Interpreting Biblical Metaphors

What They Are, How They Work, and What They Mean for Us

Erin Heim, Beth Stovell

• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9781493457946
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

Read the Bible's Richest Language with Confidence

Biblical metaphors can be complicated and confusing. It can be tempting to read them as universal and context-free, assume they map directly onto modern life, or treat them as interchangeable with contemporary meanings. Some preachers and teachers stretch biblical metaphors beyond what Scripture supports while others ignore them altogether or question their value for communicating truth. Students and pastors need an accessible guide that helps them responsibly interpret and apply biblical metaphors.

In this book, two experts cut through the confusion and sidestep common interpretive pitfalls while highlighting the vast beauty, richness, and spiritual significance of biblical metaphors. Interpreting Biblical Metaphors will help you

● understand what biblical metaphors are and how they functioned in their ancient cultural and literary contexts;
● recognize common interpretive pitfalls--including over-spiritualizing, allegorizing, and decontextualizing--and learn how to avoid them;
● navigate difficult or culturally unfamiliar metaphors with greater confidence and care;
● apply biblical metaphors faithfully in preaching, teaching, and personal Bible study; and
● connect metaphor theory to everyday faith and practice.

Erin Heim and Beth Stovell explain what biblical metaphors are and how they work, translating the best of contemporary metaphor theories into a clear, accessible approach to biblical hermeneutics.

Ideal for students of the Bible and hermeneutics, pastors, and lay Bible teachers, Interpreting Biblical Metaphors equips readers to understand the value and function of biblical metaphors and to apply them in ways that are faithful to the text and meaningful for everyday faith and practice.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Endorsements
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• 1. What Is Biblical Metaphor?: An Introduction
• 2. How Do Metaphors Work?: A Brief History of Metaphor Theories
• 3. Metaphors and Models: Reconnecting Biblical Metaphors with Their Ancient Contexts
• 4. Mixed Metaphors or Cultural Misunderstanding: Recognizing How Ancient Cultures Blended Metaphors
• 5. Returning Metaphors to Their Home: Locating Metaphor in Literature and Language
• 6. Making New Metaphors: The Uses and Abuses of Allegorical Interpretation
• 7. Women, Immigrants, and Dangerous Things: Dealing with Difficult Metaphors
• 8. Expansive Metaphors: Teaching and Preaching Metaphors as Theology
• 9. Metaphors and Matching Jackets: How Pretty Words Transform Lives and Communities
• Appendix: Key Insights
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Author Index
• Scripture Index
• Back Cover