This shows that it was a very large amount of smoke. Alternate Translation: "like the smoke from a very large fire"
Gen 22:17
as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore
God compared Abraham's descendants to the stars and the sand. Just as people cannot count the huge number of stars or the grains of sand, so there would be so many of Abraham's descendants that people would not be able to count them. Alternate Translation: "beyond what you can count"
Gen 25:25
red all over like a hairy garment
Possible meanings are 1) his skin was red and he had a lot of hair on his body or 2) he had a lot of red hair on his body. Alternate Translation: "red and hairy like a garment made of animal hair"
Gen 26:4
like the stars of heaven
This speaks about the number of Isaac's descendants as if they were the same as the number of stars. See how you translated this in [Genesis 22:17](../22/17.md).
Gen 28:14
Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth
God compares Jacob's descendants to the dust of the earth to emphasize their huge number. Alternate Translation: "You will have more descendants than you can count"
Gen 31:26
carried away my daughters like prisoners of war
Laban speaks about Jacob taking his family with him back to the land of Canaan as if Jacob took them as prisoners after a battle and is forcing them to go with him. Laban is exaggerating because he is angry and is trying to make Jacob feel guilty for what he did.
Gen 32:12
I will make your descendants like the sand of the sea
This speaks about the very large number of Jacob's descendants as if their number will be like the grains of sand on the seashore.
Gen 33:10
I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God
The meaning of this simile is unclear. Possible meanings are 1) Jacob is happy that Esau has forgiven him like God has forgiven him or 2) Jacob is amazed to see his brother again like he was amazed to see God or 3) Jacob is humbled to be in Esau's presence like he was humbled to be in God's presence.
Gen 49:4
Uncontrollable as rushing water
Jacob compares Reuben to water in a strong current to emphasize that he cannot control his anger and he is not stable.
Gen 49:9
like a lioness
Jacob also compares Judah to a female lion. The lioness is the primary hunter and protector of her cubs.
Gen 49:12
His eyes will be as dark as wine
This refers to the color of a person's eyes to the red color of wine. Possible meanings are 1) dark eyes imply healthy eyes or 2) people eyes will be red from drinking too much of wine.
Gen 49:12
his teeth as white as milk
This compare the color of the person's teeth to the white color of milk. This implies that there will be so many healthy cows they will have much milk to drink.
Exo 4:6
as white as snow
The word "as" here is used to compare what Moses' hand looked like. Leprosy causes the skin to look white. You may not have a word for snow in your language. If so, consider an alternative that describes something white. Alternate Translation: "as white as wool or as white as the sand on the beach"
Exo 4:16
you will be to him like me, God
The word "like" here means Moses would represent the same authority to Aaron as God did to Moses. Alternate Translation: "you will speak to Aaron with the same authority with which I spoke to you"
Exo 15:5
they went down into the depths like a stone
Just as a stone does not float but sinks to the bottom of the sea, the enemy soldiers sank to the bottom of the sea. Alternate Translation: "they went down into the deep water like a stone sinking to the bottom of the sea"
Exo 15:10
sank like lead in the mighty waters
Lead is a heavy metal that is commonly used to make things sink in water. The word "lead" here is used to show how fast God's enemies were destroyed. Alternate Translation: "sank as fast as lead in the deep turbulent waters"
Exo 15:16
they will become as still as a stone
Possible meanings are 1) "They will be silent like stone" or 2) "They will be motionless as stone"
Exo 16:14
like frost
The original readers knew what frost is like, so this phrase would help them understand what the flakes were like. Frost is frozen dew that forms on the ground. It is very fine. Alternate Translation: "that looked like frost" or "that was fine like frost"
Exo 24:10
as clear as the sky itself
This is a simile. Alternate Translation: "as clear as the sky is when there are no clouds"
Exo 24:17
like a devouring fire
This means the glory of Yahweh was very large and seemed to burn brightly like a fire. Alternate Translation: "like a big fire burning"
Lev 20:13
as with a woman
The way he treats the man is the same way he would treat a woman. Alternate Translation: "just like he would with a woman"
Lev 26:19
I will make the sky over you like iron and your land like bronze
This means God will stop the rain from falling from the sky. This will make the ground hard so that people cannot plant seed or grow crops.
Num 8:4
with hammered cups like blossoms
They were commanded to form the hammered cups so that they resembled flower blossoms. Alternate Translation: "with hammered cups that resemble flower blossoms"
Num 8:11
as a wave offering
Aaron was to present the Levites to Yahweh with the same amount of dedication as if they were a sacrifice given to him. Alternate Translation: "if they were a wave offering"
Num 8:13
lift them up as a wave offering to me
Aaron was to present the Levites to Yahweh as if he were lifting up an offering to Yahweh. Alternate Translation: "dedicate them to me, as if you were lifting them up a wave offering to me"
Num 8:15
You must offer them as a wave offering
Aaron was to present the Levites to Yahweh as if they were a wave offering to him. Alternate Translation: "You must dedicate them to me, as if you were presenting a wave offering to me"
Num 9:15
It appeared like fire until morning
This refers to the cloud's appearance during the night. Here the cloud is compared to looking like a fire. Alternate Translation: "During the night the cloud looked like a huge fire until morning"
Num 9:16
appeared like fire at night
The cloud's appearance is compared to a huge fire. Alternate Translation: "it looked like a huge fire at night"
Num 12:10
was as white as snow
Leprosy turned Miriam's skin white. Alternate Translation: "became very white"
Num 12:12
Please do not let her be like a dead newborn whose flesh is half consumed
Miriam's leprosy would cause her body to decay until she died. The flesh being decayed is spoken of as if it were eaten. Alternate Translation: "Please do not let her be like a dead newborn baby whose flesh is half decayed"
Num 13:33
we were like grasshoppers in comparison with them
The men speak of grasshoppers to show how very small they thought themselves to be compared to the people of the land. Alternate Translation: "we are as small as grasshoppers in comparison with them"
Num 16:30
the earth opens its mouth and swallows them
Moses speaks as if the earth were alive and the opening in the ground into which these people would fall were a large mouth that would eat them. Alternate Translation: "and they fall into it and are buried underneath the ground"
Num 22:4
This multitude will eat up all that is around us as an ox eats up the grass in a field
The way the Israelites will destroy their enemies is spoken of as if they were an ox eating up the grass in a field.
Num 23:22
with strength like that of a wild ox
This simile says that Yahweh's great strength is equal to an ox.
Num 24:6
Like valleys they spread out
Balaam speaks of the Israelies as if they were numerous enough to cover entire valleys.
Num 24:6
like gardens by the riverside
Balaam speaks of the Israelies as if they were well-watered gardens that produce an abundant harvest.
Num 24:6
like cedars beside the waters
Cedar trees were the largest trees in Israel. Balaam speaks of the Israelies as if they grew as large as well-watered cedar trees.
Num 24:8
with strength like a wild ox
This simile emphasizes that the Israelites have great strength.
Num 24:9
He crouches down like a lion, like a lioness
In this simile, Balaam compares the Israelites to both male and female lions. This means they are dangerous and always ready to attack.
Num 27:17
so that your community is not like sheep that have no shepherd
This is a simile that means without a leader the people will wander and be helpless.
Num 33:55
like objects in your eyes and thorns in your sides
Just like a small object in a person's eye or a small thorn that sticks into a person skin can cause great irritation, so even a small portion of the Canaanites, if left in the land, would cause great trouble for the Israelites.
Deu 1:31
Yahweh your God carried you, as a man carries his son
Here Yahweh's care for his people is compared to that of a father. Alternate Translation: "Yahweh your God has taken care of you, like a father takes care of his son"
Deu 1:44
chased you like bees
A "bee" is a small, flying insect that flies in large groups and stings people who threaten them. This means that so many Amorites attacked the Israelite soldiers that they had to leave the battle.
Deu 9:3
like a devouring fire
Yahweh is powerful and able to destroy the armies of the other nations.
Deu 10:22
as many as the stars of the heavens
This emphasizes the large number of Israelites that were with Moses. Alternate Translation: "more than you can count"
Deu 11:21
to give them for as long as the heavens are above the earth
This compares how long the people could stay in the land to how long the sky will exist above the earth. This is a way of saying "forever." Alternate Translation: "to give them as a possession forever" or "to allow them to live there forever"
Deu 28:29
You will grope about at noonday like the blind grope in the darkness
You will be like blind people who grope in darkness even at noonday. The Israelites will have a difficult life even when everyone else is enjoying life.
Deu 28:49
like an eagle flies to its victim
This means the enemy will come suddenly and the Israelites will not be able to stop them.
Deu 28:62
you were like the stars of the heavens in number
This means that in the past there were many Israelites.
Deu 32:1
Let my teaching drop down like the rain ... and like the showers on the plants
This means Yahweh wants the people to eagerly accept his helpful teaching.
Deu 32:2
Let my teaching drop down like the rain ... and like the showers on the plants
This means Yahweh wants the people to eagerly accept his helpful teaching.
Deu 32:11
As an eagle that guards her nest and flutters over her young, Yahweh spread out his wings and took them, and carried them on his pinions
This means Yahweh watched over and protected the Israelites while they were in the desert.
Deu 33:20
He will live there like a lioness, and he will tear off an arm or a head
This means the people of Gad are strong and secure, and they will defeat their enemies in war.
Jdg 2:17
gave themselves like prostitutes to other gods and worshiped them
The people betraying Yahweh and worshiping other gods is spoken of as if the people were prostitutes. Alternate Translation: "betrayed him by worshiping false gods"
Jdg 5:31
like the sun when it rises in its might
The people of Israel wish to be like the sun that rises because no nation's army is powerful enough to stop the sunrise.
Jdg 6:5
they would come as a swarm of locusts
The Midianites are compared to a swarm of locusts because they came in with a great number of people and their livestock ate everything that grew.
Jdg 7:12
as thick as a cloud of locusts
Here "cloud" means a swarm. The author speaks of the army as if it were a swarm of locusts to emphasize how many soldiers there were.
Jdg 13:6
his appearance was like that of an angel of God, very terrible
Here "terrible" means "frightening." Alternate Translation: "I was very afraid of him because he looked like an angel of God"
Jdg 15:14
The ropes on his arms became like burnt flax
Samson easily broken the ropes that bound his hands. The author describes how easily he broke the ropes by saying it was as if they had become burnt flax. Alternate Translation: "He snapped the ropes on his arms as easily as if they had been stalks of burned flax"
Jdg 16:9
he broke the bowstrings like a thread of yarn when it touches the fire
The author describes how easily he broke the bowstrings by comparing them to how yarn breaks when it is burned. Alternate Translation: "he broke the bowstrings as easily as if he were breaking burned yarn" or "he broke the bowstrings as easily as if they were made of thin yarn"
Jdg 16:12
like they were a piece of thread
The author describes how easily Samson broke the ropes by comparing it to him breaking a piece of thread. Alternate Translation: "as easily as if they were only a piece of thread"
Jdg 17:11
the young man became to Micah like one of his sons
The relationship between the Levite and Micah became like the close relationship between a father and son. Alternate Translation: "the young man became close to Micah and was like one of his sons"
Jdg 20:1
as one man
This simile speaks of the group as acting as a single person. It refers to a group of who people do everything together in the same way. Alternate Translation: "as if they were a single man"
Jdg 20:8
as one
This simile speaks of the group as acting as a single person. They all acted together in exactly the same way. Alternate Translation: "as if they were a single man"
1Sa 26:20
as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains
Saul is chasing David as if he were hunting a valuable wild bird.
2Sa 2:18
Asahel was swift in his feet like a wild gazelle
Here Asahel is compared to a gazelle, an animal that runs very fast. Alternate Translation: "Asahel could run very fast"
2Sa 5:20
Yahweh has burst through my enemies before me like a bursting flood of water
Here David speaks of the victory that Yahweh brought as if it were a flood of water that overflowed its banks and covered the land, causing destruction. Alternate Translation: "Yahweh has overwhelmed my enemies like a flood overwhelms the land"
2Sa 11:11
As sure as you are alive, I will not do this
Uriah swears a strong promise that he will not go home to his wife as long as the rest of the soldiers are at war. He makes this promise by comparing the truth of his promise to the certainty that the king was alive. Alternate Translation: "I solemnly promise that I will not do this"
2Sa 12:3
was like a daughter to him
This refers to the closeness of this man and his little lamb. Alternate Translation: "he loved it as much as if it were one of his daughters"
2Sa 14:11
As Yahweh lives
Often people would make promises and compare how surely they would fulfil their promise to how surely Yahweh is alive. Alternate Translation: "I promise you, as surely as Yahweh lives" or "In Yahweh's name I promise"
2Sa 14:14
For we all must die, and we are like water spilled on the ground ... up again
Here the woman speaks of a person dying as if they were water being spilled on the ground. Alternate Translation: "We all must die, and after we die we cannot be brought back to life again"
2Sa 14:17
for as an angel of God, so is my master ... from evil
Here David, the king, is compared to an "angel of God." Alternate Translation: "for the king is like an angel of God because they both know how to tell good from evil"
2Sa 14:20
is wise, like the wisdom of an angel of God
The woman compares David's wisdom to the wisdom of an angel to emphasize how very wise he is. Alternate Translation: "you are very wise, like an angel of God"
2Sa 15:21
As Yahweh lives, and as my master the king lives
Here the speaker is making a solemn promise. He compare the certainty the he will fulfill his promise to the certainty that Yahweh and the king are alive. Alternate Translation: "I solemnly promise that as surely as Yahweh and the king live"
2Sa 16:23
Now the advice of Ahithophel ... was as if a man heard
Here the author compare how much people trusted Ahithophel's advice with how much they would trust advice directly from God. Alternate Translation: "Now people trusted the advice of Ahithophel in those days in the same way they would have trusted it if had come"
2Sa 17:3
like a bride coming to her husband
Here Ahithophel speaks of the peoples' happiness by comparing it to a bride's happiness. Alternate Translation: "and they will come happily, like a bride is happy when she comes to her husband" or "and they will come happily"
2Sa 17:8
they are like a bear robbed of her cubs
The anger of the soldiers here is being compared to that of a mother bear who cubs are taken from her. Alternate Translation: "they are angry, like a mother bear whose cubs have been take from her" or "they are very angry"
2Sa 17:12
we will cover him as the dew falls on the ground
Absalom's army is described as covering David's army like the dew covers the ground in the morning. Alternate Translation: "we will overwhelm and completely defeat David's army"
2Sa 18:27
I think the running of the man in front is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok
The watchman compares the way the man ran to the way Ahimaaz runs to suggest that it may be him. Alternate Translation: "I think the man running in front is Ahimaaz son Zadok, because he runs like Ahimaaz"
2Sa 18:32
The enemies of my master the king, ... should be as that young man is
The Cushite uses a comparison as a polite way to tell the king that Absalom is dead. This can be stated more directly. Alternate Translation: "I would like all your enemies ... to die the way that young man died"
2Sa 19:3
like people who are ashamed sneak away when they run from battle
The author compares the way that the soldiers had to sneak back into the city to the way that soldiers sneak away when they are running away from battle. This emphasizes that they were made to feel ashamed. Alternate Translation: "in the same way that people who had run away from battle would sneak away because they were ashamed"
2Sa 19:27
my master the king is like an angel of God
Here David's wisdom is compared to the wisdom of an angel. Alternate Translation: "my master the king is as wise as an angel of God"
2Sa 21:19
whose spear was like a weaver's beam
When a person was weaving a cloth he would run the threads through hooks attached to large sticks called a "weaver's beam." This means Goliath's spear was larger than a normal spear.
2Sa 22:34
He makes my feet swift like a deer and places me on the high hills
Here David's feet are compared to those of a deer using exaggeration. Yahweh gives David the strength to move quickly and provides secure places for protection and rest.
2Sa 22:40
You put strength on me like a belt for battle
Here the strength that Yahweh gives is compared to a belt for battle that allowed David to do mighty things.
2Sa 22:43
like dust on the ground ... like mud in the streets
This means that David completely destroyed his enemies. These two phrases "like dust on the ground" and "like mud on the streets" have a similar meaning and are used for emphasis.
2Sa 23:4
He will be like the morning light ... sunshine after rain
Here God is comparing the king to the morning light and sunshine after the rain. These are all ways of saying this king would be a delight to God and a blessing for the people. These two phrases have a similar meaning and are used for emphasis. Alternate Translation: "He will be a delight to all"
2Sa 23:6
But the worthless will all be like thorns to be thrown away
Here the wicked person is compared to useless thorns. This can be stated in active form. Alternate Translation: "But the wicked person is worthless and dangerous like thorns we throw away"
1Ki 4:29
wideness of understanding like the sand on the seashore
Solomon was able to understand many things about many different subjects. The abstract noun "wideness" can be translated as an adjective. Alternate Translation: "Solomon was able to understand many things about a wide range of subjects"
1Ki 7:26
its brim was forged like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom
This can be stated in active form. Alternate Translation: "Huram forged the brim to look like the brim of a cup, to curve outward like a lily"
1Ki 7:41
the bowl-like capitals
The capitals were shaped like bowls.
1Ki 14:10
will completely remove your family, like someone who burns up dung until it is gone
This simile compares the removal of every descendant of Jeroboam with the complete burning up of dung that was mixed with straw, dried, and burned for fuel.
1Ki 14:15
Yahweh will attack Israel as a reed is shaken in the water
The writer here uses a simile to express how Yahweh will bring judgment on the people of Israel. Alternate Translation: "Yahweh will attack the people of Israel as a reed is shaken in the water"
1Ki 20:27
like two little flocks of goats
This simile compares the Israelite army to two little flocks of goats. Alternate Translation: "The Israelite army appeared to be small and weak like two flocks of goats"
1Ki 22:17
like sheep who have no shepherd
The people of the army are compared to sheep that have no one to lead them because their shepherd, the king, has died.
