Scripture does more than employ literary devices—it names them.
Scripture does more than employ literary devices—it names them. The biblical writers were self-aware about the forms they used, and the terms they chose reveal how ancient Israel and the early church understood the relationship between form and meaning. What follows is a catalog of literary device names that appear explicitly in the biblical text, with their Hebrew and Greek terms, key references, and brief notes on significance.
One pattern worth noting: the Hebrew word mashal covers parable, proverb, riddle, taunt, and byword. Rather than drawing sharp lines between genres, Hebrew thought grouped these forms by their shared dynamic—speech that means more than it says on the surface.