4912); m’shol, masculine noun (Strong’s 4914). Root: ?????? Sounds like: m’SHAL (rhymes with hall) According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a PARABLE is a short, simple story that teaches or explains...

PARABLE/PROVERB: mashal, verb (Strong’s 4911); mashal, masculine noun (Strong’s 4912); m’shol, masculine noun (Strong’s 4914).

Root: ??????

Sounds like: m’SHAL (rhymes with hall)

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a PARABLE is a short, simple story that teaches or explains an idea, especially a moral or religious idea. 

According to the same dictionary, a PROVERB is a short statement, usually known by many people for a long time, that gives advice or expresses some common truth.

The Hebrew word mashal was used to describe both parable and proverb.

The first thing that probably comes to mind is probably the Book of Proverbs, which lists many Biblical advice/truth statements. Proverbs 1:1 starts off with these words: The Proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.

The Hebrew phrase for “Proverbs of Solomon” is this: Mish’ley Shlomo: ????????? ????????? It’s interesting to note that the Hebrew word for proverb and the Hebrew name of Solomon both share the same three root letters (shin, lamed, mem). You mix up the letters of Solomon and you get the word proverb (mem, shin, lamed). 

At the end of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was called “the Preacher” and his mission was outlined:

Ecclesiastes 12:9-10

In addition to being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs [m’shalim]. The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.

We are told that Solomon was associated with three thousand proverbs (1 Kings 4:32), making him very successful in his bid to arrange and write proverbs correctly and eloquently. But the Book of Proverbs was not the only place to find a proverb in the Bible. Other common phrases (proverbs) used in the Biblical Age are peppered throughout the scrolls. For example, here’s one that’s still used today:

“Like mother, like daughter”

Ezekiel 16:44-47

“Behold, everyone who quotes the proverbs [ha-moshel] will quote this proverb [yi-m’shol] about you, saying, ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. You are also the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. Yet you have not merely walked in their ways and committed their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you also acted more corruptly in all your conduct than they.”

Israel was a daughter to a mother who hated her husband and children. And Israel was  worse than their sisters… they abandoned YHWH and elevated hate above love.

Here’s another proverb that was considered, at the time, to be “of the ancients”…

“Out of wickedness comes wickedness.”

1 Samuel 24:12-15

[David to Saul:] “May YHWH judge between you and me, and may YHWH take vengeance on you for me; but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb [m’shal ???????] of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel gone out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea? May YHWH therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and save me from your hand.”

David refused to fulfil this proverb. He wouldn’t repay Saul’s wickedness by retaliating with wickedness.

Here’s a proverb that became popular from the time of Saul, after he had a prophetic experience:

“Is Saul also among the prophets?”

1 Samuel 10:10-13

When they came there to the hill, behold, a group of prophets met him [Saul]; and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, so that he prophesied among them. And it came about, when all who previously knew him saw that he was indeed prophesying with the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” And a man from there responded and said, “And who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb [l-mashal ?????????]: “Is Saul also among the prophets?” 

We’re not really told how this proverb was used, but I wonder if this became one of those statements to answer an absolute truth. 

Friend 1: “Do you like chocolate?” Friend 2: “Is the sky blue?!” OR, if you’re an ancient Israelite, “Is Saul also among the prophets?!” (in other words, “of course I like chocolate!”)

Sadly we can’t jump into the mind of an ancient Israelite to know for sure, but it’s fun to guess.

Here’s a Biblical proverb that YHWH wanted to eliminate:

The fathers eat sour grapes, but it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt.

Ezekiel 18:1-4

Then the word of YHWH came to me, saying, “What do you people mean by using this proverb [more literally, proverbing this proverb: mosh’lim et ha-mashal ??????????? ??????????????] about the land of Israel, saying,

‘The fathers eat sour grapes, but it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt’?

As I live,” declares the Lord YHWH, “you certainly are not going to use this proverb [ha-mashal ??????????] in Israel anymore. Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.”

This is sometimes translated as “the children’s teeth are set on edge”. It’s the idea that the sins of the fathers are heaped upon their children and the children pay for their ancestor’s sins. YHWH disagreed with this statement. One person’s actions would not condemn their descendants. Each soul was, and is, unique to YHWH and they would bear responsibility for their own actions. Every soul will be judged by God independently and loved by God independently.

