View source for Parable - Proverb

{{bl| Parable - Proverb }}
In English, we discern between a parable as  a short story and a proverb. A parable illustrates a teaching and a proverb is a pithy  statement used as a soft aphorism. But in Hebrew, they are the same word.  'Mashal' משל means 'the father's מ increase of the word ש through  teaching ל.  

{{bgw| De 28:37 }} And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb [parable - mashal], and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.

Israel became a living parable to teach all nations of the promises made to Eve, Noah, and Abraham. They became unwitting actors in a play. Paul would later call the play 'the mystery hidden from the beginning'. In fact, all the people before Israel were already in the play to make the invisible God known.

In this play, using the rules mentioned before, each symbol represents the same thing everywhere it occurs. This makes it easy to begin to unpack the hidden meaning. Every man represents Christ and every woman represents his bride. Even when there are four or six men in a story, they all represent various aspects, titles or roles of Christ.