He Will Cover You with His Feathers: A Guide to Biblical Figures of Speech

Early in my development as an interpreter of the Bible I ran across a copy of E. W. Bullinger's Figures of Speech in the Bible. This book opened my eyes to the presence of figures of speech in the Bible and their significance. Thanks to Bullinger I was more sensitive to the figures of speech in the Bible and better able to interpret their emphasis. Since then this book has been my go-to source for understanding the nature of and emphases of the figures of speech in the Bible. However, I have experienced considerable frustration using this book myself and it is not an ideal guide to the figures of speech in the Bible. Bullinger was a biblical scholar who was also well-versed in classical rhetoric. His diligent scholarship led him to identify an incredibly large number of figures of speech. As Bullinger himself says, "We have catalogued over 200 distinct figures, several of them with from 30 to 40 varieties. Many figures have duplicate names which brings the total number of names to over 500" (Bullinger, ix). Wading through all this information is a daunting task. In addition, many of these figures seem to describe the normal functions or common peculiarities of language and have no particular emphasis. Furthermore, some of these figures are obscure and confusing and it is difficult to discern what emphasis they actually have. What is more, Bullinger's organization and arrangement of these figures muddies the waters even more. Bullinger's Figures of Speech in the Bible remains the classic work on biblical figures of speech and I recommend that any serious student of the Bible secure a copy. However, in He Will Cover You with His Feathers: A Guide to Biblical Figures of Speech I attempt to provide a simpler and hopefully more helpful introduction to biblical figures of speech and their significance for interpretation. This guide relates the results of one person's attempt to hear God speak through the figurative language in the Bible. I invite and even challenge the younger generation of biblical interpreters to correct and improve what I have done. My earnest desire is that this book will help you identify and interpret the rich significance of the figures of speech in the Bible.