2Ki 2:2
As Yahweh lives, and as you live
As surely as Yahweh lives and as you live. Here Elisha compares the certainty that Yahweh and Elijah are alive to the certainty of what he is saying. This is a way of making a solemn promise. Alternate Translation: "I solemnly promise you that"
2Ki 2:4
As Yahweh lives, and as you live, I will not leave you
As surely as Yahweh lives and as you live, I will not leave you. Here Elisha compares the certainty that Yahweh and Elijah are alive to the certainty of what he is saying. This is a way of making a solemn promise. See how you translated this phrase in [2 Kings 2:2](./01.md). Alternate Translation: "I solemnly promise you that I will not leave you"
2Ki 2:6
As Yahweh lives, and as you live, I will not leave you
As surely as Yahweh lives and as you live, I will not leave you. Here Elisha compares the certainty that Yahweh and Elijah are alive to the certainty of what he is saying. This is a way of making a solemn promise. See how you translated this phrase in [2 Kings 2:2](./01.md). Alternate Translation: "I solemnly promise you that I will not leave you"
2Ki 3:2
but not like his father and his mother
This compares how much evil he did to being less that the amount that his parents did. Alternate Translation: "but he did not do as much evil as his father and mother had done"
2Ki 3:14
As Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely
As I know that Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely. Here Elisha compares the certainty that Yahweh is alive to the certainty that, if it were not for Jehoshaphat being there, he would not pay attention to Joram. This is a way of making a solemn promise. Alternate Translation: "As surely as Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I promise you, if it"
2Ki 3:22
it looked as red as blood
This compares the red appearance of the water to the color of blood. Alternate Translation: "it was red like blood"
2Ki 5:14
His flesh was restored again like the flesh of a little child
This speaks how smooth Namaan's skin is after he is healed by comparing it to the skin of a young child. Alternate Translation: "His flesh was restored again and was as soft as the flesh of a young child" or "His skin was well again and was smooth like a young child's skin"
2Ki 5:16
As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I
As surely as I know that Yahweh lives, before whom I stand. Here Elisha compares the certainty that Yahweh is alive to the certainty that he will not receive any gifts from Naaman. This is a way of making a solemn promise. Alternate Translation: "As surely as Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I promise you that I"
2Ki 5:20
As Yahweh lives
As surely as Yahweh lives. Here Gehazi compares the certainty that Yahweh is alive to the certainty of what he has decided to do. This is a way of making a solemn promise. Alternate Translation: "As Yahweh lives, I promise"
2Ki 5:27
as white as snow
Leprosy makes skin white. Here Gehazi's leprous skin is compared to the color of snow. Alternate Translation: "with skin that was white like snow"
2Ki 9:37
the body of Jezebel will be like dung on the surface of the fields ... so that no one will be able to say
This speaks of the pieces of Jezebel's body being scattered in the field as if they were dung spread in the field. Since the pieces of her body were so small and spread out there was nothing that could be collected and buried. Alternate Translation: "the pieces of Jezebel's body will be scattered like dung in the fields ... so that no one will be able to recognize them and say"
2Ki 13:7
made them like the chaff at threshing time
The Aramean army had so severely defeated the army of Israel that what remained was so worthless that it is compared to wheat chaff that the laborers walk on at harvest time. Alternate Translation: "had crushed them as workers crush chaff under their feet at harvest time"
1Ch 14:10
God has burst through my enemies ... like a bursting flood of water
David speaks of God easily defeating David's enemies as if God had burst through them, like a flood bursts through anything in its path. Alternate Translation: "God has easily defeated my enemies ... like a flood easily bursts through everything"
1Ch 14:11
God has burst through my enemies ... like a bursting flood of water
David speaks of God easily defeating David's enemies as if God had burst through them, like a flood bursts through anything in its path. Alternate Translation: "God has easily defeated my enemies ... like a flood easily bursts through everything"
1Ch 27:23
to increase Israel like the stars of heaven
This speaks of the number of people in Israel increasing as if they would become as numerous as the stars. Alternate Translation: "to increase the number of people in Israel to be as many as the stars in the heavens"
1Ch 29:15
Our days on the earth are like a shadow
This speaks of people's lives being short as if they were a shadow that is only visible for a short time. A person's lifetime is represented by his "days." Alternate Translation: "Our time here on earth is like a shadow that disappears quickly"
2Ch 1:9
a people as numerous as the dust of the earth
This simile emphasizes the great number of Israelites. Alternate Translation: "countless people" or "very many people"
2Ch 18:16
like sheep who have no shepherd
The people of the army are compared to sheep that have no one to lead them because their shepherd, the king, has died.
Ezr 3:1
as one man
One man is in only one place and has only one purpose. Alternate Translation: "for one purpose"
Neh 9:11
you ... threw those who pursued them into the depths, as a stone into deep waters
In this simile, the writer describes God throwing the Egyptians into the sea as easily as a person would throw a stone into water, and the stone would disappear under the water completely.
Job 5:7
mankind is born for trouble, just as sparks fly upward
It is as natural for people, once they are born, to have trouble as it is for sparks to fly up from a fire.
Job 5:25
your offspring will be like the grass on the ground
Here "offspring" are spoken of as if they were as many as blades of grass, and probably as thriving, too. Alternate Translation: "your descendants will be as many and as alive as the grass that grows"
Job 6:3
For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas
Job compares the burden of his suffering to the weight of wet sand; both can crush a person. Alternate Translation: "For my anguish and calamities would be heavier than the sand on the seashore"
Job 6:15
But my brothers have been as faithful to me as a desert streambed
Job speaks of his friends being unfaithful to him as being like a "wadi" which is a stream that can suddenly dry up. Also, Job refers to his friends ironically here as his "brothers." Alternate Translation: "But my friends are unfaithful to me. They are like a desert streambed"
Job 6:15
as channels of water that pass away to nothing
like streams of water that dry up. Job continues speaking of his friends being unfaithful as if they were streams that dry up.
Job 6:27
haggle over your friend like merchandise
This compares how the man would sell his friend to how a person sells merchandise or wares. Alternate Translation: "bargain to sell your friend for money"
Job 7:2
Like a slave ... like a hired man ... so I have been ... given trouble-filled nights
Job compares his misery and trouble to that of the slave and hired man.
Job 7:3
Like a slave ... like a hired man ... so I have been ... given trouble-filled nights
Job compares his misery and trouble to that of the slave and hired man.
Job 7:6
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle
Job compares his lifetime to the quickness of a weaver's shuttle. Alternate Translation: "My life goes by very quickly"
Job 7:9
As a cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more
Job is describing death as being like the clouds that disappear.
Job 8:14
his trust is as weak as a spider's web
Here Bildad compares the trust of the godless person to a spider's web; the slightest force will break both.
Job 9:25
My days are swifter than a running messenger
Job compares how quickly his days are passing by to a fast runner. Alternate Translation: "My days pass swiftly"
Job 9:26
They are as fast as papyrus reed boats
Job compares how quickly his days are passing by to the speed of fast boats. Alternate Translation: "They pass quickly by like papyrus reed boats"
Job 9:26
as fast as the eagle that swoops down on its victim
Job compares how quickly his days are passing by to a large bird diving toward its prey. Alternate Translation: "as fast as the eagle that flies down quickly to catch its food"
Job 10:16
you would stalk me like a lion
Possible meanings of this simile are 1) God hunts Job like a lion hunts its prey or 2) Job is like a lion being hunted by God.
Job 10:22
as dark as midnight
The darkness of the place where the spirits of dead people go is compared to the darkness of midnight.
Job 10:22
where the light is like midnight
The light of the place where the spirits of dead people go is compared to midnight. Alternate Translation: "where there is no light"
Job 11:16
you would remember it only like waters that have flowed away
Zophar is comparing misery with water that flows downstream and it is gone. Alternate Translation: "You would remember it, but the misery will be gone, like waters that have flowed away"
Job 12:25
he makes them stagger like a drunk man
Staggering or wandering like a drunk man represents living without purpose. Alternate Translation: "he makes them live without purpose like a drunk person who staggers as he walks" or "they wander aimlessly like a drunk person who staggers back and forth"
Job 13:28
like a rotten thing that wastes away
Job compares his life to something that is decaying. He is slowly dying.
Job 13:28
like a garment that moths have eaten
Job compares himself to clothes that are full of holes because the moths have eaten parts of it.
Job 14:2
He sprouts from the ground like a flower and is cut down
Like the life of a flower, a person's life is short and is easily killed.
Job 14:2
he flees like a shadow and does not last
A person's short life is compared to a shadow that disappears quickly.
Job 14:11
As water disappears from a lake ... and do not rise again
The fact that death cannot be reversed is compared to water that dried up and cannot return.
Job 14:12
As water disappears from a lake ... and do not rise again
The fact that death cannot be reversed is compared to water that dried up and cannot return.
Job 14:19
Like this, you destroy the hope of man
If it is easier in your language, you can put this phrase at the beginning of verse 18 and adjust the text accordingly. Alternate Translation: "You destroy the hope of man, just like ... dust of the earth"
Job 15:24
as a king ready for battle
This compares how his distress and anguish overpower him to how a king, who is ready for battle, would prevail against him. Alternate Translation: "just like a king, who is ready for a battle, would prevail against him"
Job 16:21
as a man does with his neighbor!
as a man does for his neighbor. Job describes how he wants that one in heaven to plead for him.
Job 17:7
all my body parts are as thin as shadows
Shadows have no thickness and are infinitely thin. That is an exaggeration of how thin Job's body parts are. Alternate Translation: "all my body parts are very thin"
Job 19:10
he has pulled up my hope like a tree
Job speaks of God causing Job not to have hope as if Job's hope were a tree that God has pulled with its roots out of the ground. Alternate Translation: "he has completely taken away all my hope" or "because of what he has done, I can no longer hope for anything good"
Job 19:10
like a tree
This simile is also an ellipsis. You may need to supply the omitted words. Alternate Translation: "the way a man pulls a tree up by its roots"
Job 20:7
will perish permanently like his own feces
Feces mixes in with the ground and disappears. The reference to feces may also imply that the wicked person is worthless. Alternate Translation: "will perish permanently like his feces, which completely disappears in the ground"
Job 20:7
will perish permanently like his own feces
If people are embarrassed about the word feces, translators may refer to something else that disappears completely. Alternate Translation: "will disappear permanently like dust that the wind blows away"
Job 21:11
little ones like a flock
Job compares these children to lambs to emphasize that they run, play, and are happy.
Job 21:18
they become like stubble before the wind or like chaff that the storm carries away
The death of the wicked is spoken of as if they were worthless less chaff and stubble that blows away. This can be stated in active form. Alternate Translation: "God takes them away like the wind blows away the chaff"
Job 22:16
those whose foundations have washed away like a river
The death of wicked people is compared to buildings that had their foundations washed away by a flood.
Job 23:10
I will come out like gold
Job believes that the test will prove that he is as pure as refined gold. Alternate Translation: "he will see that I am as pure as gold when anything not pure has been burned away"
Job 24:5
these poor people go out to their work like wild donkeys in the wilderness, looking carefully for food
These poor people are spoken of as if they are wild donkeys who do not know where they will find food. Alternate Translation: "these poor people go out to search for food as if they were wild donkeys in the wilderness"
Job 24:14
he is like a thief
The murderer kills in secret just like a thief steals without anyone seeing what he does. Alternate Translation: "he kills people secretly, just like a thief steals secretly"
Job 24:17
For all of them, thick darkness is like the morning
The thick darkness is as comfortable for the wicked as light of the morning is for normal people.
Job 24:18
like foam on the surface of the waters
Foam lasts only a short time. This emphasizes how quickly God will cause the wicked to disappear.
Job 24:19
As drought and heat melt away ... those who have sinned
Job says that sinners will disappear in Sheol in the same way as snow melts and disappears when it becomes warm.
Job 24:24
they will be cut off like the tops of ears of grain
These wicked people will be cut off in the same way heads of grain are cut off during harvest. This can be stated in active form. Alternate Translation: "God will cut them off like a farmer cuts off the top of a stalk of grain"
Job 27:16
heaps up silver like the dust
Here "heaps up" is a metonym meaning "gathers much." Job speaks as if the silver were as easy to get as dust. Alternate Translation: "gathers large piles of silver" or "gathers silver as easily as he could gather dust"
Job 27:16
heaps up clothing like clay
Here "heaps up" is a metonym meaning "gathers much." Job speaks as if the clothing were as easy to get as clay. Alternate Translation: "gathers large piles of clothing" or "gathers clothing as easily as he could gather clay"
Job 27:18
He builds his house like a spider
A spider web is fragile and easily destroyed. Alternate Translation: "He builds his house as fragile as a spider builds its web" or "He builds his house as fragile as a spider's web"
Job 27:18
like a hut
A hut is a temporary house that is also not very strong. Alternate Translation: "like a temporary hut"
Job 27:20
like waters
The word "waters" refers to a flood. Floods can happen very suddenly when people do not expect them, and they are dangerous and frightening. Alternate Translation: "like a flood" or "like waters that rise up suddenly"
Job 29:14
my justice was like a robe and a turban
People often spoke of justice as if it were clothing. Alternate Translation: "I did what was just, and it was like a robe and a turban on me"
Job 29:22
my speech dropped like water on them
Here "dropped like water on them" represents refreshing the people who heard him. The abstract noun "speech" can be translated with the verb "speak" or "say." Alternate Translation: "my speech refreshed their hearts as drops of water refresh people's bodies" or "what I said to them refreshed them like drops of water"
Job 29:23
They always waited for me as they waited for rain
People waited for Job patiently and expected to hear good things.
Job 29:25
I lived like a king in his army
Job speaks of how he led the people and how they obeyed him as if he were a king and they were his army.
Job 30:7
brayed like donkeys
Job speaks of the men crying out in hunger as if they were wild donkeys making a loud noise. Alternate Translation: "cried out like wild donkeys because they were hungry"
Job 30:14
They come against me like an army through a wide hole in a city wall
This represents attacking Job forcefully.
Job 30:15
my honor is driven away as if by the wind
Job speaks of suddenly having no honor as if the wind had blown it from him. Alternate Translation: "Nobody honors me" or "I am now a person that people do not honor"
Job 30:15
my prosperity passes away as a cloud
Job speaks of his prosperity ending as if it were a cloud that was blown away. Here "prosperity" may refer to well-being or safety. Alternate Translation: "I no longer prosper at all" or "I am no longer safe"
Job 30:19
I have become like dust and ashes
This represents Job's feeling of being worthless. Alternate Translation: "I have become as worthless as dust and ashes"
Job 31:37
as a confident prince I would go up to him
This means Job would approach God without any fear. Job implies that he could do this because he was not guilty. Alternate Translation: "I would approach him boldly"
Job 32:19
my breast is like fermenting wine that has no vent; like new wineskins, it is ready to burst
While wine is fermenting, gas collects in the container. If the gas is not let out the container will burst. Elihu means that he has so much to say that if he does not speak he feels like he will burst. Also, these two phrases are parallel and have the same meaning. Alternate Translation: "I feel like my breast is about to burst, like a container of fermenting wine that has no vent"
Job 33:25
his flesh will become fresher than a child's
This speaks of the man being healed and his body growing strong again as if his body became new like a child's body. Alternate Translation: "the sick man's body will become new again like a young person's body"
Job 34:3
For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food
Elihu means people listen carefully to determine what is right or wrong just like we taste food to determine if it is good or bad. Here people are referred to by their "ear" and their "palate" to emphasize that they are tasting and hearing. Alternate Translation: "For we listen to words to know what is good and bad, just as we taste foods to know what is good to eat"
Job 34:7
who drinks up mockery like water
Elihu is accusing Job of mocking others as often as a person drinks water. Alternate Translation: "who mocks other people as frequently as he drinks water"
Job 34:26
In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals
This phrase compares the way that these people die to how criminals die. Alternate Translation: "He kills them for their wicked deeds, in the open sight of others as if they were criminals"
Job 37:10
frozen like metal
Elihu compares the hardness of ice to the hardness of metal. Alternate Translation: "frozen, as hard as metal"
Job 38:8
as if it had come out of the womb
Yahweh compares his creation of the sea to childbirth.
Job 38:14
The earth is changed in appearance like clay changes under a seal
At nighttime, people cannot see clearly, but in the morning the light reveals the distinct shape of everything, just like a seal creates distinct images in clay.
Job 38:14
all things on it stand out clearly like the folds of a piece of clothing
Here "it" refers to the earth. This phrase has a similar meaning to the first phrase in this verse.
Job 38:30
become like stone
The hardness of ice is spoken of as if it was stone. Alternate Translation: "become hard like stone"
Job 40:7
gird up your loins like a man
A man who tucks his robe up under his sash or belt is preparing for hard physical work, and Job was to prepare for the hard work of answering God. See how you translated this in [Job 38:3](../38/03.md).
Job 40:9
an arm like God's
The arm is a metonym for the strength in the arm. Alternate Translation: "strength like God's strength"
Job 40:15
eats grass like an ox
Both the behemoth and the ox eat grass.
Job 40:17
like a cedar
Cedar is a very hard wood, and his tail becomes very hard.
Job 40:18
like tubes of bronze
Here, his bones are compared to tubes made of bronze to show how tough this animal is.
Job 40:18
like bars of iron
This last comparison describes the strength of this great animal.
Job 41:18
his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning dawn
This means that his eyes are red as the morning dawn is red.
Job 41:20
smoke like a boiling pot
Both the smoke and a boiling pot are very hot.
Job 41:24
His heart is as hard as a stone
A rock or stone does not change and become soft. Possible meanings are 1) Leviathan's physical chest and the organs inside it are physically hard or 2) Leviathan is not afraid of anything or 3) Leviathan is spoken of as a person who kills without ever being sorry.
Job 41:27
He thinks of iron as if it were straw
He thinks of weapons made of iron as if they were weapons made of straw. Straw would not get through his hide, and iron weapons do not get through his hide.
Job 41:30
he leaves a spreading trail in the mud as if he were a threshing sledge
Just as a threshing sledge goes over grain on a threshing floor and turns it to powder, so Leviathan's tail leaves a trail in the mud as he wags it when he walks.
