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Issue 97 Examples from the Bible - Hyperbole
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@ -12,26 +12,7 @@ A speaker or writer can use exactly the same words to say something he means as
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**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.
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>They will not leave <u>one stone upon another</u> ... (Luke 19:44 ULB)
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* This is an exaggeration. It means that the enemies will completely destroy Jerusalem.
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**Generalization:** This is a statement that is true most of the time or in most situations that it could apply to.
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>The one who ignores instruction <u>will have poverty and shame,</u>
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>but <u>honor will come</u> to him who learns from correction. (Proverbs 13:18)
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* These generalizations tell about what normally happens to people who ignore instruction and what normally happens to people who learn from correction.
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>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)
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* This generalization tells about what Gentiles were known for doing. Many Gentiles may have done this.
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Sometimes when people use strong-sounding words like "all," "always," "none," or "never," they mean exactly "all," "always," "none," or "never." But when people use these words in a generalization, they simply mean "most, "most of the time," "hardly any" or "rarely."
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>Moses was educated in <u>all the wisdom of the Egyptians</u> ... (Acts 7:22 ULB)
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* This generalization means that he had learned much of what the Egyptians knew and taught.
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**Generalization:** This is a statement that is true most of the time or in most situations that it could apply to. Sometimes when people use strong-sounding words like "all," "always," "none," or "never," they mean exactly "all," "always," "none," or "never." But when people use these words in a generalization, they simply mean "most, "most of the time," "hardly any" or "rarely."
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### Reasons this is a translation issue
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@ -42,37 +23,42 @@ Sometimes when people use strong-sounding words like "all," "always," "none," or
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#### Examples of Exaggeration
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Jesus used a hyperbole to show how extremely important it is to stop sinning. He did not mean that people should actually cut off their hand, but that we should <u>do whatever extreme things</u> we need to do in order not to sin.
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>If your hand causes you to stumble, <u>cut it off</u>. It is better for you to enter into life maimed ... (Mark 9:43 ULB)
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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.
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The author of 1 Samuel used hyperbole to show that there were <u>many, many</u> soldiers in the Philistine army. It showed the great danger that the Israelites were in.
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>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)
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The underlined phrase is an exaggeration. It means that there were <u>many, many</u> soldiers in the Philistine army.
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When Jesus spoke about how Israel's enemies would destroy Jerusalem, he used hyperbole to show that Jerusalem would be terribly destroyed.
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>They will not leave <u>one stone upon another</u> ... (Luke 19:44 ULB)
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#### Examples of Generalization
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Stephen used the word "all" in a generalization about Moses' education. It means that Moses learned much of what the Egyptians knew and taught, not every single thing.
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> Moses was educated in <u>all the wisdom of the Egyptians</u> ... (Acts 7:22 ULB)
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Jesus' disciples used the word "everyone" in a generalization about who was looking for him. They did not mean that every person 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.
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>They found him, and they said to him, "<u>Everyone</u> is looking for you." (Mark 1:37 ULB)
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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.
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John used the word "everything" in a generalization about what God teaches his people. God teaches us about <u>all things that we need to know</u>, not about absolutely everything.
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>But as his anointing teaches you <u>everything</u> and is true and is not a lie ... (1 John 2:27 ULB)
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This is a generalization. God's Spirit teaches us about <u>all things that we need to know</u>, not about everything that is possible to know.
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#### Caution
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Do not assume that something is an exaggeration just because it seems to be impossible. God does miraculous things.
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Do not assume that something is an exaggeration just because it seems to be impossible. God does miraculous things. Jesus really walked on the water.
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>... they saw Jesus <u>walking on the sea</u> ... (John 6:19 ULB)
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This is not hyperbole. Jesus really walked on the water. It is a literal statement.
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Do not assume that the word "all" is always a generalization that means "most." Yahweh is always righteous.
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Do not assume that the word "all" is always a generalization that means "most."
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>Yahweh is righteous in <u>all his ways</u> ... (Psalm 145:17 ULB)
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>Yahweh is righteous in all his ways ... (Psalm 145:17 ULB)
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Yahweh is always righteous. This is a completely true statement.
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### Translation Strategies
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@ -102,5 +88,4 @@ If the exaggeration or generalization would be natural and people would understa
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1. For a generalization that has a word like "all," always," "none," or "never," consider deleting that word.
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* **The <u>whole</u> country of Judea and <u>all</u> the people of Jerusalem went out to him.** (Mark 1:5 ULB)
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* The country of Judea and the people of Jerusalem went out to him.
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* The country of Judea and the people of Jerusalem went out to him.
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