Parable

Entertainment / Literature / Parable: Throwing beside or 'placing beside'): A story or short narrative designed to reveal allegorically some religious principle, moral lesson, psychological reality, or general truth. Rather than using abstract discussion, a parable always teaches by comparison with real or literal occurrences--especially 'homey' everyday occurrences a wide number of people can relate to. Well-known examples of parables include those found in the synoptic Gospels, such as 'The Prodigal Son' and 'The Good Samaritan.' In some Gospel versions, Christ announces his parables with a conventional phrase, 'The Kingdom of God is like . . . .' Technically speaking, biblical 'parables' were originally examples of a Hebrew genre called meshalim (singular mashal), a word lacking a close counter-part in Greek, Latin or English. Meshalim in Hebrew refer to 'mysterious speech,' i.e., spiritual riddles or enigmas the speaker couches in story-form. Thus, in Matthew 13:11 and Mark 4:11-12, Christ states that he speaks in parables so that outsiders will not be able to understand his teachings. It is only late in the Greek New Testament that these meshalim are conflated with parables or allegorical readings designed for ease of understanding. Non-religious works can be parables as well. For example, Melville's Billy Budd demonstrates that absolute good--such as the impressionable, naive young sailor--may not co-exist with absolute evil--the villain Claggart. Cf. Fable, allegory, and symbolism, or click here for a PDF handout discussing the differences between these terms. (Greek
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Other Words for Parable

Parable Noun Synonyms: allegory, fable, lesson, morality tale
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