Job 41:31
he makes the sea like a pot of ointment
The ointment in a pot is cloudy if someone shakes it, and the sea is muddy when Leviathan swims in it.
Psa 1:3
He will be like a tree ... fruit in its season
In the Bible, people are often spoken of as trees. People who delight in Yahweh's law can do all God wants them to do just as a tree that is planted by water produces good fruit. Alternate Translation: "He will be prosperous like a tree ... fruit in its season"
Psa 1:4
but are instead like the chaff
How they are like chaff can be stated clearly. Alternate Translation: "but instead they are worthless like the chaff"
Psa 5:12
you will surround them with favor as with a shield
God's favor is spoken of as if it were a shield. Alternate Translation: "you will favor them and protect them as a soldier protects himself with his shield" or "because you are kind to them, you will protect them
Psa 7:2
they will rip me apart like a lion, tearing me in pieces
David speaks of his enemies attacking him as if they would rip his body apart and tear it in pieces as a lion would. Alternate Translation: "they will violently kill me like a lion ripping apart its victim's body and tearing it in pieces" or "they will violently kill me"
Psa 9:6
The enemy crumbled like ruins
The enemy is spoken of as if it were a city full of broken down buildings. Alternate Translation: "Our enemies were destroyed"
Psa 10:9
He lurks in secret like a lion in the thicket
This speaks of the wicked person as if he were a lion. Alternate Translation: "He hides while he waits for the weak to walk near him, the same way a lion quietly waits in the bush for the animal it wants to attack"
Psa 12:6
like silver purified in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times
Yahweh's words are compared to silver that has been purified. Alternate Translation: "they are without any imperfection"
Psa 17:8
Protect me like the apple of your eye
The "apple of your eye" refers to something that is valuable. Alternate Translation: "Protect me as you would something most valuable and precious"
Psa 17:11
They are like a lion ... like a young lion
The writer feels pursued the way a lion hunts its prey
Psa 17:12
They are like a lion ... like a young lion
The writer feels pursued the way a lion hunts its prey
Psa 18:13
Yahweh thundered in the heavens
Yahweh's voice sounded like thunder.
Psa 18:32
puts strength on me like a belt
God gives strength to David as if it were a piece of clothing.
Psa 18:33
like a deer and places me on the heights
The deer is especially quick and stable in the mountains.
Psa 18:39
put strength on me like a belt
The Psalmist says that Yahweh has given him strength that surrounds and supports him like a belt. See how you translated this in [Psalms 18:32](./032.md).
Psa 18:42
I beat them into fine pieces like dust before the wind
The psalmists enemies are compared to dust to show how defeated they are.
Psa 18:42
I threw them out like mud in the streets
The psalmist's enemies are compared to mud in the streets to show how defeated they are.
Psa 19:5
The sun is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber
The writer speaks of the sun's coming out as if it were a bridegroom. Alternate Translation: "The sun is like a bridegroom walking joyfully toward his bride"
Psa 19:5
like a strong man who rejoices when he runs his race
This compares the sun to an athlete to emphasize the strength and brightness of the sun.
Psa 22:13
like a roaring lion ripping its victim
The writer speaks about his enemies as if they were lions. This emphasizes how powerful and dangerous his enemies are.
Psa 22:14
I am being poured out like water
The writer speaks about feeling completely exhausted and weak as if he were water being poured out of a jar.
Psa 22:14
My heart is like wax ... inner parts
The writer speaks about no longer having courage as if his heart melted like wax. Here "heart" represents "courage."
Psa 22:15
My strength has dried up like a piece of pottery
The writer speaks about feeling weak as if his strength were like a dry piece of pottery that can easily break.
Psa 29:6
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf
The ground of Lebanon shaking is spoken of as if it were a young calf skipping. This emphasizes that when Yahweh speaks, the power of his voice shakes the ground. Alternate Translation: "He makes the land of Lebanon shake like a calf skipping"
Psa 31:12
as a dead man whom no one thinks about
People do not think about dead people. The writer does not think people think about him.
Psa 31:12
like a broken pot
The writer speaks of himself as if he was completely useless. "as useless as a broken pot"
Psa 32:4
My strength withered as in summer drought
David's strength is compared to a small, green plant that turns brown and crumbles in the dry season.
Psa 32:9
Do not be like a horse ... no understanding
The writer compares people with no understanding to horses and mules. Possible meanings are 1) the writer is speaking Yahweh's words to his readers, "You all must not be like a horse ... no understanding" or 2) Yahweh is speaking to the writer as though to a group of people.
Psa 33:7
like a heap
like behind a dam. The writer describes the creation of the sea as if God piles up all the waters together.
Psa 35:5
as chaff before the wind
The writer's enemies are spoken of as if they are chaff that is easily blown away. Alternate Translation: "blown away by the wind like chaff"
Psa 35:14
in grief as for my brother
The writer was as sad as if his own brother had died. Alternate Translation: "grieving as if my own brother was ill"
Psa 35:14
I bent down in mourning as for my mother
The writer mourned as if his own mother had died. Alternate Translation: "I mourned as if my own mother had died"
Psa 36:6
like the mountains of God ... like the great deep
These phrases describe the greatness of God's righteousness and judgments as if they were very high and deep. Alternate Translation: "as high as the highest mountains ... as deep as the deepest sea"
Psa 37:2
dry up as the grass ... wither as the green plants
Evildoers are spoken of as if they are grass and plants that dry up and die in the hot weather. These two similes both mean they will die. Alternate Translation: "die" or "come to an end"
Psa 37:6
like the daylight
This means "in full view of everyone." Alternate Translation: "as clear to see as the light of day"
Psa 37:6
like the day at noon
This means "as visible as the noon sun." Alternate Translation: "as visible as the light at the brightest time of day"
Psa 37:20
Yahweh's enemies will be like the glory of the pastures
The writer compares Yahweh's enemies to the flowers blooming in the fields.
Psa 37:35
spread out like a green tree in its native soil
Here the prosperity of the wicked man is spoken of as if he were a healthy tree growing in good soil.
Psa 39:5
my lifetime is like nothing before you
This simile states that the length of the writer's life is so short that it does not exist. This is an exaggeration to stress how short it is. Alternate Translation: "the length of my life is barely any time at all"
Psa 39:6
Surely every man walks about like a shadow
The lives of people are spoken of as if they are as insignificant as shadows. Alternate Translation: "Everyone disappears like shadows do"
Psa 39:11
consume the things they desire like a moth
God will take away the things they value in the same way as a moth eats a piece of cloth. Alternate Translation: "consume the things they desire like a moth eats away at clothing"
Psa 39:12
I am like a foreigner with you, a refugee
The writer speaks of Yahweh's lack of response as if Yahweh considered him to be a total stranger to him. Alternate Translation: "I am like a complete stranger to you"
Psa 42:10
As with a sword in my bones
The writer describes his adversaries' rebukes as his receiving a fatal wound.
Psa 44:11
You have made us like sheep to be slaughtered
The writer compares the Israelites to sheep that people kill and eat. As sheep are helpless before those who kill them, so the Israelites are helpless before their enemies. This can be translated in active form. Alternate Translation: "You have allowed our enemies to kill us like they would kill a sheep and eat it"
Psa 49:14
Like sheep
The writer compares people who will all die to a flock of sheep. Just as sheep cannot escape when the butcher decides to slaughter them, so men will not escape when it is their time to die.
Psa 51:7
whiter than snow
Not having sin is spoken of as being white. Alternate Translation: "very, very white"
Psa 52:2
Your tongue plans destruction like a sharp razor, working deceitfully
Here the tongue is compared to a sharp razor which is capable of causing great harm. Alternate Translation: "Your tongue harms people like a sharp razor does, when you plan destruction and deceive others"
Psa 52:8
I am like a green olive tree in God's house
Being safe and secure is spoken of as being like a strong tree. Alternate Translation: "I am strong in God's house, like a green olive tree" or "Because I worship in God's house, I am secure like a green olive tree"
Psa 55:21
His mouth was smooth as butter
Speech that is pleasant or nice to hear is spoken of as if it were smooth and easy to swallow. Alternate Translation: "What he said was pleasant like smooth butter" or "He said nice things"
Psa 55:21
his words were softer than oil
People put oil on their skin to make it feel nice, and they put it on wounds to help them heal. Speech that is kind or helpful is spoken of as if it were soft or soothing. Alternate Translation: "what he said was kind and soothing like oil" or "he said kind things"
Psa 58:4
they are like a deaf adder that stops up its ears
Wicked people who do not listen to advice or rebukes are spoken of as if they were snakes that do not respond to a charmer's music. Alternate Translation: "they refuse to listen like a deaf adder that stops up its ears"
Psa 58:8
Let them be like a snail that melts and passes away
No longer existing is spoken of as melting and disappearing. Alternate Translation: "Let the wicked vanish like a snail that melts and no longer exists"
Psa 58:8
like the untimely-born child of a woman that never sees the sunlight
Not existing is spoken of as being like a baby that is born dead. Alternate Translation: "like a baby who is born too early too live and see the sunlight" or "like a baby that was born dead"
Psa 59:6
they howl like dogs
The psalmist speaks of his enemies threatening to attack people as if they were dogs howling, growling, or barking at people. Alternate Translation: "they threaten to attack people"
Psa 59:14
howling like dogs
The psalmist speaks of his enemies threatening to attack people as if they were dogs howling, growling, or barking at people. Alternate Translation: "threatening to attack us" or "threatening to attack us like wild dogs"
Psa 63:5
It will be as if I ate a meal of marrow and fatness
Here the writer speaks of knowing and worshiping God as being more satisfying than eating a good meal. Alternate Translation: "I will be happier than a person who eats a meal of fat and choice food"
Psa 64:3
They have sharpened their tongues like swords
The writer speaks of his enemies' tongues as if they were as sharp as swords. Here "tongues" represents the harsh words that the enemies speak. Alternate Translation: "The harsh things that they say hurt me like a sharp sword"
Psa 68:14
scattered kings there ... snowed on Mount Zalmon
There were so many dead kings and soldiers on the mountain that they are spoken of as if they were snow covering the mountain. Alternate Translation: "defeated so many enemy kings and soldiers there that they were like snowflakes covering Mount Zalmon"
Psa 72:6
May he come down like rain on the mown grass
The king will be good, and he will do good things for his people as if he were rain doing good for freshly cut grass.
Psa 72:16
like Lebanon
like the cedar trees in Lebanon. These trees were beautiful and had wood that was good for building. The meaning of this can be made clear.
Psa 72:16
the people flourish in the cities like the grass of the field
The prosperity of the people in the cities is spoken of as if they were grass that grows abundantly in the fields.
Psa 73:6
Pride adorns them like a necklace around their neck; violence clothes them like a robe
This means the wicked show everyone how proud and violent they are as if they were wearing a necklace or beautiful robe.
Psa 73:20
like a dream after one wakes up
The wicked will last no longer than what a person sees in a dream. It disappears as soon as the person wakes up.
Psa 77:20
You led your people like a flock
This simile compares God's people to a flock of animals.
Psa 78:52
like sheep ... like a flock
The writer speaks about the Israelites as if they were sheep. This means God cared for and protected the people like a shepherd does his sheep.
Psa 78:69
He built his sanctuary like the heavens
Possible meanings for this simile are 1) Yahweh has made his sanctuary as high as the heavens. Alternate Translation: "He built his sanctuary high, like the heavens" or 2) Yahweh has made his sanctuary as permanent as the heavens. Alternate Translation: "He built his sanctuary to last permanently, like the heavens last forever"
Psa 79:5
burn like fire
This simile compares the expression of God's anger to a fire that destroys things. Alternate Translation: "destroy us"
Psa 83:10
became like manure for the earth
This means the bodies of Sisera and Jabin were not buried but were left to rot.
Psa 83:13
General Information:
The writer uses similes to describe God's total destruction of Israel's enemies.
Psa 83:13
make them like the whirling dust, like chaff before the wind
Both statements speak of God destroying his enemies as if he were a strong wind easily blowing them away.
Psa 83:14
like the fire that burns the forest, and like the flame that sets the mountains on fire
Both statements speak of God's punishment as if it were a fire, and the enemies of God are things that burn in the fire.
Psa 83:15
Chase them with your strong wind, and terrify them with your windstorm
Both statements ask God to destroy the enemies with storms.
Psa 88:5
I am like the dead who lie in the grave
The writer feeling like people and God have abandoned him speaks about himself as if he were already a dead person lying in a grave.
Psa 88:17
They surround me like water all the day long
The writer compares God's "angry actions" and "terrifying deeds" to a flood of water. Alternate Translation: "All day long they threaten to destroy me like a flood"
Psa 89:29
his throne as enduring as the skies above
Someone from David's family always ruling as king is spoken of as if his his throne would last as long as the sky will last.
Psa 89:36
as long as the sun before me
God compares David's rule as king to the sun to emphasize that someone from David's descendants will always rule as king.
Psa 89:37
forever like the moon
God compares David's rule as king to the moon to emphasize that someone from David's descendants will always rule as king.
Psa 89:46
your anger burn like fire
God being very angry is spoken of as if his anger were a hot fire.
Psa 90:4
For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night
The writer means that a long period of time seems like a short period of time to God. Alternate Translation: "You consider a thousand years the same as one day in the past, or as a few short hours in the night" or "Even a thousand years is not a long time to you"
Psa 90:5
in the morning they are like the grass ... in the evening it withers and dries up
The people are being compared to grass to emphasize that people do not live a very long time.
Psa 90:6
in the morning they are like the grass ... in the evening it withers and dries up
The people are being compared to grass to emphasize that people do not live a very long time.
Psa 90:9
like a sigh
The writer compares human life to a sigh to emphasize that life is very brief.
Psa 92:7
When the wicked sprout like the grass
This compares evil people to grass, which grows quickly and in many places. Alternate Translation: "When evil people appear quickly and seem to be everywhere, like grass"
Psa 92:12
The righteous will flourish like the palm tree
Possible meanings are that righteous people will be like a healthy palm tree because they will 1) be strong or 2) live for long time.
Psa 92:12
they will grow like a cedar in Lebanon
Possible meanings are that righteous people will be like a healthy cedar tree growing in the land of Lebanon because 1) they will be strong or 2) people will honor them.
Psa 97:5
The mountains melt like wax before Yahweh
The writer speaks of the mountains crumbling before Yahweh as if they were wax that was exposed to a fire. Alternate Translation: "The mountains are unable to stand as Yahweh comes near" or "The mountains crumble in Yahweh's presence"
Psa 102:3
my days pass away like smoke
Here "my days" refers to the author's life and the idea of "smoke" is something that quickly disappears. Alternate Translation: "my life passes away quickly"
Psa 102:4
I am like grass that has withered
This is another way to describe his despair. Alternate Translation: "I feel like I am drying up like withered grass"
Psa 102:6
I am like a pelican of the wilderness
He compares his loneliness to that of a pelican, which is often seem alone instead of with other birds. Alternate Translation: "I am lonely and despised like a pelican in the wilderness"
Psa 102:6
I have become like an owl in the ruins
The author continues to describe loneliness by comparing himself to an owl in abandoned ruins. Alternate Translation: "I have become alone like an owl in abandoned ruins"
Psa 102:7
I lie awake like a solitary bird
The writer compares himself to a bird to emphasize his feeling of loneliness.
Psa 102:9
I eat ashes like bread
David would have sat in ashes as an act of mourning, therefore ashes would have fallen on his food. Alternate Translation: "I eat ashes like I eat bread" or "As I mourn, ashes fall on the bread that I eat"
Psa 102:11
My days are like a shadow that fades
David compares his time left to live on earth to a fading shadow. Alternate Translation: "My time to remain alive is short like an evening shadow that will soon be gone"
Psa 102:11
I have withered like grass
As David's body becomes weak and he is nearing the end of his life, he compares himself to withering grass. Alternate Translation: "my body has become weak like withered grass"
Psa 103:5
your youth is renewed like the eagle
Having your "youth renewed" means to feel young again. Here David compares this feeling of youth to the swiftness and strength of an eagle. Alternate Translation: "you feel young and are strong like an eagle"
Psa 103:11
For as the skies are high ... toward those who honor him
The simile compares the great distance between heaven and earth to the greatness of God's love for his people.
Psa 103:12
As far as the east ... removed the guilt of our sins from us
The distance between east and west is so far that it cannot be measured. In this simile, that distance is being compared to how far God moves our guilt away from us.
Psa 103:13
As a father has compassion ... on those who honor him
Here the author compares a father's compassion for his children to Yahweh's compassion for those who honor him.
Psa 103:15
As for man, his days are like grass
In this simile, the length of man's life is being compared to the short length of time that grass grows before it dies. Alternate Translation: "The length of man's life is short like that of grass"
Psa 103:15
he flourishes like a flower in a field
In this simile, how man grows over time is compared to how a flower grows.
