Question

What should be taken literally and what should be taken figuratively in the bible
give me 3 pieces of scripture

Answer 1

Short answer first: read each passage according to its genre and the author’s intent. Historical narrative and straightforward teaching are usually read literally (unless the text signals otherwise); poetry, parables, and apocalyptic visions are usually symbolic or figurative. Below are three concrete examples showing what to take literally and what to take figuratively.

1) Genesis 1:1–2:4 (the creation account)
- Text reference: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…”
- What to take literally: the basic claim that God is the Creator — the text’s theological point that the world depends on God is a plain, central claim.
- What to take figuratively/interpretively: whether the “days” are literal 24‑hour periods, a literary framework, or symbolic of long ages. Genesis 1 is an ancient, structured account with poetic and theological features, so the chronology can be read in different, responsible ways depending on language, genre, and scientific evidence.

2) Mark 4:3–9, 13–20 (the Parable of the Sower)
- Text reference: Jesus tells a farmer sowing seed; later he explains that the seed is the word of God and the soils are different kinds of hearts.
- What to take literally: the fact that Jesus used a story to teach and that the explanation given by Jesus identifies the meanings (seed = God’s word, soils = people’s responses).
- What to take figuratively: the story details (birds, thorns, rocky soil) are symbolic—they are not a historical report but images pointing to spiritual realities. Parables are intended to teach by analogy, not to be read as literal events.

3) Ezekiel 37:1–14 (the valley of dry bones)
- Text reference: Ezekiel sees dry bones come together, grow flesh, and live again; God explains it as a sign.
- What to take literally: the prophetic message that God will restore and revive Israel — the passage’s symbolic interpretation is explicitly given by the prophet: the bones represent the house of Israel.
- What to take figuratively: the vision’s literal reassembly of bones is visionary and symbolic rather than a plain news report of actual dead bodies reanimating. The imagery communicates national restoration and hope; it can also point forward to resurrection themes without requiring a one‑to‑one physical reanimation reading.

Simple rules to apply when you read:
- Ask “What genre is this?” (history, law, poetry, prophecy, parable, apocalyptic, epistle).
- Ask “What did the original author intend the original audience to understand?” (context, immediate and broader biblical).
- Look for when the text itself gives an explanation (Jesus often explains parables; prophets sometimes explain visions).
- Consult reliable commentaries and the interpretive tradition of your faith community when uncertain.

If you want, I can give more examples (e.g., Psalms as poetry, Revelation as apocalyptic symbolism, historical narratives to be read as history) or walk through any specific verse you’re wondering about.