The familiar word "parable" comes from the Greek παραβολη parabolê (Strong's #3850) which in turn represents the Hebrew מָשָׁל mâshâl (Strong's #4912). Most modern translations suggest that there are just 3 uses of this word: Psalm 78:2; Ezekiel 17:2; 24:3; however, the KJV translates it as "parable" some 18 times and "proverb" 19 times; in fact, there are 39 instances of this Hebrew word.
מָשָׁל mâshâl derives from a verb, מָשַׁל mâshal (Strong's #4910/4911), meaning "to rule and have dominion" and some scholars believe the root idea of superiority or conquering is applied to the parable by virtue of the intelligent wisdom needed to both form and appreciate a parable. One Hebrew dictionary described the parable as deriving from the root verb "in some original sense of superiority in mental action", another (Gesenius) spoke of the "ingenious comparison of two things". Other sources suggest the existence of an identically spelled root verb מָשַׁל mâshal (Strong's #4910) meaning "to represent or be like" as the source of "parable". The two may well be one and the same, Gesenius puts forward the idea that "making like, is derived from judging, forming an opinion ... which is nearly allied to the notion of giving sentence, ordering, ruling".
The book of Numbers is particularly instructive and is the first Hebrew use of the term, for Balaam speaks seven poetic prophetic parables called מָשָׁל mâshâl (23:7,18; 24:3,15,20,21,23). The NIV Study Bible text note on Numbers 23:7 is wrong here when it states, "none of the prophecies of Israel's true prophets is described by this term [mâshâl]". As we will see, in our Old Testament survey, Nathan, Isaiah, Habakkuk and Ezekiel all use the term. Ezekiel is described by the people as memashshêl meshâlîym "speaking in parables" (Ezekiel 20:49 [Heb. 21:5]) and God through the prophet Hosea says that he himself has spoken in parables through his prophets:
"I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions
and have used parables by the hand of the prophets." (Hosea 12:10)
Other Hebrew words are sometimes used as synonyms or in parallel with מָשָׁל mâshâl and further demonstrate its meaning.
In Deuteronomy 28:37 it is placed with two words, an "astonishment" (שַׁמָּה shammâh Strong's #8047) and a "sharp or pointed saying" ( shenîynah Strong's #8148, cf. 1 Kings 9:7; 2 Chronicles 7:20). Certainly, some of Jesus' parables could be classed as "pointed sayings" when directed at specific audiences such as the Pharisees!
In Micah 2:4 it is paired with the word for a wailing "lament" (נָהָה nâhâh, Strong's #5091) and a parable could be a peom or a song.
Ezekiel 14:8 has a warning "sign" (אות 'ôwth, Strong's #226) and "a proverb" (מָשָׁל mâshâl).
Ezekiel 17:2 has a wordplay along the lines of "riddle a riddle and pose a parable" .
Five Old Testament passages (Psalms 49:4; 78:2; Proverbs 1:6; Ezekiel 17:2; Habakkuk 2:6) reveal the use of parable/proverb (מָשׂשָל mâshâl) and riddle/dark saying (חִידָה chîydâh, Strong's #2420) in parallel, indicating a close relationship between the two words. Of the two, the riddle or enigma appears the more obscure, though the parallelism betrays similarity in meaning. Numbers 12:8 is the first instance of חִידָה chîydâh where it is contrasted with plain "face to face" speech. In Judges 14:12-19 chîydâh is used of Samson's propounding a riddle. In Psalm 78:2, which is taken by Matthew (13:35) as prophetic of Jesus, the near equality of meaning between the two terms is clear.
"I will - open my mouth - in a parable (mâshâl) //
I will - utter - dark sayings (chîydâh) - of old"
Thus, prophetically, Jesus is predicted as being one who would speak in both parables and dark (or hard) sayings.
Job 26-31 would appear to be classed as one long proverb or parable or self-taunt as Job describes it as a מָשׂשָל mâshâl in 27:1 and 29:1.
In one of the Old Testament passages mentioned above (the cooking pot, Ezekiel 24:3-5) the Hebrew text מָשָׁל mâshâl is rendered by the Hebrew/Aramaic word for "prophecy" in the Jewish Targum (Aramaic paraphrase).
A number of passages translate מָשָׁל mâshâl by 'byword' (e.g., Psalm 44:14; 69:11; Jeremiah 24:9; Ezekiel 14:8; Deuteronomy 28:37; 1 Kings 9:7; 2 Chronicles 7:20; Job 17:6) and with some of these the "byword" is the result of prophetic judgement.
Certain of Israel's prophets are told to prophetically "lift up a מָשָׁל mâshâl" against someone or something. For example, against the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:4f.), Ezekiel 17:2, Habakkuk 2:6 and Micah 2:4. The Isaiah passage is interesting since the famous prophetic king of Babylon verses are therefore described as a parable.
Other Old Testament parable-prophecies include, those in bold are specifically called מָשָׁל mâshâl:
Thus מָשָׁל mâshâl is an intelligent prophetic device used in teaching or judgement, whether to illuminate or to darken is an unproven matter. The Rabbis' parables served to teach things clearly, Jesus' parables occasionally taught two audiences simultaneously on two levels, and the parables of the prophets were generally for judgement of a people who perhaps, could not hear in any other way any more.
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