H4911b H4911b
To use a proverb, speak in parables or poetic sayings; denominative from mashal ('proverb, parable').
This denominative verb, built on the noun mashal ('proverb, parable'), means to compose or recite proverbial speech, whether a taunt, an allegory, or a prophetic parable. It appears most heavily in Ezekiel, where God commands the prophet to 'speak a parable' (Ezek 17:2; 24:3) and where the people complain that Ezekiel is merely 'a maker of parables' (Ezek 20:49). The earliest occurrence comes in Numbers 21:27, where 'those who speak in proverbs' (moshelim) celebrate Israel's victory. Spanish renders the action as 'hablar en proverbio,' while French and German resort to paraphrases, reflecting the difficulty of capturing this specifically Semitic literary concept in a single word.
Senses
1. to use a proverb, speak in parables — To speak in proverbs or parables, to compose or recite proverbial sayings -- a denominative verb from mashal. In Numbers 21:27, the moshelim are ballad-singers commemorating conquest. Ezekiel dominates the usage: God commands 'propound a parable' (Ezek 17:2; 24:3), the people quote the proverb 'the days are prolonged' (12:23), and they accuse Ezekiel of being a riddler (20:49). The Spanish gloss 'el que usa proverbio' (one who uses a proverb) and the English 'speak/use a proverb' capture the performative dimension -- this is not merely knowing a saying but actively deploying it as rhetoric. 9×
AR["الْمَاثِلِ", "الْمُمَثِّلُونَ", "تَضْرِبُونَ", "ضَرْبُ", "مُمَثِّلُ", "وَاضْرِبْ", "يَمْثُلُ", "يُمَثِّلُونَ"]·ben["আর-বল", "এবং-দৃষ্টান্ত-বল", "কবিরা", "তারা-প্রবাদ-বলবে", "দৃষ্টান্ত-বলছ", "প্রবাদ-বলবে", "প্রবাদকারী", "বলা", "রূপক-বলছে"]·DE["[המשל]", "[ומשל]", "[ימשל]", "[ימשלו]", "[ממשל]", "[משל]", "[משלים]", "der-poets"]·EN["and-speak", "shall-use-proverb", "speaking", "the-poets", "they-shall-use", "to-use-proverb", "using-proverb"]·FR["et-ressembler", "le-poets", "ressembler"]·heb["ה-מושל", "ה-משלים", "ו-משול", "ימשול", "ימשלו", "מושלים", "ממשל", "משול"]·HI["और-कह", "कहते-हो", "कहने-का", "कहनेवाले", "कहावतकार", "कहेंगे", "बोलनेवाला", "वे-कहेंगे"]·ID["-yang-menggunakan-peribahasa", "akan-menggunakan-peribahasa", "dan-sampaikanlah", "dan-ucapkanlah", "menggunakan", "menggunakan-sebagai-peribahasa", "menyampaikan-perumpamaan", "mereka-akan-menggunakan-sebagai-peribahasa", "para-penyair"]·IT["[המשל]", "[ימשל]", "[ימשלו]", "[ממשל]", "[משלים]", "e-parabola", "il-poets", "parabola"]·jav["Lan-ngandikaa", "badhé-ngandakaken-paribasan", "ingkang-ngandakaken-paribasan", "lan-ngandikakna", "ngandakaken", "ngandakaken-paribasan", "para-tukang-nggambar", "tiyang-tiyang-punika-ngandikakaken"]·KO["그-속담-하는-자들-이", "그-속담을-인용하는-자가", "그들이-속담으로-삼으리라", "그리고-말하라", "그리고-비유하여라", "비유를-말하는-자가", "인용하는", "인용하리라"]·PT["E-fala", "e-fala", "faz-proferir", "o-que-usa-provérbio", "os-compositores-de-provérbios", "usais-provérbio", "usar-provérbio", "usará-provérbio", "usarão"]·RU["будут-употреблять", "говорить-притчу", "говорящий-притчами", "и-изреки", "и-скажи", "притчу-говорящие", "притчу-говорящий", "скажет-притчу", "слагающие-притчи"]·ES["Y-di", "el-que-usa-proverbio", "es-que-habla", "los-que-componen-proverbios", "usar-como-proverbio", "usará-proverbio", "usarán-como-proverbio", "usáis-como-proverbio", "y-habla"]·SW["anayetumia-mithali", "ataendelea-kutumia-mithali", "hawataendelea", "kutumia-mithali", "mnatumia-mithali", "na-nena-mfano", "na-sema", "wanaosema-mithali"]·TR["atasözü-söyleyecek", "atasözü-söyleyen", "atasözü-söyleyenler", "et", "kullanacaklar", "söyleyen", "ve-meselle", "ve-söyle-meşel"]·urd["اور-بیان-کر", "اور-مثال-دے", "بولتے-ہو", "بولنا", "مثل-گو", "کہاوت-کہنے-والے", "کہاوت-کہیں-گے", "کہنے-والا", "کہیں-گے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. [מָשַׁל] vb.denom. use a proverb, speak in parables or sentences of poetry, especially Ezek.;— Qal Impf. יִמְשֹׁל Ez 16:44; 3 mpl. יִּמְשְׁלוּ 12:23; Imv. מְשֹׁל 17:2; 24:3; Inf. cstr. מְשֹׁל 18:3; Pt. מֹשֵׁל 16:44, pl. מֹשְׁלִים 18:2 Nu 21:27;—use a proverb: מ׳ מָשָׁל Ez 12:23; 18:3 + ב loc.; a parable c. אֶל־ 17:2 (‖ חוד), 24:3; c. עַל־ 18:2, and (מָשָׁל appar. om.) הִנֵּה כָּל־הַמּשֵׁל…