ith these shalt thou push the
Syrians till thou have consumed them" (1 Kings 22:11); the true
prophet Jeremiah wore a yoke upon his neck as a sign that God
would subject the nations to Nebuchadnezzar's power, and the
false prophet Hananiah broke it, that he might thus signify the
deliverance of the people from Nebuchadnezzar's rule. Jer.
27:1-8, compared with 28:10, 11.

(6.) A _proverb_ is a _short maxim_ relating to practical life. It may
be expressed literally or figuratively, but in either case it must
contain a _general truth_. "A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him;
neither will he go unto the wise" (Prov. 15:12), is a proverb expressed
in plain language. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the
righteous runneth into it, and is safe" (Prov. 18:10), is a proverb
under a beautiful figure. The foolish young men counselled Rehoboam to
say to the Israelites: "My little finger shall be thicker than my
father's loins." 1 Kings 12:10. This is not a proverb, because it
contains only the figurative statement of a particular fact. But if we
change the form, and say: The little finger of a foolish ruler is
thicker than the loins of a wise king, we make it general, and thus it
becomes a proverb.

The Hebrew word for a proverb (_mashal_) denotes a _similitude_, this
being one of its most common forms. Examples occur in abundance in the
book of Proverbs. We have them in the form of _direct comparison_: "As
in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man" (chap.
27:19); "A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious
woman are alike" (chap. 27:15); "Better is a dinner of herbs where love
is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith" (chap. 15:17). We have them
also in the form of _metaphor_: "The contentions of a wife are a
continual dropping" (chap. 19:13); "The lips of knowledge are a precious
jewel" (chap. 20:15). But most frequently the comparison appears in the
form of _contrast_, thus: "A wise son heareth his father's instruction;
but a scorner heareth not rebuke" (chap. 13:1); "A faithful witness will
not lie; but a false witness will utter lies" (chap. 14:5). The
signification of the word _proverb_ is then extended to short
sententious maxims of every form, even where comparison is excluded,
thus: "A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways
of judgment" (chap. 17:23).

(7.) The word _myth_ (Greek _muthos_) was applied by the Greeks to a
lege