A speaker or writer can use exactly the same words to say something he means as completely true, as generally true, or as a hyperbole. This is why it can be hard to decide how to understand a statement.
1. The speaker means this as a generalization if he means that it rains here most nights.
1. The speaker means this as a hyperbole if he wants to say it rains more than it actually does, usually in order to express a strong attitude toward the amount of rain, such as being annoyed or being happy.
**Hyperbole**: This is a figure of speech that uses **exaggeration**. A speaker deliberately describes something by an extreme or even unreal statement, usually to show his strong feeling or opinion about it. He expects people to understand that he is exaggerating.
* These generalizations tell about what normally happens to people who ignore instruction and what normally happens to people who learn from correction.
>When you pray, do not make useless repetitions as <u>the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.</u> (Matthew 6:7)
Even though a generalization may have a strong-sounding word like "all," "always," "none," or "never," it does not necessarliy mean **exactly** "all," "always," "none," or "never." It simply means "most, "most of the time," "hardly any" or "rarely."
1. If readers realize that a statement is not completely true, they need to be able to understand whether it is a hyperbole, a generalization, or a lie. (Though the Bible is completely true, it tells about people who did not always tell the truth.)
When Jesus said to cut off your hand, he meant that we should <u>do whatever extreme things</u> we need to do in order not to sin. He used this hyperbole to show how extremely important it is to try to stop sinning.
>The Philistines gathered together to fight against Israel, with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand men to drive the chariots, and troops <u>as numerous as the sand on the seashore</u>. (1 Samuel 13:5 ULB)
>They found him, and they said to him, "<u>Everyone</u> is looking for you." (Mark 1:37 ULB)
The disciples told Jesus that everyone was looking looking for him. They probably did not mean that everyone in the city was looking for him, but that <u>many people</u> were looking for him, or that all of Jesus' closest friends there were looking for him.
If the exaggeration or generalization would be natural and people would understand it and not think that it is a lie, consider using it. If not, here are other options.
* **... thirty thousand chariots, six thousand men to drive the chariots, and troops <u>as numerous as the sand on the seashore</u>.** (1 Samuel 13:5 ULB)
* ... thirty thousand chariots, six thousand men to drive the chariots, and <u>a great number of troops</u>.
*<u>In general,</u> the one who ignores instruction will have poverty and shame ...
* **When you pray, do not make useless repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.** (Matthew 6:7)
* When you pray, do not make useless repetitions as the Gentiles <u>generally</u> do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
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