Verbum Tip 4al: Bible Browser: Figurative Language, Figures of Speech

MJ. Smith

Docx files for personal book: Verbum 9 part 1; How to use the Verbum Lectionary and Missal

Verbum 8 tips 1-30; Verbum 8 tips 31-49

Please be generous with your additional details, corrections, suggestions, and other feedback. This is being built in a .docx file for a PBB which will be shared periodically.

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Note: I have discovered a flaw in my understanding of the Bible Browser. In addition, there are a number of places where I would like add additional information. So I am going to be updating some posts with any major changes showing the bold. A number of small changes such as more linkage will simply appear eventually in the .docx files.

Facet: Figurative language

Dataset

• DB:SD-FIGURATIVE-LANGUAGE FIGURATIVE-LANGUAGE.lbssd

Documentation

• Westbury, Joshua R., Jeremy Thompson, Kristopher A. Lyle, and Jimmy Parks, eds. 2016. Lexham Figurative Language of the Bible Glossary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Data

From the documentation:

[quote]The FLD is a collection of annotated expressions called figurative language types. A figurative language type consists of the following information:

•     A Heading

•     Example: Anchor as Hope in Christ

•     A Figurative Language Category that specifies what kind of figurative language the expression is.

•     Example: Entity Metaphor

•     Source and Target Terms. The source term consists of either a concrete item or event (i.e., physical, familiar, structured), conventionalized or exaggerated expression (e.g., idiom or hyperbole), or a symbolic act. Alternatively, the target term represents the intended meaning of the source term, one that is typically abstract (i.e., non-physical, less familiar, less structured) or non-exaggerated.

•     Example: Source: Anchor | Target: Hope in Christ

•     A Description of the relationship between the source and target concepts.

•     Example: Hope in Jesus is conceptualized as an anchor. As an anchor provides stability to a ship in the sea, hope in Jesus provides spiritual stability to the believer through life.^[1]

Also, from documentation:[quote]

Category Hierarchy

•   Metaphor

•   Structural Metaphor

•   Ontological Metaphor

•   Container Metaphor

•   Entity Metaphor

•   Objectification

•   Personification

•   Substance Metaphor

•   Orientational Metaphor

•   Image Metaphor

•   Metonymy

•   Simile

•   Narrow Scope Simile

•   Broad Scope Simile

•   Euphemism

•   Dysphemism

•   Idiom

•   Symbolism

•   Hyperbole^[2]

It is important to know these terms i.e. this is a prime candidate for “vocabulary” cards.

New data provided by this label

• <FigurativeLanguageCategory = value>, {Section <FigurativeLanguageCategory = value>}
• <FigurativeLanguageTerm = value>}, {Section <FigurativeLanguageTerm = value>}
• <FigurativeLanguageType = value>}, {Section <FigurativeLanguageType = value>}
• {Label Figurative Language WHERE Category ~ <FigurativeLanguageCategory value>}
• {Label Figurative Language WHERE Source ~ <FigurativeLanguageTerm value>}
• {Label Figurative Language WHERE Target ~ <FigurativeLanguageTerm value>}
• {Label Figurative Language WHERE Type ~ <FigurativeLanguageType value>}

Filters

None

Vocabulary cards

None

Bible Browser

This is the result of the following facet selection. Remember that in the Bible Browser, each facet is independent.

• Category: Idiom (An expression whose meaning cannot be deduced on the basis of its individual words or constituents.      ^[3])
• Type: To Proclaim the Good News as To Preach the Message that Jesus is the Christ (“Proclaiming good news” denotes preaching the message that Jesus is the Christ.^[4])
• Source: Gospel (The source term consists of either a concrete item or event (i.e., physical, familiar, structured), conventionalized or exaggerated expression (e.g., idiom or hyperbole), or a symbolic act. ^[5])
• Target: Gospel (Alternatively, the target term represents the intended meaning of the source term, one that is typically abstract (i.e., non-physical, less familiar, less structured) or non-exaggerated.)

Faithlife Assistant

The Faithlife Assistant commands one would expect to work are:

Browse		pericopes	where the figurative language	category	is	value
Browse		pericopes	where the figurative language	source	is	value
Browse		pericopes	where the figurative language	target	is	value
Browse		pericopes	where the figurative language	type	is	value
Browse		verses	where the figurative language	category	is	value
Browse		verses	where the figurative language	source	is	value
Browse		verses	where the figurative language	target	is	value
Browse		verses	where the figurative language	type	is	value
Browse	Bible	pericopes	where the figurative language	category	is	value
Browse	Bible	pericopes	where the figurative language	source	is	value
Browse	Bible	pericopes	where the figurative language	target	is	value
Browse	Bible	pericopes	where the figurative language	type	is	value
Browse	Bible	verses	where the figurative language	category	is	value
Browse	Bible	verses	where the figurative language	source	is	value
Browse	Bible	verses	where the figurative language	target	is	value
Browse	Bible	verses	where the figurative language	type	is	value

 

Example: Browse pericopes where the figurative language category is idiom

Interactive

none

Information Panel

When the Information Panel displays the Figurative Language Labels for the phrase “gospel to proclaim” (highlighted in the Bible Browser results of Rev 14:6) the selected facets used do not all appear as attributes in the same label.

