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Fable

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G3454

μῦθος

muthos — myth

μῦθος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX: Wis.17:4 A, Sir.20:19 * ;] 1. speech, con­versation. 2. (a) a story, narrative (Hom.); (b) later, opposite to λόγος (a true narrative) = Lat. fabula, a myth, fable, fiction: 1Ti.1:4 4:7, 2Ti.4:4, Tit.1:14, 2Pe.1:16.† SYN.. λόγος, q.v (AS)

5 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

Applied in the New Testament to the traditions and speculations, “cunningly devised fables”, of the Jews on religious questions (1 Tim. 1:4; 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16). In such passages the word means anything false and unreal. But the word is used as almost equivalent to parable. Thus we have (1) the fable of Jotham, in which the trees are spoken of as choosing a king (Judg. 9:8-15); and (2) that of the cedars of Lebanon and the thistle as Jehoash’s answer to Amaziah (2 Kings 14:9).

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Fable in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →