'Figurative' in the Bible

Balaam took up his [first] discourse (oracle) and said:“Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram (Syria),from the mountains of the east, [saying,]‘Come, curse [the descendants of] Jacob for me;And come, [violently] denounce Israel.’

Balaam took up his [second] discourse (oracle) and said:“Rise up, O Balak, and hear;Listen [closely] to me, son of Zippor.

He took up his [third] discourse (oracle) and said:“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened [at last, to see clearly the purpose and will of God],

He took up his [fourth] discourse (oracle) and said:“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,The oracle of the man whose eye is opened,

He then spoke many things to them in figurative language. "The sower goes out," He said, "to sow.

(And His disciples came and asked Him, "Why do you speak to them in figurative language?"

I speak to them in figurative language for this reason, that while looking they do not see, and while hearing they neither hear nor understand.

All this Jesus spoke to the people in figurative language, and except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them,

in fulfilment of the saying of the Prophet, "I will open my mouth in figurative language, I will utter things kept hidden since the creation of all things."

"Explain to us this figurative language," said Peter.

Again Jesus spoke to them in figurative language.

So He called them to Him, and using figurative language He appealed to them, saying, "How is it possible for Satan to expel Satan?

Then He proceeded to teach them many lessons in figurative language; and in His teaching He said,

When He was alone, the Twelve and the others who were about Him requested Him to explain His figurative language.

"To you," He replied, "has been entrusted the secret truth concerning the Kingdom of God; but to those others outside your number all this is spoken in figurative language;

But except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them; while to His own disciples He expounded everything, in private.

Then He began to speak to them in figurative language. "There was once a man," He said, "who planted a vineyard, fenced it round, dug a pit for the wine-tank, and built a strong lodge. Then he let the place to vine-dressers and went abroad.

He also spoke in figurative language to them. "No one," He said, "tears a piece from a new garment to mend an old one. Otherwise he would not only spoil the new, but the patch from the new would not match the old.

He also spoke to them in figurative language. "Can a blind man lead a blind man?" He asked; "would not both fall into the ditch?

So in figurative language He asked them,

Jesus spoke to them in this figurative language, but they did not understand what He meant.

"I have said these things to you in figurative language. The time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

“Ah!” His disciples said. “Now You’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language.

All this kept happening to them with a figurative meaning; but it was put on record by way of admonition to us upon whom the ends of the Ages have come.

It was necessary then that the figurative representations of the things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with sacrifices better than these.