Psa 103:16
The wind blows over it, and it disappears ... where it once grew
These phrases continue to talk about flowers and grass. They compare how flowers and grass die to how man dies. Alternate Translation: "The wind blows over the flowers and grass and they disappear, and no one can tell where they once grew—it is the same way with man"
Psa 104:2
You cover yourself with light as with a garment
Yahweh is described as being covered with light as if the light were a garment around him. Alternate Translation: "You are covered in light"
Psa 104:2
you spread out the heavens like a tent curtain
Here God is described as spreading out the heavens like someone spreads out a tent when setting it up. Alternate Translation: "you spread out the heavens like someone sets up a tent"
Psa 104:6
You covered the earth with water like a garment
Here the water that covered the earth is being compared to how a large garment is able to completely cover something. Alternate Translation: "You completely covered the earth with water"
Psa 106:9
through the depths, as through a wilderness
Here David compares the way that Yahweh led the Isrealites through the Sea of Reeds to the way people can be led across the dry ground of a wilderness. "The depths" refers the riverbed that appeared after Yahweh parted the waters. Alternate Translation: "through the Seas of Reeds on dry ground"
Psa 107:41
cares for his families like a flock
Here David compares how Yahweh cares for his people to how a shepherd cares for his sheep. Possible meanings are 1) "makes the number of people in their families increase like flocks" or 2) "takes care of them like a shepherd cares for his sheep"
Psa 109:19
May his curses be to him like the clothes he wears to cover himself
People wore their clothes everyday. David speaks of a wicked person always being cursed as if his curses always covered him as his clothing does. Alternate Translation: "Let his curses be on him every day like the garment he wears"
Psa 109:29
may they wear their shame like a robe
David speaks of them being ashamed as if it were a robe that they wore. Alternate Translation: "may their shame cover them just like their robe is wrapped around them"
Psa 118:12
They surrounded me like bees
The writer compares the enemy armies to a swarm of bees. Alternate Translation: "They surrounded me like a swarm of bees would surround a person"
Psa 118:12
they disappeared as quickly as fire among thorns
Just like dry thorns burn out quickly, the attack of the enemy armies was quickly over. Alternate Translation: "their attack lasted only a short time, as a fire that consumes thorns quickly dies"
Psa 119:83
I have become like a wineskin in the smoke
A wineskin is ruined when it hangs for a long time in a smoke-filled place. The writer compares himself to a wineskin that has been ruined by smoke to emphasize that he feels useless.
Psa 119:119
You remove all the wicked of the earth like slag
Slag is the waste or undesired leftovers in the process of refining gold or other metals. Yahweh removes the wicked people as if they were trash.
Psa 119:176
I have wandered off like a lost sheep
The psalmist compares his disobedience to Yahweh to a sheep that has wandered away from the flock. Alternate Translation: "I have left your way like a sheep that has left its flock"
Psa 125:1
Those who trust in Yahweh are like Mount Zion, unshakable, forever enduring
People who trust in Yahweh are spoken of as if they they were Mount Zion. Mountains are unable to be moved.
Psa 125:2
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so Yahweh surrounds his people
Yahweh's protection is spoken of as if he was the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. Jerusalem was surrounded by several mountains, which protected it from attack. Alternate Translation: "As the hills that surround Jerusalem protect it, so Yahweh protects his people"
Psa 127:4
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth
Arrows are very important to a warrior because they protect him in battle. Children are spoken of as if they are a warrior's arrow. Alternate Translation: "Having many children will help to protect you"
Psa 128:3
like a fruitful vine in your house
The wife is spoke of as a vine producing a lot of fruit. This implies that children are like fruit and the wife will have many children. Alternate Translation: "very productive and give you many children"
Psa 128:3
your children will be like olive plants
Children are compared to olive plants because of the way they grow to surround something. Children will surround the table and make it full. Alternate Translation: "you will have many children who will grow and prosper"
Psa 129:6
May they be like the grass ... bundles of grain together
The psalmist speaks of his enemies dying and being few in number. They are compare to the little bit of grass that grows on the roof of a house and withers and is not enough to cut or bundle. Alternate Translation: "May they die and may there be so few of them that they would be like the grass ... bundles of grain together"
Psa 129:7
May they be like the grass ... bundles of grain together
The psalmist speaks of his enemies dying and being few in number. They are compare to the little bit of grass that grows on the roof of a house and withers and is not enough to cut or bundle. Alternate Translation: "May they die and may there be so few of them that they would be like the grass ... bundles of grain together"
Psa 130:6
My soul waits ... more than watchmen wait for the morning
The psalmist speaks of his desire for the Lord to help him as being greater than the desire that those who work all night have for the morning to come.
Psa 133:2
It is like fine oil on the head
The goodness of unity among God's people is spoken of as if it were like the fine oil that was poured on Aaron's head. Alternate Translation: "This unity is precious like the oil that was poured on Aaron's head"
Psa 133:3
like the dew of Hermon
The goodness of unity among God's people is spoken of as it if it were refreshing like dew. Alternate Translation: "refreshing like the dew of Hermon"
Psa 135:18
Those who make them are like them
Being ignorant and powerless is spoken of as being like idols, which cannot speak, see, hear, or breathe. Alternate Translation: "Those who make them are stupid and powerless like their idols"
Psa 141:2
May my prayer be like incense
The psalmist asks Yahweh to accept and be pleased with his prayer the way he would accept and be pleased with incense. Alternate Translation: "May the my prayer please you the way the sweet smell of incense pleases people"
Psa 141:2
be like the evening sacrifice
The means to be like the animal that was burned on the altar in the evening. The psalmist speaks as if he wants Yahweh to be as pleased with him as he is with those who bring animals to sacrifice. He wants Yahweh to be pleased because the psalmist is praying or because of the words of his prayer.
Psa 141:5
it will be like oil on my head
Possible meanings are that the psalmist speaks as if a person correcting him were putting oil on his head 1) to honor him. Alternate Translation: "when he corrects me, I will know that the one who corrects me is doing a good deed to me" or 2) to make his head feel better.
Psa 144:4
like a breath ... like a passing shadow
The writer compares humans to these thing to emphasize how short their lives are.
Psa 147:16
He makes the snow like wool, he scatters the frost like ashes
These emphasize how easy it is for him to do these things. He covers the ground with snow as easily as a person covers something with a wool blanket. And, he removes the frost as easily as the wind blows ashes.
Psa 147:17
He dispenses the hail like crumbs
Yahweh scatters hail as easily as a person would scatter bread crumbs. Alternate Translation: "He dispenses the hail easily, as if it were crumbs"
Pro 1:27
when your fearful dread comes like a storm ... like a whirlwind ... come upon you
Terrible things happening to the people is compared to a storm hitting them and causing fear and suffering.
Pro 4:18
the path of righteous people is like the first light that grows brighter
The writer compares the path of righteous people to the sunrise, meaning that they are safe because they have light to see where they are walking. Alternate Translation: "righteous people walk along their path safely because the morning sun shines on it and grows brighter"
Pro 4:19
The way of the wicked is like darkness
The writer compares the way of wicked people to darkness, meaning that they are always in danger because they have no light to see where they are walking. Alternate Translation: "Wicked people walk dangerously along their path because they have no light to be able to see"
Pro 6:11
your poverty will come like a robber
The sudden way a lazy person becomes poor is like the sudden way a robber comes and steals things. Alternate Translation: "you will suddenly become poor, just as if a robber came and stole everything you have"
Pro 6:11
and your needs like an armed soldier
The sudden way a lazy person becomes in need of things is like the sudden way an armed soldier takes things from a person. This can be stated as a complete sentence. Alternate Translation: "and your needs will come to you like an armed soldier" or "and you will become needy just as if an armed soldier stole all your things"
Pro 7:22
like an ox going ... into a snare
The naive and unsuspecting way the young man follows the adulteress is compared to the way three animals are unaware of the danger they are in.
Pro 7:23
like an ox going ... into a snare
The naive and unsuspecting way the young man follows the adulteress is compared to the way three animals are unaware of the danger they are in.
Pro 10:25
The wicked are like the storm
Just as storm comes and sweeps everything away so wicked people will disappear.
Pro 10:26
Like vinegar on the teeth and smoke in the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him
Vinegar and "smoke" represent things that hurt a person's teeth and eyes. Alternate Translation: "Sending a lazy person to accomplish a task is irritating and unpleasant"
Pro 11:22
Like a gold ring ... without discretion
A beautiful woman without discretion is compared to a useless and unsuitable golden ring in a pig's nose.
Pro 11:28
like the leaf, righteous people will flourish
Leaf represents growth and prosperity. Alternate Translation: "righteous people will prosper in the same way a healthy green leaf grows"
Pro 11:30
The righteous person will be like a tree of life
A person who does what is right is compared to a tree that produces life as its fruit. Alternate Translation: "Those who do right will bring life to themselves and others"
Pro 12:4
she who brings shame is like a disease that rots his bones
A disease that rots the bones represents the spoiling of a person's life. Alternate Translation: "a wife's shameful acts destroy her husband's influence and happiness"
Pro 12:18
The words of one who speaks rashly are like the thrusts of a sword
The phrase, "thrusts of a sword" represents cruel words that hurt another. Alternate Translation: "What a person says without thinking can hurt as much as if he stabbed with a sword"
Pro 15:19
The path of the sluggard is like a place with a hedge of thorns
The writer compares the lifestyle of the sluggard with trying to walk through a hedge of thorns. Both cause the person to suffer pain. Alternate Translation: "The life of the sluggard is like a person trying to walk through a hedge of thorns"
Pro 16:15
his favor is like a cloud that brings a spring rain
The writer compares the king showing favor towards someone with a cloud that brings rain to make crops grow. Both promise blessing to those who receive them.
Pro 16:27
his speech is like a scorching fire
The writer compares the way this person's words hurt others with the way that fire burns things. Alternate Translation: "he hurts people with his words, like a fire scorches the things it touches"
Pro 17:8
A bribe is like a magic stone to the one who gives it
This speaks of a person's bribe working by comparing it to a magical stone or amulet. Alternate Translation: "A bribe works like a magical stone for the one who gives it" or "A bribe works like magic for the one who is giving the bribe"
Pro 17:14
The beginning of conflict is like one who releases water everywhere
This compares how easily a conflict spreads to how spilled water flows everywhere. Alternate Translation: "Starting a conflict is like pumping water and letting it run everywhere"
Pro 18:8
The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels
This speaks of the words of a gossip being desirable to listen to as if they were delicious food to eat. Alternate Translation: "The words of a gossip are desirable to listen to" or
Pro 18:11
in his imagination it is like a high wall
This speaks of the rich person believing his wealth will keep him safe like a high wall keeps those inside a city safe. Alternate Translation: "he thinks it protects him as well as a high wall"
Pro 18:19
quarreling is like the bars of a castle
This speaks of the difficulty of resolving quarreling by comparing it to the difficulty of breaking down the bars of a castle. Alternate Translation: "resolving quarreling is as difficult as breaking down the bars of a castle"
Pro 19:12
The wrath of the king is like the roaring of a young lion
Here the lion's roaring refers to attacking. The wrath of a king is compared to the unpredictable and dangerous attack of a young lion. Alternate Translation: "The wrath of the king is as dangerous as the attack of a young lion"
Pro 19:12
but his favor is like dew on the grass
The favor of the king is compared to the refreshing water that appears on grass in the morning. Alternate Translation: "but his favor is refreshing like dew on grass" or "but his favor is refreshing like the dew on the ground in the morning"
Pro 20:2
The fear of a king is like the fear of a young lion that is roaring
This compares how people fear a king's wrath to how they fear a young roaring lion. Alternate Translation: "The king's wrath makes people as afraid as if they were facing a young lion roaring at them"
Pro 20:5
The purpose in a human heart is like deep water
This speaks of how difficult it is to understand the reasons for a person's actions by comparing it to the difficulty of reaching the water in a deep well. Alternate Translation: "It is as difficult to understand the purpose in the human heart as it is to reach the water in a deep well" or "The purpose of in the human heart is very difficult to understand"
Pro 24:34
your needs like an armed soldier
Needs are spoken of as if they were a person who could attack the lazy person. Alternate Translation: "your needs will come to you like an armed soldier"
Pro 25:3
Like the heavens are for height and the earth is for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable
The hearts of kings are compared to the size of the heavens and the earth. Alternate Translation: "Just as no one can measure the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth, even so no one can understand the heart of kings"
Pro 25:13
Like the cold of snow at harvest time is a faithful messenger
Here a faithful messenger is being compared to the cold of snow, because both are pleasant.
Pro 25:18
A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club used in war, or a sword, or a sharp arrow
A false witness is compared to three weapons that can hurt or kill people.
Pro 25:19
An unfaithful man in whom you trust in a time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips
A foolish man is compared to a part of the body that causes trouble for a person. Alternate Translation: "Trusting in an unfaithful man in time of trouble will bring you pain like a bad tooth or a foot that slips"
Pro 25:25
Like cold waters to one who is thirsty, so is good news from a far country
Cold water is compared to good news that is both refreshing and delightful.
Pro 25:26
Like a fouled spring or a ruined fountain is a righteous person tottering before wicked people
One expects a spring or fountain to have clear water, just as one expects a righteous man to stand for what he believes. A polluted spring or fountain is compared to a righteous man who falls.
Pro 25:27
It is not good to eat too much honey; that is like searching for honor after honor.
Both wanting others to honor you and eating honey are good, but you can eat too much honey, and you can try too hard to have people honor you.
Pro 25:28
A person without self-control is like a city breached and without walls.
Both a person without self-control and a city without walls are weak and vulnerable.
Pro 26:1
Like snow in summer or rain in harvest
Normally snow does not fall during the summer and rain does not fall during the harvest. This can be stated clearly. Alternate Translation: "Just as it would be very strange to have snow in summer or rain during the harvest"
Pro 26:2
so an undeserved curse does not alight
A curse that does not harm a person is spoken of as if it were a bird that does not land. Alternate Translation: "so an undeserved curse does not land on its mark"
Pro 26:7
Like the legs ... is a proverb in the mouth of fools
The phrases can be reordered. Alternate Translation: "A proverb in the mouth of fools is like the legs of a paralytic which hang down" or "A proverb in the mouth of fools is as useless as the legs of a paralytic which hang down"
Pro 26:9
Like a thorn ... is a proverb in the mouth of fools
How the two are alike can be stated clearly. Alternate Translation: "A proverb in the mouth of fools is as dangerous as a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard"
Pro 26:14
As the door turns on its hinges, so is the lazy person upon his bed
Both the door and the lazy person move, but they do not go anywhere.
Pro 26:17
Like one who takes hold of the ears of a dog, is a passerby who becomes angry at a dispute that is not his own
This can be reordered. Alternate Translation: "A passerby who becomes angry at some other people's dispute is like a person who grabs hold of a dog's ears"
Pro 26:22
The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels
This speaks of gossip being desirable to listen to as if it were delicious food to eat. Alternate Translation: "The words of a gossip are desirable to listen to" or
Pro 26:23
Like the glaze overlaying an earthen vessel so are burning lips and an evil heart
This simile means that a person who says things to hide the evil in their heart are like a earthen vessel covered in glaze to make it look good. These phrases can be reordered. Alternate Translation: "People who have burning lips and an evil heart are like an earthen vessel covered with glaze"
Pro 27:8
Like a bird that wanders from its nest is a man who strays from where he lives
The words "wanders" and "strays" mean the same thing in this verse.
Pro 27:16
restraining her is like restraining the wind, or trying to catch oil in your right hand
The implied information is that it is as difficult or useless to try and restrain her as it is to try to restrain the wind or catch oil in your hand
Pro 27:17
Iron sharpens iron; in the same way, a man sharpens his friend.
These two phrases are comparing how iron and a man can be improved. Alternate Translation: "As iron can sharpen another piece of iron, so a man's character is improved by contact with his friend"
Pro 28:3
like a beating rain that leaves no food
The poor man who oppresses other poor people is compared to a rain that falls so hard that it leaves no crop to harvest.
Pro 28:15
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over poor people
Poor people who are helpless against an evil ruler are compared to people who have a lion roaring at them or a bear attacking them.
Ecc 1:2
Like a vapor of mist, like a breeze in the wind, everything vanishes
This speaks of how everything in life vanishes and has no lasting value as if everything were like a disappearing vapor or breeze. Alternate Translation: "Like a vapor of mist vanishes and like a breeze in the wind disappears, everything vanishes and has no lasting value"
Ecc 2:13
wisdom has advantages over folly, just as light is better than darkness
This speaks of how wisdom is better than folly by comparing it to how light is better than darkness.
Ecc 3:18
they are like animals
Here the author says that human beings are like animals. In the next verse the author explains clearly how humans are like animals.
Ecc 6:12
in his life during his futile, numbered days through which he passes like a shadow
This speaks of how life passes quickly by saying that it is like a shadow that quickly disappears. The phrase "numbered days" emphasizes that a person's life is short. Alternate Translation: "during his futile, short life, which he passes through as quickly as a shadow passes by"
Ecc 7:6
For like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so also is the laughter of fools
This speaks of how listening to fools talk and laugh will teach you nothing, as if their speech and laughter were the sound of burning thorns. Alternate Translation: "For listening to the laughter of fools will not teach a man any more than if he were listening to the crackling of thorns burning under a pot"
Ecc 8:8
No one is ruler over his breath so as to stop the breath ... no one has power over the day of his death
Just as no one has the ability to stop himself from breathing, no one can continue living when it is time to die.
Ecc 8:13
His days are like a fleeting shadow
This speaks of how the wicked man's life passes quickly by saying that it is like a shadow that quickly disappears. Alternate Translation: "His days will pass as quickly as a shadow disappears"
Ecc 9:4
just as a living dog is better than a dead lion
A "dog" was considered a lowly animal while a lion was considered a noble animal. This speaks of it being better to be lowly and alive than to be considered noble and dead. Alternate Translation: "It is better to be lowly like a dog and to be alive than to be noble like a lion and to be dead"
Ecc 9:12
fish are caught ... birds are caught ... the children of human beings are ensnared
This speaks of people dying when they do not expect it, in the same way that people catch animals and kill them when they do not expect it.
Ecc 10:1
As dead flies ... so a little folly
Just as flies can ruin perfume, so folly can ruin a person's reputation for wisdom and honor. This speaks of how a little folly can ruin a person's reputation in the same way that a few dead flies ruin perfume.
Ecc 10:7
successful men walking like slaves on the ground
This speaks of successful men walking like slaves walk, because slaves were usually forced to walk and were not permitted to ride.
Ecc 12:11
The words of wise people are like goads
This is a simile. Alternate Translation: "Wise people encourage people to act, like a sharp stick encourages an animal to move"
Ecc 12:11
Like nails driven deeply are the words of the masters in collections of their proverbs
This is a simile. Alternate Translation: "Like you can depend on a nail that a person drives firmly into a piece of wood, so you can depend on the words of the masters in collections of their proverbs"
Sng 1:3
your name is like flowing perfume
Perfume has a good smell that spreads as the air moves. The name is either a metonym for 1) the person's reputation, what other people think of him. Here the speaker says that people always think that the hearer is a good person, or 2) the person himself.