Here’s another common proverb that God wanted to put an end to:

“The days are long, and every vision fails”

Ezekiel 12:21-25

Then the word of YHWH to me, saying, “Son of man, what is this proverb [ha-mashal] you people have about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are long, and every vision fails’? Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord  says: YHWH “I will put an end to this proverb [et ha-mashal ??????????????] so that they will no longer use it as a proverb [w-lo yi-m’sh’lu ??????????????????] in Israel.” But tell them, “The days are approaching as well as the fulfillment of every vision. For there will no longer be any false vision or deceptive divination within the house of Israel. For I YHWH will speak whatever word I speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in your days, you rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it,” declares the Lord YHWH.’”

There were many false prophets in the day, but there were some prophets whose words rang true and whose visions would come to fruition. YHWH would speak through His prophets and every word would be fulfilled, and this proverb of long days and failed visions would come to an end.

Israel a Proverb of Mockery & Scorn

However, Israel turned away from YHWH. There were false prophets and twisted politicians. They turned and worshipped idols produced by their pagan neighbours. As a result they found themselves under the controlling power of their enemies and their actions dictated their fate. They would become simple examples of moral failure and that failure would become a common truth. They were the face of failure, so that when they were seen everyone would remember what failure looks like. To become one of these gloomy proverbs was a terrible weight to carry.

Deuteronomy 28:37

“And you will become a horror, a proverb [l’mashal ?????????], and a taunt among all the peoples where YHWH drives you.”

1 Kings 9:7b

“So Israel will become a proverb [l-mashal ?????????] and an object of derision (mockery) among all peoples.”

Here’s what YHWH had to say:

2 Chronicles 7:19-20

[YHWH:] “But if you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight; and I will make it a proverb [l-mashal ?????????] and an object of scorn among all peoples.”

Jeremiah 24:9

[YHWH:] “I will make them an object of terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth, as a disgrace and a proverb [u-l-mashal ???????????], a taunt and a curse in all the places where I will scatter them.”

The Sons of Korah cried out to YHWH. They hated being a proverb of despair:

Psalm 44:13-14, 26

[Sons of Korah:] You make us an object of reproach to our neighbours, of scoffing and ridicule to those around us. You make us a proverb [mashal ???????] among the nations, a laughing-stock among the peoples…

…Rise up, be our help, and redeem us because of Your mercy.

Fortunately, being a proverb of derision was not a no-way-out deal. The fix was simple: repent and turn back to YHWH was all that was required:

Ezekiel 14:6-8

[YHWH:] “Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who reside in Israel, who deserts Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet to request something of Me for himself, I YHWH will let Myself answer him Myself. I will set My face against that person and make him a sign and a proverb [w-li-m’shalim ??????????????], and I will eliminate him from among My people. So you will know that I am YHWH.”

I have become a Proverb

Being a proverb of derision wasn’t just a title for the nation of Israel to bear alone. Sometimes individuals carried a gloomy proverb over their heads. Being a proverb of dust and ashes or a proverb of the pit of death represented an individual’s march to the grave.

Job suffered terribly in life and Job’s friends assumed that his suffering was the result of his own sinfulness, but they were wrong. Job was innocent.  Here’s what Job had to say about the glib sayings of his ‘so-called’ friends.:

Job 13:12

[Job to his friends:] “Your memorable sayings are proverbs [mish’ley ????????] of ashes, your defenses are defenses of clay.”

Even though there was no validity in the friend’s statements, the attacks on Job’s character weighed him down. He knew he was right in his innocence, so he started to wonder if God was perhaps a cold, cruel, persecutor.

Job 30:19-21

“He [God] has thrown me into the mire, and I have become a proverb [wa-et-mashel ???????????????] like dust and ashes. I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me. You have become cruel to me; with the strength of Your hand You persecute me.”

Job was overwhelmed and he couldn’t see that his persecution was not God’s doing. He was being tested by God’s Adversary and YHWH had faith in Job, that he would stay committed to God and continue to worship him, regardless of his suffering. THis was a test, and Job wavered in his faith (understandably).

This was the great hope, that even though we suffer, God would save and redeem us.

David understood the battle between good and evil, life and death. His greatest desire was to reunite with God. He did not want to become like a proverb of those who fall from grace and sink into the pit of death:

Psalm 143:7 (see also Psalm 28:1)

[David:] Answer me quickly, YHWH, my spirit fails; do not hide Your face from me, or I will become a proverb [w-ni-m’shal’ti ?????????????????] like those who go down to the pit.

