The Metaphor of Shepherd Leader

[hyongho]

The use of literary devices by the authors of the Bible show how they appreciated figurative language and thought. One of the figures of speech that is used by the Bible writers to bring clarity in their messages is Metaphor. Metaphors can be connoted in different ways, but a metaphor could simply be defined as comparing two things without the use of "like" or "as". From a Biblical perspective, Laniak weighs in to say that " Metaphorical thought provides coherence to our thinking about the world, but in so doing it also creates limits" p 36. The Bible juxtaposes the words shepherd and king in some instances. According to Laniak, "we need metaphors if we are to understand God" p. 35. I just believe like Laniak that simple and easy grammatical expressions may not give significant value to the search and comprehension of God. The early Greeks like Plato, Aristotle and followers valued the use of metaphor to conduct the human mind to a world of absolute truth and indubitable knowledge.
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Henry Yongho