Sng 1:5
dark like the tents of Kedar
The nomadic tribes in Kedar used black goat skins to build their homes. The woman is comparing her skin to these tents.
Sng 1:5
lovely like the curtains of Solomon
Solomon produced beautiful curtains either for his own palace or for the Temple. She says that her skin is beautiful.
Sng 1:9
I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh's chariot horses
The Jews of those days considered horses beautiful, and the Pharaoh's horses would have been the most beautiful he could find. The man considers the young woman beautiful. Alternate Translation: "My love, you are as beautiful as any of Pharaoh's chariot horses"
Sng 1:13
My beloved is to me like a bag of myrrh ... breasts
Women would place a small bag or pouch of myrrh on a necklace so it would lie between their breasts and they could enjoy its pleasant fragrance. This woman enjoys having her beloved close to her. She adds "to me" to show that she does not expect anyone else to enjoy her beloved in this way. Alternate Translation: "I enjoy my beloved as much as I enjoy having a bag of myrrh ... breasts"
Sng 1:14
My beloved is to me like a cluster of henna flowers
Henna flowers have a fragrance that people enjoy. The woman enjoys her beloved. She adds "to me" to show that she does not expect anyone else to enjoy her beloved in this way. Alternate Translation: "I enjoy my beloved as much as I enjoy the smell of clusters of henna flowers"
Sng 2:2
As a lily among thorns ... young women
A flower is much more beautiful than a thorn bush. The man thinks the woman is much more beautiful than the other women.
Sng 2:3
As an apricot tree ... the young men
People enjoy the fruit of an apricot tree, but the trees of the forest do not bear fruit. The woman enjoys being with the man, but not with the other young men.
Sng 2:9
like a gazelle or a young stag
Gazelles and young stags move quickly over rough ground. The woman imagines the man coming as fast as he can to be with her. You could translate using animals in your language that people think of as fast.
Sng 3:6
like a column of smoke
The dust looked like smoke from far away because the people raised much dust in the air as they traveled.
Sng 4:1
Your hair is like a flock of goats going down from Mount Gilead
Goats in Israel were usually dark in color. The woman's hair was probably dark. You may need to specify that the goats were dark or even use another simile that the reader will understand that refers to something dark and beautiful. People thought of Mount Gilead as beautiful and fertile. The speaker considered the woman beautiful and ready to become the mother of his children. If you remove the simile of the goats, you may have to remove the simile of the mountain as well. Alternate Translation: "Your hair is as dark as storm clouds above a fertile land"
Sng 4:2
Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes
After sheep have their wool cut off, they are washed and their skin looks very white. The woman's teeth are white.
Sng 4:3
are like a thread of scarlet
Scarlet is a beautiful red color, and scarlet thread was very expensive. The woman's lips were red. Alternate Translation: "are a deep red like scarlet thread" or "are red and very beautiful"
Sng 4:3
are like pomegranate halves
Pomegranates are smooth, round, and rich red. The man thinks the woman's cheeks are beautiful and show that she is healthy. Alternate Translation: "are red and round like two halves of a pomegranate" or "are red and full and healthy"
Sng 4:4
Your neck is like the tower of David
No one knows if this was a real tower. A tower is a tall, slender building, and saying that David built it implies that it was beautiful. The man considered the woman's neck long and slender and so beautiful. Alternate Translation: "Your neck is long and beautiful like the tower of David"
Sng 4:5
like two fawns, twins of a gazelle
The man implies that the woman's breasts are matching, soft, and perhaps small.
Sng 5:11
a raven
a bird with very black feathers
Sng 5:12
mounted like jewels
His eyes are beautiful. Jewels that a craftsman has carefully put in place are beautiful.
Sng 5:13
His cheeks ... aromatic scents
This explains that his cheeks are like beds of spices because they both give off wonderful smells.
Sng 5:15
his appearance is like Lebanon
he looks like Lebanon. Lebanon was a very beautiful area with many mountains and cedar trees.
Sng 6:4
as beautiful as Tirzah, my love, as lovely as Jerusalem
These cities were famous for being beautiful and pleasant to be in. The man thinks the woman is beautiful, and he takes pleasure in being with her.
Sng 6:6
Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
After sheep have their wool cut off, they are washed and their skin looks very white. The woman's teeth are white. See how "Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes" is translated in [Song of Songs 4:2](../04/02.md).
Sng 6:7
are like pomegranate halves
Pomegranates are smooth, round, and rich red. The man thinks the woman's cheeks are beautiful and show that she is healthy. See how you translated this in [Song of Songs 4:3](../04/03.md). Alternate Translation: "are red and round like two halves of a pomegranate" or "are red and full and healthy"
Sng 6:10
who appears like the dawn
The dawn is beautiful. The woman is beautiful. Alternate Translation: "who comes into view like the dawn"
Sng 6:10
as awe-inspiring as an army with its banners
The beauty of the woman is so powerful that it makes the other women feel helpless, as if an army were approaching them. See how you translated this in [Song of Songs 6:4](./04.md).
Sng 6:12
I was so happy that I felt I was riding in the chariot of a prince
The man uses this image to express how happy he is.
Sng 7:1
The curves of your thighs are like jewels
The shape of the woman's thighs remind the speaker of a beautiful precious stone that a skilled workman has carved. Alternate Translation: "The curves of your thighs are beautiful like the beautiful curves of jewel that a skilled craftsman has made"
Sng 7:2
Your navel is like a round bowl
A bowl is round. The woman's navel is round.
Sng 7:2
Your belly is like a mound of wheat encircled with lilies
The Israelites thought mounds of wheat and lilies were pleasant to look at. Much wheat was a sign that there would be much food to eat. They threshed wheat in high, dry places, and lilies grow in low, wet places, so this simile combines beautiful sights that people would not usually see at the same time.
Sng 7:2
Your belly is like a mound of wheat
People thought that the color of wheat was the most beautiful color of skin and that round piles of wheat were beautiful. Alternate Translation: "Your belly has a beautiful color and is round like a pile of wheat"
Sng 7:3
like two fawns, twins of a gazelle
The man implies that the woman's breasts are matching, soft, and perhaps small. See how you translated this in [Song of Songs 4:5](../04/04.md).
Sng 7:4
Your neck is like a tower of ivory
A tower is long and straight. Ivory is white. The woman's neck is long and straight, and her skin is light in color.
Sng 7:4
nose is like the tower in Lebanon
A tower is tall and straight, and her nose is tall and straight.
Sng 7:5
Your head is on you like Carmel
Mount Carmel is higher than everything else around it. The man wants to look at the woman's head more than at anything else. Alternate Translation: "Your head is on you like a crown, higher than anything else"
Sng 7:7
Your height is like that of a date palm tree
You stand up like a date palm tree. Date palm trees are tall and straight, and their branches are only at the top, with the fruit under the branches.
Sng 7:7
your breasts like clusters of fruit
The dates on a palm tree grow soft and round in large bunches that hang from the tree just below the branches, which are all at the top. The woman's breasts are soft and round and are just lower than her arms.
Sng 7:8
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes
The man wants to touch her breasts. Clusters of grapes are round and soft.
Sng 7:8
may the fragrance of your nose be like apricots
The word "nose" is a metonym for the breath coming out of the nose. Alternate Translation: "may the breath coming from your nose smell sweet like apricots"
Sng 8:1
you were like my brother
A woman could show affection for her brother in public. This woman wanted to be able to show affection for the man in public.
Sng 8:6
for love is as strong as death
Death is very strong because it overcomes even the most powerful people of the world.
Sng 8:6
as unrelenting as Sheol
as tough as Sheol. Sheol never allows people to come back to life after they have already died. Love is as persistent as Sheol because it never changes.
Sng 8:10
my breasts are now like fortress towers
Fortress towers are tall.
Isa 1:8
is left like a hut in a vineyard, like a shed in a garden of cucumbers
Possible meanings are 1) "has become as small as a hut in a vineyard or a shed in a garden of cucumbers" or 2) "is left the way a farmer leaves a hut in a vineyard or a shed in a garden of cucumbers when he is finished with them"
Isa 1:18
like scarlet
Scarlet is a bright red color. Alternate Translation: "bright red"
Isa 1:18
white like snow
White is often a symbol for holiness or purity. "Snow" refers to something like frozen rain that is very white. Since this simply describes something as very white, you could replace it with something else that is white: "white as a seashell" or "white as a dove." This means that their sins will be forgiven.
Isa 1:18
red like crimson
Crimson is a dark red color. Alternate Translation: "dark red"
Isa 1:30
For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades, and like a garden that has no water
Water gives life to trees and gardens. The people have cut themselves off from Yahweh, who gives them life.
Isa 1:31
his work like a spark
This compares the person's deeds or evil works to a spark that falls on tinder and sets it on fire. Alternate Translation: "his work will be like a spark that starts a fire"
Isa 3:9
they tell of their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it
Here the people of Judah are said to be like the people of Sodom, because they openly boasted about their sins. Alternate Translation: "like the people of Sodom, they talk about their sins and let everyone know about them"
Isa 5:17
in the ruins, lambs will graze as foreigners
That is, the lambs will graze there. The land will be worthless for any other use.
Isa 5:25
their corpses are like garbage in the streets
The dead bodies are allowed to lie in the streets as if they were garbage. This implies that many will die but that no one will be there to bury them. The word "garbage" can also be translated as "refuse" or "manure."
Isa 5:28
their horses' hooves are like flint
their hooves are like hard stone. Isaiah compares the hard part of a horse's foot to flint, which is a hard stone that can cause sparks when struck. Possible meanings are 1) Isaiah compares their hooves to flint so to describe the frightening image of their feet causing sparks as they run or 2) Isaiah compares their hooves to flint to emphasize how strong their hooves are which enables the horse to do whatever their master want them to do.
Isa 5:28
their chariot wheels like storms
Isaiah compares the chariot wheels to storms in order to imply that they will destroy everything in their path. Alternate Translation: "the wheels of the chariots will spin like a windstorm"
Isa 6:13
as a terebinth or an oak is cut down and whose trunk remains, the holy seed is in its stump
This simile means that even after Yahweh destroys Israel, he will still set apart people from among the Israelites to serve him.
Isa 7:2
His heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest shake in the wind
The trembling of their hearts at this news is compared to the way trees shake when the wind blows through them. Alternate Translation: "Ahaz and his people were very afraid"
Isa 9:3
They rejoice before you like the joy at harvest time, as men rejoice when they divide the plunder
The joy that Yahweh will give Israel is described as the same kind of joy people have when they bring in a harvest or divide valuable plunder. Alternate Translation: "They will rejoice before you as people rejoice when they gather their crops or when a battle is over and soldiers divide what they took"
Isa 10:6
trample them like mud
Possible meanings are 1) Yahweh compares the army of Assyria attacking Israel to people stomping through mud who do not care what happens to the mud. Alternate Translation: "trample them until they become like mud" or 2) the people are stomping on other people so they are lying in the mud and unable to rise. This is a metaphor for completely defeating them. Alternate Translation: "completely defeat them"
Isa 10:13
like a bull
as strong as a bull. Some ancient texts read, "like a mighty man."
Isa 10:14
My hand has seized, as from a nest, the wealth of nations
The king of Assyria compares taking the treasures from the nations to a person taking eggs out of a bird's nest. This emphasizes how easy it was for him and his army to conquer these other kingdoms. Alternate Translation: "My army has stolen the wealth from the nations just as easily as a man takes eggs from a nest"
Isa 10:14
as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth
The king of Assyria speaks of taking over nations as if he was gathering eggs. Alternate Translation: "just as a person takes eggs from a nest when the bird is not there to protect them, my army has taken the treasures of every nation"
Isa 10:14
None fluttered their wings or opened their mouth or chirped
This compares the nations to a bird who sits quietly while her eggs are taken. This emphasizes that the nations did nothing while the army of Assyria took all of their possessions. Alternate Translation: "And like a bird that does not make a sound or flap her wings when someone steals her eggs, the nations did nothing as we took their treasure"
Isa 10:16
under his glory there will be kindled a burning like fire
Yahweh compares his punishment to a fire. This emphasizes that his punishment will completely destroy all the splendor and greatness of the kingdom of Assyria. Alternate Translation: "I will destroy his greatness as if I were starting a fire to burn everything he is proud of"
Isa 10:18
it will be like when a sick man's life wastes away
This compares either the forests and farmlands of Assyria or the army of Assyria to a sick man as he lies in bed dying. This emphasizes how something so great can become weak and dying. Alternate Translation: "they will be like a sick man who grows weak and dies"
Isa 10:22
are like the sand of the seashore
This emphasizes that there were a great number of people of Israel. Alternate Translation: "are too many to count, like the sand on the seashore"
Isa 11:9
as the waters cover the sea
This phrase is used to show how full the earth will be of people who know Yahweh. It may be clearer that it does this if its words are similar to the words in the previous phrase. Alternate Translation: "as the seas are full of water"
Isa 11:10
will stand as a banner for the peoples
A banner is a flag that a king would raise as a sign for people to see it and come to him. Alternate Translation: "will be like a sign for the peoples" or "will attract the peoples to come to him"
Isa 14:19
like a branch thrown away
A branch thrown away represents something worthless. Alternate Translation: "like a worthless branch that is tossed aside"
Isa 14:19
The dead cover you like a garment
This represents many dead bodies being on top of his body. Alternate Translation: "The bodies of dead people completely cover your body" or "The bodies of dead soldiers are piled on top of your body"
Isa 16:2
As wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so the women of Moab are at the fords of the Arnon River
All the people of Moab, which includes the women, are forced to flee from their homes. Alternate Translation: "Like birds without a home, the women of Moab will flee across the river to another land"
Isa 17:4
It will be as when a harvester gathers the standing grain ... in the Valley of Rephaim
There will be nothing left in the land after God punishes the people of Israel.
Isa 17:5
It will be as when a harvester gathers the standing grain ... in the Valley of Rephaim
There will be nothing left in the land after God punishes the people of Israel.
Isa 17:6
as when the olive tree is shaken
People harvested olive trees by shaking them so that the olives would fall out. Alternate Translation: "like the few olives that remain on the olive trees after people harvest them"
Isa 17:12
The uproar of many peoples, that roar like the roaring of the seas
An uproar is a very loud noise. Alternate Translation: "The sound of many people, that is very loud like the seas"
Isa 17:12
the rushing of nations, that rush like the rushing of mighty waters
The enemy armies appear to be a powerful force that no one can stop. Alternate Translation: "the nations come rushing in like the mighty waters"
Isa 18:4
like the simmering heat in sunshine, like a cloud of mist in the heat of harvest
These phrases show how quietly God will watch the nation.
Isa 19:14
like a drunk staggering in his vomit
Isaiah speaks of the people of Egypt doing what is wrong as if they were made to wander about like a drunken person.
Isa 19:16
Egyptians will be like women
This emphasizes that the people of Egypt will be afraid and helpless when God punishes them.
Isa 21:1
Like stormwinds sweeping through the Negev
Isaiah compares the army that will attack the people to a storm with strong winds. They will be quick and powerful.
Isa 21:3
pains like the pains of a woman in labor have taken hold of me
Isaiah compares his pain to the pain of a woman giving birth. This emphasizes the great pain he is feeling.
Isa 23:10
Plow your land, as one plows the Nile, daughter of Tarshish. There is no longer a marketplace in Tyre
Possible meanings are 1) Isaiah is telling the people of Tarshish to start planting crops since they can no longer trade with Tyre or 2) Isaiah is telling the people of Tarshish they are free from Tyre's control. Alternate Translation: "Pass through your land like a river, daughter of Tarshish. The people of Tyre no longer have any power"
Isa 24:13
as when an olive tree is beaten, as the gleanings when the grape harvest is done
This compares the nations after Yahweh devastates the land to trees and vines after their fruit has been picked. This means there will be very few people left in the land.
Isa 24:20
The earth will stagger like a drunken man and it will sway back and forth like a hut
These similes emphasize how the earth will shake back and forth.
Isa 25:4
When the breath of the ruthless was like a storm against a wall
Ruthless people oppressing the people of God is spoken of as if they were a storm beating against a wall.
Isa 25:5
like heat in a dry land
This compares the enemies of God's people to the heat that dries up the land. This emphasizes how much the enemies cause the people of God to suffer.
Isa 25:5
as the heat is subdued ... ruthless ones is answered
Yahweh stopping ruthless people from singing and boasting is compared to a cloud providing shade on a hot day. This emphasizes that Yahweh comforts his people by stopping those who cause them to suffer.
Isa 25:11
They will spread their hands ... his hands to swim
This simile emphasizes how badly Yahweh will humiliate the people of Moab. They will spread their hands in dung like a swimmer spreads his hands in water.
Isa 26:17
As a pregnant woman ... cries out in her labor pains
This compares the people to a woman giving birth. This emphasizes their suffering and crying when Yahweh disciplined them.
Isa 26:18
but it is as if we have only given birth to wind
but it is as if we have only given birth to air or "it is like we gave birth to nothing." This is a simile that emphasizes that the people's suffering resulted in nothing. Alternate Translation: "but nothing good resulted from it"
Isa 28:2
storm of hail
A "storm of hail" or hailstorm happens when hard pieces of ice fall from the sky. Here it is a simile that refers to the enemy army that Yahweh will send to destroy the people of Samaria.
Isa 28:3
will be as the first ripe fig ... gulps it down
This speaks of the enemy soldiers seeing the beauty of Samaria and quickly plundering it as if they were a person who sees the first fig of the season and quickly eats it.
Isa 28:4
will be as the first ripe fig ... gulps it down
This speaks of the enemy soldiers seeing the beauty of Samaria and quickly plundering it as if they were a person who sees the first fig of the season and quickly eats it.
Isa 29:2
like Ariel
Translators may add a footnote that says, "The name Ariel means 'altar.'"