Context Menu

The Context Menu results are the most complex that we have seen as it builds four separate reference types on the tab side:

Figurative Language Category

{Section <FigurativeLanguageCategory = Meta, Struct>}

The actions are standard:

• Copy reference for Figurative Language Category datatype section
• Initiate search for Figurative Language Category datatype section
• Lookup in documentation (preview available on mouse-over)
• Cited by option

Figurative Language Term

{Section <FigurativeLanguageTerm = Gospel>}

The actions are standard:

• Copy reference for Figurative Language Term datatype section
• Initiate search for Figurative Language Term datatype section

Figurative Language Type

{Section <FigurativeLanguageType = Gospel as Message That Jesus Is the Christ>}

The actions are standard:

• Copy reference for Figurative Language Type datatype section
• Initiate search for Figurative Language Type datatype section
• Lookup in documentation (preview available on mouse-over)
• Cited by option

Figurative Language Label

{Label Figurative Language WHERE Category ~ <FigurativeLanguageCategory Metonymy> AND Source ~ <FigurativeLanguageTerm Gospel> AND Target ~ <FigurativeLanguageTerm Message That Jesus Is the Christ> AND Type ~ <FigurativeLanguageType Gospel as Message That Jesus Is the Christ>}

The Label available actions are limited to:

• Standard copy reference options
• Standard search options

Concordance à Figurative Speech

Note that the Concordance Guide (Guides à Bible Reference Guides à Concordance à Setting: Figurative Language) does show the Category Idiom Figurative Language label on Rev 14:6 “to proclaim”. The attributes selected in the Bible Browser appeared on different Labels.:

Search

The datatype requires surrounding with {Section <>} syntax in order to generate results for the Bible Search.

(Non)Facet: Figures of Speech

While Figurative Language (above) reflects one school of contemporary pragmatics, this dataset reflects the traditional figures of speech of Greek and Latin rhetoric. These traditional figures have a history as old as Christianity itself; they have long been used in both Jewish and Christian Biblical interpretation.

Dataset

• DB:SD-BULLINGER-FIGURES BULLINGER-FIGURES.lbssd

Documentation

• Bullinger, Ethelbert William. 1898. Figures of Speech Used in the Bible. London; New York: Eyre & Spottiswoode; E. & J. B. Young & Co.
• Silva Rhetoricae from BYU is worthy of a taskbar shortcut.

Data

From Logos Help:

[quote]Bullinger’s Figures of Speech

This dataset ships a bundle of Figure of Speech labels that mirror information found in Figures of Speech Used in the Bible by E. W. Bullinger. If (and only if) a verse is mentioned in Bullinger’s discussion of a figure of speech, that verse is labeled with that figure of speech. Each label supports:

•     Name ~ "..." — Where the title name of the figure appears. (E.g. “Zeugma” or “Aposiopesis”)

•     Description ~ "..." — Is the short gloss for the figure. (E.g. “Unequal Yoke” or “Sudden-Silence”)

For example:

•     {Label Figure of Speech WHERE Name ~ "Ellipsis"}^[7]

 

New data provided by this label

• {Label Figure of Speech WHERE Name ~ value}
• {Label Figure of Speech WHERE Description ~ value}

Filters

none

Vocabulary cards

none

Bible Browser

Not implemented

Faithlife Assistant

The Faithlife Assistant commands one would expect to work are:

Browse		pericopes	where the figure of speech	name	is	value
Browse		pericopes	where the figure of speech	description	is	value
Browse		verses	where the figure of speech	name	is	value
Browse		verses	where the figure of speech	description	is	value
Browse	Bible	pericopes	where the figure of speech	name	is	value
Browse	Bible	pericopes	where the figure of speech	description	is	value
Browse	Bible	verses	where the figure of speech	name	is	value
Browse	Bible	verses	where the figure of speech	description	is	value

 

Unfortunately, Faithlife Assistant appears not to recognize this label type.

Interactive

none

Information Panel

The entry in the Information Panel is standard.

Context Menu

The Context menu has only the standard copy reference and search entries.

Concordance --> Figure of Speech

This is strictly standard behavior.

Search

The Context Menu Bible Search generates a search argument of {Label Figure of Speech WHERE Description ~ "Condescension" AND Name ~ "Anthropopatheia"} generates the results:

---

^[1] “The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset,” in Lexham Figurative Language of the Bible Glossary, ed. Joshua R. Westbury et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

^[2] “The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset,” in Lexham Figurative Language of the Bible Glossary, ed. Joshua R. Westbury et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

^[3] “The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset,” in Lexham Figurative Language of the Bible Glossary, ed. Joshua R. Westbury et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

^[4] “The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset,” in Lexham Figurative Language of the Bible Glossary, ed. Joshua R. Westbury et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

^[5] “The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset,” in Lexham Figurative Language of the Bible Glossary, ed. Joshua R. Westbury et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

“The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset,” in Lexham Figurative Language of the Bible Glossary, ed. Joshua R. Westbury et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

^[7] Logos Help (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2018).