Compared to the frequent use of the word παραβολή in the
Septuagint and the Synoptic Gospels the absence of this term in the Gospel
of John prompted this investigation of the hermeneutic of the Hebrew
משל I in accordance with its Greek translation in the Septuagint as
παραβολή and παροιμία respectively. Etymologically משל
I has several meanings: "proverb", "byword", "reproach" and "parable".
Despite these different meanings coherence can still be found within the
hermeneutical setting of the word, where it seems to signify either a
positive or negative relationship between Yahweh and Israel. In the
negative sense of the word it appears as "proverb", "byword" or "reproach"
indicating a broken relationship between Yahweh and Israel caused by
disobedience to the Word of the Covenant. In the positive sense of the
word it indicates a manifest and unique relationship between Yahweh and
the one speaking the משל, i.e. an elect individual such as a prophet
or king of Israel. Only in Ezekiel (Ez 17,2; 21,5; 24,3) the word appears
in the sense of parable in accordance with the Synoptic use of the word as
expressing exhortation in riddles. Where the משל needs a human being as
medium and thus never goes forth directly from the mouth of Yahweh, the
revelation of the Will of Yahweh is not expressed in משל, but in
אמר, דבר, in Septuagint λόγος or ρήμα. Though the Synoptic
παραβολή is commonly understood as a riddle or simile it is
remarkable that these riddles do not appear without exhortation, which may
require a reconsideration of the definition of the Synoptic
παραβολή. This in turn leads to further questions concerning the
consequences of a παραβολή-speaking Christ for the Christology.
If this argument is accepted it might be possible to draw a tentative
conclusion to the absence of the word παραβολή in the Gospel of
John, where the divine λόγος is not transformed into
משל/παραβολή through the flesh of Jesus or by his act of
speaking, but remains λόγος, ρήμα and related to the positive
sense of משל as παροιμία. Thus, Jesus not only gains a higher
status as a prophet, but the words he speaks are more than exhortations to
the Word of Yahweh, they are the Words of Yahweh.