Isa 29:4
will speak from the ground; your speech will be low from the dust. Your voice will sound like a spirit that speaks from the ground, and out of the dust your speech will whisper
All of these statements mean basically the same thing. They emphasize that the people who once spoke with proud words will be weak and grieving after the enemy defeats them. Alternate Translation: "you will only be able to speak with weak whispers like a spirit speaking from where dead people dwell"
Isa 29:5
The great number of your invaders will become like fine dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones as chaff that passes away
This emphasizes how weak and insignificant the invading army is before God. Alternate Translation: "Yahweh will easily remove the horde of your invaders and the multitude of the ruthless ones"(See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]])
Isa 29:7
It will be like when a hungry man dreams he is eating ... his thirst not quenched
These similes mean that the enemy will expect victory but they will fail because God will not allow them to conquer Jerusalem.
Isa 29:8
It will be like when a hungry man dreams he is eating ... his thirst not quenched
These similes mean that the enemy will expect victory but they will fail because God will not allow them to conquer Jerusalem.
Isa 29:11
All revelation has become to you as the words of a book that is sealed
The other prophets in Jerusalem are unable to hear or understand God's message. Alternate Translation: "All that Yahweh has revealed is to you like a sealed book"
Isa 30:13
so this sin will be to you like a broken part ... in an instant
This simile means that God will destroy the people of Judah suddenly because of their sin.
Isa 30:14
as a potter's vessel is broken
This simile means that the piece of wall will break as quickly and completely as a clay jar that falls to the ground.
Isa 30:17
until your remnant will be like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain, or like a flag on a hill
This simile means there will be so few people left that they will be like a single flag on top of a hill.
Isa 30:22
You will throw them away like a menstrual rag
This simile means they will throw away their idols like they were garbage.
Isa 30:28
His breath is like an overflowing torrent
This compares the air coming out of Yahweh's mouth to a flood to emphasize its power to destroy.
Isa 30:29
as in the night when a holy feast is observed
This simile emphasizes how happy the people will be.
Isa 30:29
as when one goes ... Rock of Israel
This simile emphasizes how happy the people will be.
Isa 30:33
The breath of Yahweh, like a stream of brimstone, will set it on fire
This speaks of Yahweh's breath as if it were a river of fire that will set the pile on fire.
Isa 31:4
As a lion ... thus Yahweh of hosts
A lion ... in the same way Yahweh of hosts. Here Yahweh speaks of how he will defend the people who belong to him and not be scared away by comparing himself to a lion who guards it's prey.
Isa 31:5
Like birds in flight, so Yahweh of hosts will protect Jerusalem
Here the way that Yahweh protects Jerusalem is compared to the way that a mother bird protects her baby birds in their nest.
Isa 32:2
Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm
This compares the king and princes who protect the people to a shelter. Alternate Translation: "the rulers will protect the people like a shelter does in a storm"
Isa 32:2
like streams of water in a dry place
This is another comparison that means that the rulers will provide for the needs of the people. Alternate Translation: "they will provide for the people like streams of water in a dry place"
Isa 32:2
like the shade of a great rock in a land of weariness
This is another comparison that means that the rulers will provide comfort and rest for the people. Alternate Translation: "they will provide rest for the people like a huge rock gives shade to weary people"
Isa 33:4
Your spoil is gathered as the locusts gather; as locusts leap, men leap on it
This compares how quick and eager Yahweh's people are when they gather the spoils from their enemies to the eagerness of locusts when they gather food. This can be stated in active form. Alternate Translation: "Your people gather spoils from your enemies with the same fierceness as the locusts have who devour green plants"
Isa 33:9
Sharon is like a desert plain
This compares how dry Sharon is to a desert plain. Alternate Translation: "Sharon is as dry as a desert plain"
Isa 33:12
The peoples will be burned to lime, as thornbushes are cut down and are burned
This compares how the peoples' dead bodies will be burned to the way thornbushes are burned. Also, this can be stated in active form. Alternate Translation: "Fire will burn the peoples' bodies to lime in the same way that a farmer cuts down thornbushes and burns them"
Isa 34:4
all their stars will fade away, as the leaf fades from off the vine, and as the overripe figs from the fig tree
This emphasizes even the things in the sky that people thought would be there forever will fall as easily as a leaf. Alternate Translation: "all the stars will fall from the sky like a leaf falls from a vine or a fig falls from a tree"
Isa 35:1
Like the rose, it will blossom abundantly
This compares the way the plants of the desert blossom to the way a rose has many blossoms. Alternate Translation: "The desert will grow many new plants and trees"
Isa 35:2
Like the rose, it will blossom abundantly
This compares the way the plants of the desert blossom to the way a rose has many blossoms. Alternate Translation: "The desert will grow many new plants and trees"
Isa 35:6
the lame man will leap like a deer
Deer can jump far and high. Jumping like a deer is an exaggeration for being able to move about quickly and easily. Alternate Translation: "the lame man will jump high"
Isa 37:3
like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to give birth to her child
This comparison is made to emphasizes that they are in a time of extreme difficulty. Alternate Translation: "It is as terrible as the day when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to give birth to her child"
Isa 38:12
My life is removed and carried away from me like a shepherd's tent
This speaks of how Yahweh is ending Hezekiah's life quickly by comparing it to how a shepherd removes his tent from the ground. Alternate Translation: "Yahweh has taken my life away from me quickly like a shepherd packs up his tent and carries it away"
Isa 38:12
I have rolled up my life like a weaver; you are cutting me off from the loom
This speaks of Yahweh quickly ending Hezekiah's life by comparing it to how a weaver cuts his cloth from the loom and rolls it up. Alternate Translation: "you are ending my life quickly, like a weaver cuts his cloth from the loom when it is finished"
Isa 38:13
like a lion he breaks all my bones
Hezekiah speaks of how he is in extreme pain by comparing it to having his body torn apart by lions. Alternate Translation: "my pain was as though I were being torn apart by lions"
Isa 40:6
all their covenant faithfulness is like the flower of the field
The speaker compares the covenant faithfulness of people to flowers that bloom and then die quickly. The abstract noun "faithfulness" can be stated as "faithful." See how you translated "covenant faithfulness" in [Isaiah 16:5](../16/05.md). Alternate Translation: "they quickly stop being faithful to the covenant, just like a flower of the field dies quickly"
Isa 40:15
the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded like the dust on the scales
The prophet compares the nations to a drop of water and to dust in order to emphasize how small and insignificant they are to Yahweh.
Isa 40:22
the inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him
The prophet compares the way Yahweh considers humans to the way humans would consider grasshoppers. Just as grasshoppers are small to humans, humans are small and weak before God.
Isa 40:24
the wind carries them away like straw
This simile extends the metaphor of the rulers as plants and Yahweh as the wind that causes them to wither. The wind of Yahweh's judgement will remove the withered plants as easily as wind blows away straw.
Isa 41:25
like a potter who is treading on the clay
Yahweh compares the way in which this person will trample the other rulers with the way that a potter tramples on clay to mix it with water.
Isa 42:13
Yahweh will go out as a warrior; as a man of war
Yahweh is compared with a warrior who is ready to defeat his people's enemies.
Isa 42:14
I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant
Yahweh's activity as a shouting warrior is compared with a pregnant woman who cries from labor pains. This emphasizes sudden unavoidable action after a period of inactivity.
Isa 47:14
they will become like stubble. The fire will burn them up
Yahweh compares the magicians and sorcerers to straw that burns quickly in a fire. This means that Yahweh will destroy them as easily as fire burns stubble, and so they are powerless to save Babylon.
Isa 48:4
your neck muscles tight as iron, and your forehead like bronze
Yahweh compares the tightness of their neck muscles and the hardness of their foreheads to the hardness of iron and bronze. Here, to have a tight neck or a hard forehead is a metaphor that means the people are stubborn. Alternate Translation: "it is as if your necks were iron and your heads were bronze"
Isa 50:4
like those who are taught
The servant compares himself with a student who learns from his teacher. Possible meanings are 1) "like one who learns from his teacher" or 2) "like one whom he has taught"
Isa 51:6
like smoke ... like a garment ... like flies
All of these refer to things that quickly and easily disappear or become useless.
Isa 51:12
who are made like grass
This phrase compares men to grass to emphasize that their lives are short and that they die quickly. Alternate Translation: "who live and die quickly like grass" or "who will wither and disappear like grass"
Isa 51:20
like an antelope in a net
This speaks of the children being exhausted and helpless as if they were an antelope caught in a trap. Alternate Translation: "they are helpless, like an antelope caught in a net" or "as helpless as a trapped antelope"
Isa 51:23
you made your back like the ground and like the street for them to walk on
This compares the way their enemies walked on their back to the way people walk on the street. Alternate Translation: "you lay in the streets so your enemies could walk on your backs"
Isa 53:2
For he grew up before Yahweh like a sapling
Here "he" refers to God's servant whom Isaiah compares to a very young tree. This emphasizes that he will appear weak.
Isa 53:6
We all like sheep have gone astray
Sheep often leave the path on which the shepherd leads them. Isaiah means that we do what we want instead of what God commands.
Isa 53:7
as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent
Isaiah compares the servant to a lamb and a sheep to emphasize that he will remain silent as people harm and humiliate him.
Isa 53:7
as a lamb that is led to the slaughter
This can be stated in active form. Alternate Translation: "just as a lamb is silent as a person slaughters it"
Isa 57:20
But the wicked are like the tossing sea ... mire and mud
This compares the wicked to rough water on the shore that makes the water dirty.
Isa 58:1
Lift up your voice like a trumpet
This means shout loudly. Here "your" refers to Isaiah.
Isa 58:5
A day for anybody to humble himself, for him to bow down his head like a reed
This means the person is bowing down, but he is not truly humble. "A reed" represents a weak plant that bends easily.
Isa 58:11
You will be like a watered garden
A watered garden represents abundance and plenty so they will have all they need.
Isa 58:11
like a spring of water, whose waters never fail
A spring of water represents a source of abundance in a land where water is precious.
Isa 59:10
We grope for the wall like the blind ... like dead men
This means that because God is not coming to them, they feel helpless, not finding the right path and despairing of the future, with no hope for a vibrant life.
Isa 59:11
We growl like bears and moan like doves
These refer to the sounds the people made because they were distressed and mourning.
Isa 59:19
for he will come as a rushing stream
Narrow valleys in Judah were dry most of the year until a sudden, heavy rain turned them into fast-moving water. When that happened there was a lot of noise and wind.
Isa 61:10
as a bridegroom adorns himself with a turban, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels
This comparison emphasizes that the speaker is extremely happy, joyful, celebrating.
Isa 62:1
until her righteousness proceeds brightly, and her salvation as a burning torch
Both clauses reassure the people that God will eventually come and save the people of Israel and that it will be as apparent as light is.
Isa 62:5
as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you
Here "sons" refers to the people of Israel and "you" refers to Judah, the land of Israel. This means the people will take possession of the land as a man takes possession of his young wife.
Isa 62:5
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, your God will rejoice over you
This emphasizes God's happiness about his relationship with his people.
Isa 63:13
Like a horse running on flat land, they did not stumble
This means that the people of Israel were sure-footed as horses in open country on their travels toward Israel from Egypt.
Isa 63:14
As the cattle that go down into the valley ... rest
This image pictures cattle going into a valley where there is green grass and water and emphasizes that God led the people of Israel and took care of them.
Isa 64:2
as when fire kindles the brushwood, or the fire makes water boil
This possibly emphasizes how easily God's presence would have caused the mountains and the people to tremble.
Isa 64:6
all our righteous deeds are like a menstrual rag
A "menstrual rag" is a cloth that a woman uses during the time of month when she bleeds from her womb. This means all their attempts to please God fail. This sentence was meant to be shocking.
Isa 64:6
We have all withered like leaves
Isaiah compares the people of Israel to leaves that dry up when dead.
Isa 64:6
our iniquities, like the wind, carry us away
This means their sins, as a community, are the reason for their failure. Isaiah compares the iniquities to the wind as the force for their suffering Yahweh's punishment.
Isa 66:12
like a river ... like an overflowing stream
This means God will cause the people of the nations to bring a very large amount of riches, which will be permanent like a river and abundant.
Isa 66:14
will sprout like the tender grass
Tender grass grows fast and strong and compares to the health and vigor of God's faithful people.
Isa 66:15
like the windstorm
Storms represent Yahweh's powerful actions to make his judgment effective.
Jer 3:1
You have lived as a prostitute who has many lovers
God speaks of Israel worshiping many idols as being like a woman having sex with many men. Alternate Translation: "You have given your love and trust to idols the way a prostitute gives her body to men who are not her husband"
Jer 3:2
as an Arab in the wilderness
God speaks of his people being eager to worship any idol as being like someone in the wilderness waiting for anyone to come along so he could rob them. Alternate Translation: "like an Arab in the wilderness waiting for people he might rob"
Jer 3:6
she has acted like a prostitute
God speaks as of Israel worshiping idols as if she were a woman having sex with many men. AT:
Jer 3:19
I want to treat you as my son
God speaks of Israel as if Israel were his son.
Jer 3:20
But like a woman faithless to her husband, you have betrayed me
God speaks of Israel being unfaithful to him as if she were an unfaithful wife.
Jer 4:4
my fury will break out like fire, and burn with no one to quench it
Yahweh speaks of becoming extremely angry as if his anger were fire. Alternate Translation: "my anger will burn like a fire and no one will be able to stop it" or "I will be extremely angry, and no one will be able to stop me"
Jer 4:13
See, he is attacking like clouds
The word "he" refers to the enemy king and his army. The great size of the army is spoken of as if they were giant storm clouds. Alternate Translation: "See, great armies like giant clouds are gathering to attack" or "See, great armies are gathering to attack"
Jer 4:13
his chariots are like a storm
The enemies' chariots are spoken of as if they were like a storm. Storms can be noisy, destructive, and fast-moving. Alternate Translation: "the roar of their chariots coming is like a fierce storm"
Jer 4:17
They will be like the watchmen of a cultivated field against her all around
Carefully guarding a city to keep people from going in and out is spoken of as if they are carefully watching a field to keep people from stealing from it. Alternate Translation: "they will guard Jerusalem carefully like watchmen who carefully guard a cultivated field"
Jer 4:31
distress as in the birth
This simile is used to show how greatly distressed Judah will be. Alternate Translation: "severe distress as in the pain and suffering a woman has while giving birth"
Jer 5:14
It will be like a fire, and this people will be like wood
Yahweh speaks of his message as if it were a fire, and of his people as if they were wood.
Jer 5:16
Its quiver is like an open tomb
An open tomb is one that is prepared to have many dead bodies put in it. The enemy army will kill many people. Alternate Translation: "That nation's army will use their arrows and kill many people" or "Because of the arrows of its army, many people will die and be buried"
Jer 5:26
They watch as someone crouches to capture birds
God speaks of wicked people wanting to harm someone as if they were waiting to capture birds. Alternate Translation: "Like someone hiding and waiting to capture birds"
Jer 5:27
Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit
Here "deceit" represents the things that were taken by deceit. Alternate Translation: Like a cage full of birds that a hunter has caught, wicked people's houses are full of things that they have taken by deceiving people
Jer 6:7
As a well pours out fresh water, so this city keeps producing wickedness
Here "this city keeps producing wickedness" represents people in the city continuing to do wicked things.
Jer 6:23
Their sound is like the sea roar
The loud noise that the soldiers make is compared to the loud noise of the ocean. Alternate Translation: "The sound that they make is very loud, like the sound of the ocean"
Jer 6:24
as a woman giving birth
The anguish that they feel because the enemy coming to attack them is compared to the anguish that a woman feels when she is about to give birth to a baby. Alternate Translation: "like a woman who is about to give birth"
Jer 6:26
mourn with painful sobs as for an only son
Jeremiah compares the people's great sadness to the sadness that a mother feels if her only son dies. Alternate Translation: "mourn with painful sobs as you would if your only son died"
Jer 6:27
one who tests my people like one would test metal
Yahweh compares Jeremiah testing his people to a person who tests metal to see how good it is.
Jer 8:2
They will be like dung on the surface of the earth
The bones are compared to dung on the ground both to emphasize that they will be disgusting and because they will not be buried.
Jer 8:6
like a stallion rushing toward battle
The eagerness of the people to follow their own evil way is compared to the eagerness of a war horse running toward a battle.
Jer 9:22
corpses of men will fall like dung in the fields
This describes the great number of people who will die, by comparing their bodies to dung that falls in the fields. Alternate Translation: "dead bodies will drop everywhere like animal dung falls all over the fields"
Jer 9:22
like grain stalks after the reapers
This describes the great number of people who will die, by comparing their bodies to cut stalks of grain. Alternate Translation: "like stalks of grain fall everywhere after the farmers cut them down"
Jer 10:5
What they make with their hands is like scarecrows
A scarecrow is a man-like figure made to scare birds and prevent them from eating the crops. Here Yahweh compares the idols to scarecrows because they are not capable of doing anything.
Jer 11:16
that will sound like the roar of a storm
This compares the sound of the raging fire to the sound of a severe storm.
Jer 13:24
I will scatter them like chaff that perishes in the desert wind
I will scatter them like chaff that is blown away by the wind. Yahweh is saying He will scatter His people throughout the world just as chaff is scattered by the wind.
Jer 14:6
they pant in the wind like jackals
This speaks of the donkeys panting because they are thirsty by saying that they pant like jackals. Jackals are fiece wild dog which pant a lot. Alternate Translation: "they pant in the wind like thirsty jackals"
Jer 14:8
why will you be like a stranger in the land, like a foreign wanderer ... just one night
This question speaks of the possibility of Yahweh being unconcerned with helping his people as if he were a stranger just travelling though a place unconcerned with those living there.
Jer 14:9
Why are you like someone who is astounded, or like a warrior who has no power to rescue
This speaks of the possibility of Yahweh being unable to help his people as if he were a confused warrior who was unable to rescue anyone.
