Examples.—“He is the Rock.” Deut. 32:4. “Her gates shall lament and mourn.” Isa. 3:25.
A metaphor may be a simple affirmation of what an object is, or it may embrace “the agent, the act, the object, and the effect of an action.”—Lord.
(a.) When an object is affirmed to be what it only resembles, that of which the affirmation is made is always literally expressed.
(b.) “When a nature is ascribed to an object that does not belong to it, the acts or results affirmed to it are proper to that imputed nature, not to its own.”—Lord.
(c.) “The meaning of a metaphorical passage is precisely what it would be if a comparison only were affirmed.”—Ib.
29. An Elliptical Metaphor is where the figure is incomplete. An object, instead of being affirmed to be what it only resembles, is introduced by the name proper only to that resemblance. The literal name of the object and the affirmation to complete the figure are to be supplied.
To find the meaning of an elliptical metaphor, trace the word through the Bible, and find to what object such metaphorical term is applied. Example.—“And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people.” Isa. 11:10. Explanation.—“I [Jesus] am the Root and the offspring of David.” Rev. 22:16.
30. Prosopœia, or Personification, is an address to an inanimate object, as if it were a person, and had intelligence.—Lord. Example.—“Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.” Deut. 32:1.
31. An Apostrophe is a digression from the order of any discourse, and a direct address to the persons of whom it treats, or to those who are to form a judgment respecting the subject of which it treats.—Lord. Example.—“Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom: give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.” Isa. 1:10.
32. An Allegory is a narrative in which the subject of the discourse is described by an analogous subject, resembling it in its characteristics and circumstances—the subject of which it is descriptive being indicated in its connection. Examples.—See Ezek. 31:3-9; Ps. 80:8-16; Jud. 9:8-15.