Parable

The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Rembrandt, 1660s

A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whereas parables have human characters.[1] A parable is a type of metaphorical analogy.[2]

Some scholars of the canonical gospels and the New Testament apply the term "parable" only to the parables of Jesus,[3][need quotation to verify][4][page needed] although that is not a common restriction of the term.

  1. ^ "Difference Between Fable and Parable". DifferenceBetween.com. Difference Between. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  2. ^ David B. Gowler (2000). What are they saying about the parables. Paulist Press. pp. 99, 137, 63, 132, 133. ISBN 9780809139620.
  3. ^ Jülicher, Adolf (1888). Die gleichnisreden Jesu [The parables of Jesus] (in German). Vol. 1. Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr (P. Siebeck). Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  4. ^ Meier, John P. (1994). A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus. The Anchor Bible reference library. Vol. 2: A Marginal Jew: Mentor, message, and miracles. Doubleday. ISBN 9780385469920. Retrieved 8 November 2019.