Jer 15:19
you will be like my mouth
Jeremiah is compared to the mouth of Yahweh because he will be used to speak Yahweh's message. Alternate Translation: "you will speak for me"
Jer 15:20
like an impenetrable bronze wall to this people
Yahweh compares Jeremiah to a wall because the people will not be able to defeat him. Alternate Translation: "I will make you strong, like a bronze wall"
Jer 16:4
They will be like dung on the ground
The sons and daughters born in the land are compared to dung on the ground to emphasize that they will be disgusting and that no one will bury them. See how you translated a similar phrase in [Jeremiah 8:2](../08/02.md).
Jer 17:6
like a small bush
The person who trusts in man instead of Yahweh will be like a plant that struggles to survive in an infertile land.
Jer 17:8
he will be like a tree planted by water
The person who trusts in Yahweh will always prosper, just like a tree does when it is planted by a river. It is not affected when there is no rain. This can be stated in active form. Alternate Translation: "he will be like a tree that someone has planted by water"
Jer 18:6
Like clay in a potter's hand—that is how you are in my hand
Yahweh compares his being able to remake Israel as he see fit to the way that the potter is able to remake a lump of clay as he sees fit.
Jer 20:11
Yahweh is with me like a powerful warrior
Jeremiah compares Yahweh helping him and defending him against his enemies to a powerful warrior.
Jer 22:6
You are like Gilead, or like the summit of Lebanon
Possible meanings are 1) "You are as beautiful as Gilead or the summit of Lebanon" or 2) "You give me as much pleasure as Gilead or the summit of Lebanon."
Jer 22:23
when the labor pains come upon you, pain like that of a woman in labor
The pain that the king will feel when his enemies defeat him will be as intense as the pain a woman feels in childbirth. Alternate Translation: "when you experience pain as intense as the pain of a woman in childbirth"
Jer 23:9
I have become like a drunk man, like a man whom wine has overpowered
People who are drunk are not able to control themselves. Likewise, Jeremiah has lost control of himself out of fear of Yahweh's punishment. Alternate Translation: "I am like a drunk man; I cannot control myself"
Jer 23:12
their way will be like a slippery place in the darkness
The danger of their actions is spoken of as if they were about to fall off the slippery edge of a cliff in the dark and injure themselves. Alternate Translation: "there actions are unstable and dangerous, like walking on a slippery place in the darkness"
Jer 23:14
All of them have become like Sodom ... like Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah were cities that were so wicked that God destroyed them with fire from heaven. Alternate Translation: "They all became as evil as Sodom ... as wicked as Gomorrah"
Jer 24:5
just like these good figs
The good figs represent those Judean exiles sent to the land of Chaldea.
Jer 25:33
They will be like dung on the ground
The bodies are compared to dung on the ground to emphasize that they will be disgusting and that no one will bury them. See how you translated a similar phrase in [Jeremiah 16:4](../16/04.md).
Jer 26:6
then I will make this house like Shiloh
Yahweh had destroyed a place of worship at Shiloh, and he was threatening to destroy this place of worship.
Jer 29:17
For I will make them like rotten figs that are too bad to be eaten
Rotten figs are useless because they cannot be eaten, and Yahweh sees no use for the people of Israel.
Jer 30:6
Why do I see every young man with his hand on his loins like a woman bearing a child? Why have all their faces become pale?
A woman about to give birth is in great pain and unable to do anything. The young men are so frightened that their bodies hurt, and they are unable to fight. Alternate Translation: "The young men are holding their bellies like a woman giving birth; they all look sick because they are so afraid."
Jer 31:10
as a shepherd keeps his sheep
A shepherd cares for and protects his sheep, and Yahweh is promising to care for and protect the Israelites.
Jer 31:12
like a watered garden
This means they will be strong and healthy, and they will prosper.
Jer 31:18
I have been punished like an untrained calf
When people train calves, they strike them and otherwise cause them to suffer. Yahweh had caused the people of Israel to suffer.
Jer 33:22
As the hosts of heaven cannot be counted, and as the sand of the seashores cannot be measured, so I will increase the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who serve before me
No one can count the stars in the sky or the sand on the seashore, and no one will be able to count the descendants of David and Levi who serve Yahweh.
Jer 43:12
He will clean out the land of Egypt just as shepherds clean vermin off their clothes
Taking or destroying everything in Egypt is compared to how a shepherd carefully cleans off his clothes. Alternate Translation: "He will take or destroy everything valuable in Egypt just as a shepherd is careful to get every insect off of his clothes"
Jer 46:8
Egypt rises like the Nile
The Nile river floods its banks once a year, covering the surrounding area with water. Yahweh compares the kingdom of Egypt to the Nile because the Egyptian people think they are mighty enough to destroy cities in all the lands.
Jer 46:18
someone will come like Mount Tabor and Mount Carmel by the sea
This refers to the nation of Babylon who will be as overwhelming to the nation of Egypt as the these two mountains are to the plains that surround them.
Jer 46:21
soldiers in her midst are like a fattened bull
The writer compares soldiers to "fattened bulls" because the soldiers are well cared for by the Egyptians just as a farmer takes care of a bull and makes it fat.
Jer 46:22
Egypt hisses like a snake and crawls away
The inability of the Egyptians to do anything to stop their enemy is spoken of as if they were snakes that can only hiss and crawl away.
Jer 46:22
They are going toward her like woodcutters with axes
The enemies coming with the weapons to destroy the Egyptians is spoken of as if they were woodcutters with axes preparing to cut down a tree.
Jer 48:6
become like a juniper bush in the wilderness
The people fleeing from their cities into the desert is compared to a bush or shrub that grows in the desert. Alternate Translation: "become like a shrub that grows in the wilderness"
Jer 48:28
Become like a dove ... in the rocks
This simile emphasizes the people should leave their cities and live in the rocky cliffs to hide from their enemies.
Jer 48:40
the enemy will come flying like an eagle, spreading out his wings
These phrases compare how a powerful army will descend on Moab and conquer it to the way an eagle swoops down to capture its prey.
Jer 48:41
in that day the hearts of Moab's soldiers ... women in birth labor
This phrase compares the fear that will overwhelm the soldiers of Moab to the fear a woman may feel when she is about to give birth to her child.
Jer 49:19
he will go up like a lion from the forests of the Jordan to the green pasturelands
This simile means that when Yahweh punishes the people of Edom, it will be fierce and unexpected like when a lion attacks sheep. This can be stated in first person. Alternate Translation: "When I punish the people of Edom, it will be fierce and unexpected like when a lion comes out of forest and attacks sheep in the pasture"
Jer 49:22
someone will attack like an eagle, and swoop down and spread his wings
This simile means that when the enemy army attacks it will be vicious and unexpected.
Jer 49:23
They become as troubled as the sea, which cannot stay calm
The water of the sea is always moving and is never still. This is compared to the people who cannot rest because they are so anxious about the bad news they heard.
Jer 50:8
be like male goats that leave
Male goats tend to be more independent than the rest of the flock. Possible meanings are 1) they should be the first to leave Babylon or 2) they should lead the rest of the Israelites away from Babylon.
Jer 50:9
Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed
The effectiveness of the arrows of the attacking nations are spoken of as if they were soldiers that always accomplish their mission. The idiom "empty-handed" means "without success." Alternate Translation: Each of their arrows are like skilled soldiers that always hit their target"
Jer 50:11
you jump around like a calf stamping in its pasture
The joy of the people of Babylon is compared to a calf who runs around joyfully in a pasture.
Jer 50:11
you neigh like a powerful horse
The people of Babylon are compared to stallions that are making loud noises because they are excited.
Jer 50:26
pile her up like heaps of grain
Possible meanings are 1) reduce the city to piles of rubble that look like stacks of grain or 2) stack up the plunder from the city like piles of grain.
Jer 50:37
they will become like women
The weakness of the Babylonian soldiers is spoken of as if they were women. This can be stated clearly. Alternate Translation: "they will all become as weak as women"
Jer 50:42
Their sound is like the sea roar
The loud noise that the soldiers make is compared to the loud noise of the sea. Alternate Translation: "The sound that they make is very loud, like the sound of the sea"
Jer 50:43
like a woman giving birth
The anguish that they feel because the enemy coming to attack them is compared to the anguish that a woman feels when she is about to give birth to a baby. Alternate Translation: "like a woman who is about to give birth"
Jer 50:44
He goes up like a lion from the heights of the Jordan to the enduring grazing place
This simile means that when Yahweh punishes the people of Babylon, it will be fierce and unexpected like when a lion attacks sheep. This can be stated in the first person. Alternate Translation: "When I punish the people of Babylon, it will be fierce and unexpected like when a lion comes out of mountains and attacks sheep in the pasture"
Jer 51:14
like a swarm of locusts
The large number of enemy soldiers is spoken of as if they were a mass of locusts invading the city. Alternate Translation: "with a large number of soldiers"
Jer 51:27
bring up horses like swarming locusts
Yahweh compares a great number of horses to a swarm of locusts. Alternate Translation: "bring many horses with soldiers quickly"
Jer 51:33
is like a threshing floor
People thresh grain by trampling it on a threshing floor, and Yahweh speaks of people punishing the daughter of Babylon as if they were threshing grain.
Jer 51:34
Like a monster
Here Babylon is compared to a monster.
Jer 51:40
like lambs ... male goats
Lambs and goats do not know before it happens that people are going to slaughter them, and the Babylonians will not know before it happens that Yahweh is going to destroy them.
Jer 51:55
enemies roar like the waves of many waters
The waves of the ocean and of flooding rivers make a loud sound, and the enemies will make a very loud sound as they come.
Jer 51:64
Babylon will sink like this
The stone and scroll will disappear in the water, the water will destroy the scroll, and Babylon will no longer look like a city or have buildings for people to live in.
Lam 1:1
like a widow
This speaks of Jerusalem as being without protection, as if it were a vulnerable widow.
Lam 1:6
Her princes have become like deer that cannot find pasture
This speaks of Zion's princes having nothing to eat like deer that cannot find grass to eat. Alternate Translation: "Her princes are starving, they are like deer that cannot find grass to eat"
Lam 1:8
Jerusalem sinned greatly, therefore, she has become scorned as something that is filthy
This speaks of Jerusalem being scorned in the same way that a woman is scorned when she is unclean. According to the Law of Moses, a woman was considered unclean during her monthly bleeding. Alternate Translation: "Jerusalem's sins have made her filthy and unclean, and therefore she was unacceptable before God"
Lam 2:4
Like an enemy he has bent his bow toward us, with his right is ready to shoot
A soldier has to bend his bow in order to shoot an arrow from it. This speaks of the Lord preparing to attack Israel as if he were an enemy about to shoot them with a bow and arrow. Alternate Translation: "He has prepared to kill us, like an enemy who has made his bow ready to shoot us"
Lam 2:6
He has attacked his tabernacle like a garden hut
This speaks of the tabernacle being easily destroyed, as if it were a garden hut. The Lord caused Israel's enemies to destroy it. He did not destroy it himself. Alternate Translation: "He has caused their enemies to attack his tabernacle as easily as if it were a garden hut"
Lam 2:12
as they faint like a wounded man
This speaks of the children fainting from hunger and thirst in the same way that a wounded man faints.
Lam 2:13
Your wound is as great as the sea
This speaks of Jerusalem's great suffering as if it were as terrible as the sea is great. Alternate Translation: "Your suffering is as terrible as the sea is large"
Lam 2:22
as you would call the people to a feast day
as if they were coming to a feast. This speaks of how Yahweh summoned his enemies as if he were inviting them to a feast.
Lam 3:10
He is like a bear waiting to ambush me, a lion in hiding
The author speaks of God being ready to cause him to suffer more, as if God were a wild animal waiting to attack him.
Lam 3:45
You have made us like filthy scum and refuse among the nations
The people of Israel are compared to filthy scum and refuse. Possible meanings are 1) God has caused the nations to think of his people as worthless. Alternate Translation: "You have made the nations think of us as scum and garbage" or 2) God's forcing his people to live among the nations is like throwing them away as garbage. Alternate Translation: "You have thrown us away like filthy garbage among the nations"
Lam 4:3
the daughter of my people ... like the ostriches in the desert
The people in Jerusalem are compared to ostriches because they are cruel to their children.
Lam 4:8
it has become as dry as wood
Their dry skin is compared to dry wood.
Lam 4:19
Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the sky
The author compares the speed of their pursuers to the speed of eagles flying. Eagles fly very quickly to catch other animals. Alternate Translation: "Those who were chasing us were faster than eagles"
Lam 5:10
Our skin has grown as hot as an oven because of the burning heat of hunger
This speaks of the peoples' bodies being hot and feverish as if their skin was as hot as an oven. The people have fever because of their hunger. Alternate Translation: "Our skin has become hot like an oven, and we have a very high fever because we are extremely hungry"
Ezk 1:7
that shone like polished bronze
that were shiny like bronze that has been polished. This describes the feet of the creatures. Alternate Translation: "and they shone like polished bronze"
Ezk 1:14
The living creatures were moving swiftly back and forth, and they had the appearance of lightning
Lightning flashes and then disappears quickly, and the creatures moved from one place to another quickly. The abstract noun "appearance" can be translated as a verb. Alternate Translation: "The living creatures were moving swiftly back and forth, and they looked like lightning"
Ezk 1:24
Like ... waters. Like ... moved. Like ... rainstorm. Like ... army.
These sentences are not complete because Ezekiel was showing that he was excited about what he saw. They can be translated as complete sentences: "The wings sounded like ... water. They sounded like ... moved. They sounded like ... rainstorm. They sounded like ... army."
Ezk 1:24
Like the sound of a rainstorm
Possible meanings are: 1) "Like the sound of very big storm" or 2) "Like the sound of a very large crowd of people" Alternate Translation: "There was a sound that was loud like a big storm" or "There was a sound that was loud like a very large crowd of people"
Ezk 7:17
knee ... weak as water
Water cannot stand up, and the people's knees will be so weak that the people are unable to stand on their legs.
Ezk 13:4
like jackals in the wastelands
Like jackals that scavenge for food and shelter among the abandoned ruins of cities, the prophets are using the destruction of Jerusalem for their own benefit.
Ezk 16:7
I made you grow like a plant in a field
Here Yahweh compares growing quickly with the way a plant grows quickly.
Ezk 20:30
why do you act like prostitutes
Yahweh speaks of the people being unfaithful to him as if they were acting like women who sleep with men to whom they are not married.
Ezk 21:10
in order to be like lightning
This means that the sword will be so shiny that light reflects off of it easily and brightly. Alternate Translation: "so that it flashes like lightning" or "so that light reflects off of it as brightly as lightning"
Ezk 21:15
It is made like lightning
This compares how the sword is well polished and how it reflects light to appear like lightning. Alternate Translation: "My sword is polished and flashes like lightning" or "It is polished and reflects light as being like lightning"
Ezk 21:28
so it will be like lightning
This means that the sword is so shiny that light reflects off of it easily and brightly. Alternate Translation: "and light reflects off of it as brightly as lightning"
Ezk 22:25
like a roaring lion tearing apart a victim. They consume life and take precious wealth
This compares the prophets of Israel to lions who attack and kill their victims. Alternate Translation: "They kill people for they are like roaring lions who attack and kill their prey. They take peoples' precious wealth"
Ezk 22:27
Her princes within her are like wolves tearing apart their victims
This compares Israel's princes to wolves who attack and kill their victims.
Ezk 23:20
whose private parts were like those of donkeys
This compares the size of the mens' private parts to those of a donkey to show how wicked Oholibah's desires were. This is an exaggeration as they could not be as large as those of a donkey. Alternate Translation: "whose private parts were very long, like those of a donkey"
Ezk 23:20
whose reproductive emissions were like those of horses
This compares the volume of the mens' emissions to those of a horse to show how wicked Oholibah's desires were. This is an exaggeration as they could not be like those of a horse. Alternate Translation: "whose reproductive emissions were huge, like those of a horse"
Ezk 26:4
I will sweep her dust away and make her like a bare rock
Yahweh speaks of how he will cause Tyre to be completely destroyed. Alternate Translation: "I will cause the armies to completely destroy the city, and they will leave nothing there"
Ezk 26:10
When he enters your gates, he will enter as men come into a city whose walls have been broken down
Here Yahweh uses a simile to describe how Nebuchadnezzar's army will enter into the city of Tyre.
Ezk 26:19
When I make you a desolate city, like the other cities that are not inhabited
Here Tyre is compared to other cities that no longer had people living in them.
Ezk 27:7
Your sails were made from colorful linen from Egypt that served as your banner
The sails of the ship are compared to the banners or flags of Tyre.
Ezk 28:3
you think that you are wiser than Daniel
Here the ruler of Tyre compares himself to Daniel the prophet in how wise he thought he was.
Ezk 32:2
like a young lion among the nations
Egypt was stronger than other nations, like lions are stronger than other animals.
Ezk 32:2
like a monster in the seas
Pharaoh was powerful, but he only caused trouble for others, like this monster in the water.
Ezk 36:17
Their ways were like the unclean menstruation of a woman before me
This compares how the people behaved to a woman's unclean menstruation rags. This emphasizes how disgusting their behaviors were to Yahweh. Alternate Translation: "Their ways were as disgusting to me as the unclean menstruation of a woman"
Ezk 38:9
you will go up as a storm goes
This simile means Gog will bring destruction like a large storm does.
Ezk 38:9
a cloud covering the land
This simile means the army will be so large that it will cover the entire land.
Ezk 38:16
like a cloud that covers the land
This simile means the army will be so large that it will cover the entire land. See how you translated a similar phrase in [Ezekiel 38:9](./09.md).
Dan 2:35
like the chaff of the threshing floors in the summer
This phrase is comparing the pieces of the statue to small and light things which could be blown away by the wind. Alternate Translation: "like dry pieces of grass blowing away in the wind"
Dan 2:40
strong as iron
The fourth kingdom is spoken of as being as strong as iron.
