Who decides whether a bible verse is symbolic or literal?

Question

Many people wil answer this question with disdain, saying that it is obvious, but is it? What if the whole bible is symbolic?

Answer 1

Now that is a question that I'd like an answer for. I'll be waiting.

Answer 2

Part of the challenge of the Bible is determining this, as well as whether a passage is meant for one person, a group, or everyone.

Sometimes, you can tell by the language. Paired phrases, such as those describing Behemoth in Job, are a poetic style- so are probably not quite as literal as others. Songs, hymns, proverbs, parables, and so forth are obviously symbolic.

Just as obviously, eyewitness accounts, detailed descriptions (like the temple) and such are more likely to have been meant to be literal.

The problem is the large grey area. I believe that Genesis is mostly symbolic, for example, but for many people Genesis is absolutely literal.

It would be nice if there was a better tool for this, but much of the Bible is about 3-4,000 years old and was written in languages no one has spoken in millenia.

Answer 3

The language community that wrote the text decides it.

For most linguists, "literal" refers to the reading of a language within its known literary conventions. Languages possess what might be called the "normal" way of speaking where its meaning is what's said at face-value. Languages also have different "conventions" of speaking that diverge from a face-value meaning.

For example, in English, one such convention is "sarcasm." When one says, "Yeah, right.", a face-value reading accepts this is an affirmative statement. But if the speaker intends the words to be spoken in the literary convention of sarcasm, the meaning is the opposite. Other literary conventions in English include: metaphor, exaggeration, slang, and symbolism.

While such literary conventions diverge from a face-value reading, this does not make their meaning arbitrary, unknowable, or completely subjective. These conventions still follow known rules of that language community. Native English speakers, for example, understand sarcasm when they hear it.

Symbolism is a literary convention. It existed in Israel's linguistic community (expressed in Hebrew, Aramaic, and later Koine Greek). It follows a set of rules known to that community. The challenge is to study existing texts of that time and genre and learn what those "rules" are.

The Bible, like most literary works, possesses a healthy mixture of face-value reading and its other literary conventions. In English we use a multiplicity of such conventions all the time; we forget that we do because we understand what we mean by them.

Symbols do appear in the Bible, and the pattern seems to place them mostly in the prophetic literature. The general rule of thumb for identifying a symbol is to do what we always do when we read anything: start with a face-value meaning and see if it makes good sense. If it does not, consider the possibility that the author is using a different literary convention. Symbols are usually striking images meant to invoke strong concepts, imagery, and meaning in the mind of the contemporary reader. They're usually not hard to miss, but again, knowing the pattern of that language and culture is key.

Now one can take the idea of "symbolism", superimpose this as an interpretive approach upon any text, even an obviously face-value one, and make it into a symbolic reading. But this would defy the "normal" reading of the text, one understood by the readers of the day, and would contradict the author's intention if you were to ask him/her what (s)he meant by what is said.

Answer 4

Deep Study Aided By The Holy Spirit along With Common Sense. For Instance We Read That the Devil Is To be Thrown Into the " Lake Of Fire"... a Literal Lake Of Fire CANNOT destroy Satan because His a Spirit Creature. Therefore It has to Be Symbolic.

Answer 5

Well, the whole Bible can't be symbolic because there is historical and archaological evidence that backs up some of the things in it. (see Josephus or recent discoveries regarding kings of the Old Testament). So, for me, unless it expresses that something is a metaphor or simile, I tend to believe it as literal.

Answer 6

Since Christ did not appoint anyone with the authority to interpret His word, it is then up to everyone to decide for themselves. My experience is that many people interpret almost everything literally. This seems to be a dangerous approach to the Bible since that is what the Jews did when Christ came the first time - the interpreted His words and prophecy literally and misunderstood Him almost every time.

Answer 7

That's the fun of it: anyone can! If you're old enough to read, you can come up with your own interpretation.