Without God we will fall down into death, but with God we will rise up!

The Parables of Ezekiel

Ezekiel used parables more than any other prophet in his writings. He even laments that the people complain of his use of this format:

Ezekiel 20:49

Then I said, “Oh, Lord YHWH! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking in parables [m’shalim ??????????]?’”

Here are some of the parables found in Ezekiel:

Let’s take a look at the Eagle and Vine parable:

Ezekiel 17:1-10

Now the word of YHWH came to me, saying, “Son of man, ask a riddle and present (parable) a parable [u-m’shol mashal ????????? ???????] to the house of Israel, saying, ‘This is what the Lord YHWH says,

“A great eagle with great wings, long pinions, and a full plumage of many colours came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders. He also took from the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil, a meadow beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow. Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced shoots and sent out branches.

But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine turned its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was planted, so that he might water it. It was planted in good soil beside abundant waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, and become a splendid vine.”’ Say, ‘This is what the Lord YHWH says: “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting shoots wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?”’”

YHWH then went on to explain the full meaning of the Proverb:

Ezekiel 17:11-16

Moreover, the word of YHWH came to me, saying, “Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Say, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and leaders, and brought them to him in Babylon. Then he took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land, so that the kingdom would be humbled, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant so that it might continue. 

But he revolted against him [the king of Babylon] by sending his messengers to Egypt so that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does these things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape? As I live,’ declares the Lord YHWH, ‘In the country of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in Babylon he shall certainly die.”

After Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians, Zedekiah was placed as a vassal king, under the control of Babylon. Babylon protected (watered) Jerusalem as long as Zedekiah remained humbled and loyal to Babylon. But Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon and just as the parable revealed, he died in Babylon because of his rebellion. Zedekiah was like the eagle who pulled up the roots and cut off the fruit of the tree that fed him and he would suffer fatally because of his actions.

Jesus and the Parables

Yeshua (Jesus) is, of course, well known for his storytelling. He recited over 40 different parables in the synoptic Gospel accounts. Here are some of His more famous ones:

Let’s take a look at the Parable of the Sower:

Matthew 13:3-9 (see also Mark 4:3–20, Luke 8:5–15)

And He [Jesus] told them many things in parables [Greek: parabolais], saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much. The one who has ears, let him hear.”

This parable compared faithful followers to well established seeds in good soil. The  fair-weather followers who had shallow roots, or who were choked out by weeds in their lives, would wither and fade away.

This particular parable was fairly direct and easy to interpret (not all were so apparent), and it caused the disciples to question Yeshua’s use of the parable format in His teaching: 

Matthew 13:10-17 

And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables [Greek: en parabolais]?” 

And Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables [Greek: en parabolais]; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

‘You shall keep on listening, but shall not understand; and you shall keep looking but shall not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and return, and I would heal them.’ 

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

If we’re going to be disciples of Yeshua we need to really listen and strive to learn. We need to tackle the riddles and pray for understanding. Let’s not have closed ears, blind eyes, and dull hearts… and if we do, let’s pray for the healing of those things… because He promises He will heal, for those who turn to Him.

Parables are wonderful learning tools. We grasp higher concepts through storytelling. Stories are also easier to remember than facts and figures. It’s why parents tell life stories to their children, of the mistakes they made and the successes they accomplished. The poet Asaph wanted his readers to share the praises of YHWH to the generations to come by the use of parables and riddles:

Psalm 78:1-7a

Listen, my people, to my instruction; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable [v-mashal ?????????]; I will tell riddles of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not conceal them from their children, but we will tell the generation to come the praises of YHWH, and His power and His wondrous works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they were to teach them to their children, so that the generation to come would know, the children yet to be born, that they would arise and tell them to their children, so that they would put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God…

We all have a story to tell. Proverbs and parables guide us and give meaning to our own lives. I hope that YHWH is part of your life story. I hope He is the most important part of  your life story! Let your parable, as one of God’s image bearers, be a story that reflects YHWH’s goodness, compassion, mercy and love for every soul on this planet. Your life might not be an easy story, but with YHWH at the centre, it will be a good one, with a beautiful happy ending!

Next week: Revisiting SNOW

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