Dan 7:9
the hair of his head was like pure wool
Something about God's hair looked like pure wool. Possible meanings are that 1) it was very white or 2) it was thick and curly.
Dan 7:13
I saw one coming ... like a son of man
The person that Daniel saw was not a normal man, but had a human figure like a man. "I also saw that night someone coming who resembled a son of man, that is, he had a human figure"
Dan 10:6
His body was like topaz
His body gleamed with blue or yellow light as if it were made of topaz. Alternate Translation: "his body gleamed like topaz"
Dan 10:6
his face was like lightning
His face shone brightly as a bolt of lightning shines. Alternate Translation: "his face shone with light as bright as the flash of lightning"
Dan 10:6
His eyes were like flaming torches
His eyes were bright with light as if they were flaming torches. Alternate Translation: "his eyes were so bright that it seemed they had torches burning inside them"
Dan 10:6
his arms and his feet were like polished bronze
His arms and feet were as shiny as if they were made of polished bronze. Alternate Translation: "his arms and feet shone like polished bronze that reflects the light around it"
Dan 10:6
The sound of his words was like the sound of a great crowd
His voice was so loud that it was as if a crowd of people were all talking loudly. Alternate Translation: "his voice was as loud as a huge crowd all calling out together"
Dan 11:10
will flood everything
The way the large army covers the land will be like a flood of water. Alternate Translation: "will be so great in number that they will cover all the land"
Dan 12:3
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the sky above
This refers to God's people who will share their wisdom with those around them.
Dan 12:3
those who turn ... are like the stars forever and ever
These people are compared to the stars that shine. Alternate Translation: "those who turn ... will shine brightly like the stars forever and ever"
Hos 1:10
like the sand of the seashore
This emphasizes the great number of Israelites.
Hos 2:3
I will make her like the wilderness
Yahweh will change Israel to resemble the wilderness, which is a region that is bare and unproductive.
Hos 4:16
like a stubborn heifer
Israel is compared to a young cow that will not obey its master.
Hos 5:3
Ephraim, now you have become like a prostitute
Ephraim is presented in terms of a prostitute because the people have become unfaithful to God, as a prostitute is faithful to no man.
Hos 5:10
The leaders of Judah are like those who move a boundary stone
To "move a boundary stone" refers to moving the landmark that marked the border of some property, which was a crime under Israelite law.
Hos 5:12
I will be like a moth to Ephraim, and like rot to the house of Judah
A moth on a piece of wool and rot in a piece of wood are both destructive. Yahweh will destroy both nations.
Hos 5:14
So I will be like a lion to Ephraim
Yahweh is going to pursue and attack Ephraim like a lion.
Hos 5:14
like a young lion to the house of Judah
Yahweh is going to treat Judah in a similar way. Yahweh is showing his displeasure with both the northern and the southern kingdoms.
Hos 6:3
His coming out is as sure as the dawn
Yahweh will come to help his people just as surely as the sun rises each morning.
Hos 6:5
Your decrees are like the light that shines out
Here the prophet Hosea is speaking to God. He may mean that when God gives the command for someone to die as punishment, it is like a bolt of lightning that strikes. Or he may mean that God's commandments allow people to know the truth, just as light makes objects visible.
Hos 7:4
like an oven heated by the baker
This can be stated in active form. This means the people had strong desires to do evil. Alternate Translation: "like an oven which the baker heats"
Hos 7:6
For with hearts like an oven
This means like a fire burns in an oven, these people have strong evil desires within them. The people's desires are represented by their "hearts."
Hos 7:6
it burns high like a flaming fire
The intensity of their anger is spoken of as if it was a very hot fire. Alternate Translation: "it gets very intense"
Hos 7:7
They all are as hot as an oven
This compares their anger to the heat that comes from an oven.
Hos 7:11
Ephraim is like a dove, gullible and without sense
Doves were thought to be foolish birds.
Hos 7:12
I will bring them down like the birds of the sky
Yahweh speaks of the way he will judge Israel as if they were birds that he would catch in a net. Alternate Translation: "I will hunt them like birds" or "I will catch them like a hunter catches birds"
Hos 7:16
They are like a slack bow
That is, a bow that has no bowstring, or that has no tension.
Hos 8:9
like a wild donkey all alone
People often think of donkeys as being stubborn. This means the people of Israel refused to listen to Yahweh but instead went to the people of Assyria for help.
Hos 9:4
Their sacrifices will be to them like mourners' food
Here "mourners' food" refers to what people would eat while they mourning because they were defiled and not acceptable to God. This means Yahweh will consider the people's sacrifices to be defiled and he will not accept them.
Hos 9:11
their glory will fly away like a bird
The people of Ephraim, or the northern kingdom of Israel, will lose everything that makes other nations respect them. Their glory will quickly disappear, as a bird flies away. Alternate Translation: "their glory will be like a bird that flies away from them"
Hos 10:4
like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field
Their lies and injustice spread throughout their nation and harm everyone like poisonous plants.
Hos 10:7
like a chip of wood on the surface of the water
This means the king of Samaria will be as helpless as a small piece of wood that waves of the water toss back and forth.
Hos 11:4
I was to them like someone who eased the yoke on their jaws
Yahweh is speaking of the nation of Israel as a hardworking animal whose work he made easier.
Hos 11:10
he will roar like a lion
Yahweh making it possible for his people to return to his land is spoken of as if he were calling to his people.
Hos 11:10
They will come trembling like a bird ... like a dove
They will come home quickly as a bird returns to its nest. "Trembling" may refer to the fluttering of a bird's wings. It may also signal the people's feelings of humility and reverence for God
Hos 11:11
They will come trembling like a bird ... like a dove
They will come home quickly as a bird returns to its nest. "Trembling" may refer to the fluttering of a bird's wings. It may also signal the people's feelings of humility and reverence for God
Hos 12:11
their altars will be like heaps of stone in the furrows of the fields
The altars where the people worshiped will be thrown down and become piles of stones.
Hos 13:3
So they will be like the morning clouds ... like the dew ... like the chaff ... like smoke out of a chimney
These expressions state that Israel is temporary and will soon disappear if they continue to worship idols instead of following Yahweh.
Hos 13:7
like a lion ... like a leopard ... as a bear ... as a lion ... as a wild beast
These are wild animals that attack and kill other animals. Yahweh continues to say that he will destroy his people for their sins.
Hos 13:8
like a lion ... like a leopard ... as a bear ... as a lion ... as a wild beast
These are wild animals that attack and kill other animals. Yahweh continues to say that he will destroy his people for their sins.
Hos 14:5
I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily
God is spoken of as if he were dew that brought needed moisture to plants, and Israel is spoken of as if it were one person, and as if he were a flower that could blossom.
Hos 14:5
take root like a cedar in Lebanon
The picture of Israel in the form of a plant is continued here, but this time in the form of a tall cedar tree in Lebanon, which was known for such trees.
Hos 14:6
His branches will spread out ... like the cedars in Lebanon
This passage continues the same image.
Hos 14:7
they will revive like grain and blossom like vines
Israel's new prosperity is spoken of in agricultural terms.
Hos 14:7
His fame will be like the wine of Lebanon
Just as Lebanon's wine was famous, so Israel will be famous. Alternate Translation: "People everywhere will know about the nation of Israel"
Hos 14:8
a cypress whose leaves are always green
A cypress is a tree whose leaves stay green all year. This represents Yahweh and his blessings on Israel.
Jol 2:2
Like the dawn that spreads on the mountains, a large and mighty army is approaching
When direct sunlight shines on a mountain at dawn, it begins at the top and spreads to the bottom. When an army comes over a mountain range, it comes over the top and spreads out as it comes down. Alternate Translation: "A large, mighty army comes over the mountains into the land. They spread over the land like the light from the rising sun"
Jol 2:3
land is like the garden of Eden
The garden of Eden was a beautiful place, and the land was beautiful.
Jol 2:4
The army's appearance is like horses
The head of a locust looks like a small horse head. The army is fast, and horses are fast.
Jol 2:4
they run like horsemen
Men riding horses move quickly, and the army moves quickly.
Jol 2:5
a noise like that of chariots ... like the noise of fiery flames ... like a mighty army ready for battle
These sounds would have been very frightening to Joel's readers. If your readers will not understand what these sound like, you might be able to use a more general phrase: "a noise that frightens everyone"
Amo 2:7
They trample on the heads of the poor as people trample on dust on the ground
How the people of Israel treated the poor is compared to how people step heavily on the ground
Amo 2:13
I will crush you as a cart that is full of grain can crush someone
Yahweh compares his judgment on the people of Israel to crushing them with something very heavy.
Amo 3:12
As the shepherd rescues ... so will the people of Israel ... be rescued
The Lord compares the people of Israel being rescued with an unsuccessful attempt to rescue an animal from a lion. They will not be completely rescued.
Amo 5:6
he will break out like fire
Here "break out like a fire" represents destroying things as fire destroys things. Alternate Translation: "he will become like a fire that breaks out suddenly and destroys everything" or "he will destroy everything like a fire"
Amo 5:24
let justice flow like water, and righteousness like a constantly flowing stream
This represents causing there to be much justice and righteous. Alternate Translation: "let there be so much justice that it is like flowing water, and let there be so much righteousness that it is like a constantly flowing stream" or "let justice abound like a flood, and let righteousness abound like a stream that never stops"
Amo 8:8
All of it will rise up like the Nile River ... like the river of Egypt
Amos compares the rising and sinking of the waters of the Nile River to how Yahweh will cause the land to shake when he judges the people.
Amo 9:5
all of it will rise up like the River, and sink again like the river of Egypt
Here "the River" and "river of Egypt" both refer to the Nile river. Yahweh causing the land to shake violently is compared to the waters of the Nile river rising and sinking.
Amo 9:9
I will shake the house of Israel ... as one shakes grain in a sieve, so that not the smallest stone will fall to the ground
The picture here is of grain falling through the sieve and stones being kept out. The idea is that Yahweh will remove all of the sinful people from Israel.
Mic 1:8
like the jackals ... like owls
Jackals and owls live in wastelands, and their loud cries sound like people wailing or weeping.
Mic 4:10
Be in pain ... like a woman in labor
Micah compares the suffering the people will experience when enemies force them away from their cities to the pain a woman experiences when giving birth to a baby.
Mic 4:12
for he has gathered them like bundles of grain prepared for the threshing floor
The writer speaks of Yahweh being ready to destroy the nations as if Yahweh were a farmer who has put his bundles of grain on his threshing floor and is now ready to thresh them.
Mic 5:7
like dew from Yahweh, like showers on the grass
Dew and rain showers refresh the land and cause things to grow. The Israelites will cause the people among whom they live to live will.
Mic 5:8
like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep
Lions are able to kill and eat any wild animal of the forest, and they easily kill sheep. Alternate Translation: "like the fiercest of wild animals, like a wild animal that kills helpless livestock"
Mic 7:4
The best of them is like a brier, the most upright is worse than a thorn hedge
Briers and thorns are good for nothing and harm those who touch them. The Israelite rulers and judges did nothing good and harmed people.
Mic 7:10
like the mud in the streets
People who walk on mud without thinking they are doing anything bad are compared with those who will destroy Israel's enemies without thinking they are doing anything evil.
Nam 2:4
They look like torches
Nahum compares the way that the light from the sun reflects upon the chariots with torches whose fire gives light.
Nam 2:4
they run like lightning
Nahum compares the way that the light from the sun reflects upon the chariots, and the quickness with which the chariots move, with lightning that flashes quickly in the sky.
Nam 2:8
Nineveh is like a leaking pool of water, with its people fleeing away like rushing water
Nahum compares the way that the people flee from the city of Nineveh with the way that water gushes from a reservoir of water when the dam has been broken.
Nam 3:12
All your fortresses will be like fig trees with the earliest ripe figs: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater
Nahum compares the ease with which the attackers will conquer Nineveh with the ease with which a person can cause ripe figs to fall from a tree. Alternate Translation: "Your enemies will destroy your fortresses as easily as a person can shake a fig tree and eat the first ripe figs that fall"
Nam 3:16
they are like young locusts: they plunder the land and then fly away
Nahum compares the way that these merchants, who have made their profit by selling their goods in Nineveh, will flee from the city when the battle begins with the way that locusts fly away after they have eaten all of the plants in their path.
Nam 3:17
your generals are like swarms of them that camp in the walls on a cold day. But when the sun rises they fly away
Nahum compares the way that the officials in Nineveh will flee when the battle starts with the way that locusts will remain still while it is cold, but will fly away when the sun rises and the air becomes warm.
Hab 1:9
they gather captives like sand
Possible meanings are 1) the Chaldeans take people captive as easily as one would scoop up sand with his hand. Alternate Translation: "they gather captives as one gathers sand" or 2) the Chaldeans take a great number of people captive, as if those people were as many as the grains of sand in the desert. Alternate Translation: "they capture as many people as there are grains of sand"
Hab 1:14
You make men like fish in the sea
Habakkuk compares the way in which the Chaldeans will kill people without remorse with the way in which people will kill fish without remorse. Alternate Translation: "You cause men to become no more important than fish"
Hab 2:14
the land will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea
This simile compares the way in which people everywhere will know of Yahweh's glory with how water fills every part of the sea.
Hab 3:14
they came like a storm
The power and quickness of the Chaldeans as they attacked the people of Israel is compared to the coming of a sudden storm. Alternate Translation: "they came quickly like a storm"
Zep 1:17
they will walk about like blind men
The result of Yahweh's judgment is that people will be so confused and dazed when they walk about that people will think they are blind. Alternate Translation: "they will walk around as confused and dazed as blind men"
Zep 1:17
Their blood will be poured out like dust
Their blood that is shed will be as worthless as dust. This can be stated in active form. Alternate Translation: "Their enemies will pour out their blood and consider it to be worthless"
Zep 1:17
their inner parts like dung
The verb "poured out" is understood here. This can be stated in active form. Alternate Translation: "their enemies will cut open their bodies and leave them to rot like dung"
Zep 2:2
that day passes like the chaff
The chaff is the insignificant part of the plant that the wind blows away. In a similar way, the day of judgment will pass quickly. Alternate Translation: "that day passes as quickly as chaff blown by the wind"
Zep 2:13
as dry as the desert
This means it will be so dry that nothing will grow there.
Zep 3:19
I will make them as praise
The full thought here is, "I will make them to be objects of praise," that is, "I will make them to be praised by others."
Hag 2:23
I will make you like a signet ring
Kings used a signet ring to seal documents to show that they truly had his authority. Zerubbabel would have authority from Yahweh because he would speak Yahweh's words.
Zec 4:1
roused me like a man roused from his sleep
Zechariah compares the way in which the angel interrupted his being in deep thought with the way someone would awaken another person from sleep. Alternate Translation: "caused me to become more alert like a man awakened from his sleep"
Zec 7:12
They made their hearts as hard as rock so they would not hear the law or the words of Yahweh of hosts
The people refusing to hear and obey Yahweh are compared to their being as unyielding as rock. Here the heart represents the will of a person. Alternate Translation: "They stubbornly refused to hear the law or the words of Yahweh of hosts"
Zec 9:14
his arrows will shoot out like lightning!
The Israelites sometimes thought of lightning bolts as arrows that God shot.
Zec 9:15
Then they will drink and shout like men drunk on wine
The people of Judah will shout and celebrate their victory over their enemies as if they were noisy drunks. Alternate Translation: "Then they will shout and celebrate their victory as loudly as if they were drunk"
Zec 9:15
they will be filled with wine like bowls
This probably refers to the bowls that the priests used to carry animal's blood to the altar. Alternate Translation: "they will be as full of wine as the basins with which priests carry blood to the altar"
Zec 9:15
like the corners of the altar
Altars had projecting corners that were drenched in animal blood. Alternate Translation: "they will be drenched as the corners of the altar are covered in blood"
Zec 9:16
God will rescue them ... as the flock of his people
The people of Israel are spoken of as if they are God's sheep that he cares for and protects.
Zec 10:2
they wander like sheep
The people who do not have true prophets who tell the truth are spoken of as sheep who do not have a shepherd to tell them where to go. Alternate Translation: "the people who listen to the false prophets are like sheep who do not know which way to go"
Zec 10:2
they ... suffer because there is no shepherd
The people who do not have true prophets are spoken of as sheep who suffer because they do not have a shepherd to tell them where to go. Alternate Translation: "the people who listen to the false prophets ... are suffering like sheep who do not have a shepherd to guide them"
Zec 10:5
They will be like warriors ... streets in battle
The rulers from Judah are spoken of as if they were victorious warriors. Alternate Translation: "They will be mighty in battle, trampling their enemies into the mud of the streets"
Zec 10:7
Ephraim will be like a warrior
Ephraim refers here to the northern kingdom of Israel. Warriors are strong. Alternate Translation: "Ephraim will be very strong"
Zec 12:6
like firepots among wood ... standing grain
This simile means Yahweh will enable the leaders of Judah to be strong and able to lead the people to defeat their enemies. Alternate Translation: "like firepots among stacked firewood ... unharvested stalks of grain standing in a field"
Zec 12:8
those who are weak among them will be like David
This simile means those who are weak will be strong. Alternate Translation: "those who are weak will be strong like David"
Mal 3:2
For he will be like a refiner's fire and like laundry soap
This sentence gives the reason why no one will be able to resist God when he comes. God's power to judge the people and to stop them from sinning is spoken of as if it were the power of strong soap to clean clothes, or the power of fire to melt an object. These are ways of saying that God's power to do these things cannot be stopped.
Mal 3:3
He will sit
Here sitting implies the action of a metalworker, who sits down in order to purify small amounts of gold or silver. It also implies the action of a king, who sits down to judge people and give decrees.
Mal 3:3
He will refine them like gold and silver
Here persuading people not to sin any longer is spoken of as if a metalworker were making gold and silver more pure.
Mal 4:2
You will go out, and you will leap like calves from the stall
Here the redeemed people of Yahweh are spoken of as if they were young bulls released from their stalls, allowed to go out into their pasture.