Contents
-BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD
Frank J. Wilstach, comp. A Dictionary of Similes. 1916.
Old Testament
As the sycamore trees are in the vale for abundance.Afraid as a grasshopper.Ascended as the smoke of a furnace.She that maketh you ashamed is as a rottenness in the bones.Gone astray like a lost sheep.Chased away as the vision of the night.Away as with a whirlwind.Slideth back as a backsliding heifer.Bellow as bulls.Bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands.Bitter as wormwood.Black as a raven.Black like an oven.Blacker than a coal.Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.He maketh the deep to boil like a pot.Bold as a lion.His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.Bow down his head like a bulrush.Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.Broader than the sea.Burneth as a flaming fire.Burning like the burning of a fire.Burst like new bottles.Chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.Chased away as a vision of the night.Chased you, as bees do.Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter.His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers.Clear as the sun.Cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.Cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down.Compasseth them about as a chain.Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.Confounded, as corn blasted before it is grown up.Consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.Consume away like a moth; surely every man is vanity.Consumed like smoke.Consumed them as stubble.As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.Continued as long as the sun.He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion.Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.Counted as sheep for the slaughter.His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.His countenance was like lightning.Jealousy is as cruel as the grave.Cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.I cry like a travailing woman.Cut down like the grass.Cuts like a two-edged sword.Dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.As smoke is driven away, so drive them away.The driving is like the driving of Jehu, the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.Drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.My soul escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.Established for ever as the moon.As the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.Thine eyes are like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim.Eyes like unto a flame of fire.We all do fade as a leaf.Fair as the moon.Fair as the daughters of Job.Fasten him as a nail in a sure place.Fat as grease.Grow fat as the heifer at grass.Firm as a stone.A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.Flee as a bird to your mountain.Flee, as fleeing from a sword.Fleeth also as a shadow.Flourish as a branch.Flourish like an herb.Flourish like grass of the earth.Flourish like the palm tree.As a flower of the field so he flourisheth.Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.Forgotten as a dead man out of mind.Full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.Gathered as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again.A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.Goeth … as an ox goeth to the slaughter.Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.Gone like shadow when it declineth.Your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.Hard as a piece of the nether millstone.Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.Heavier than the sands of the sea.As high as heaven.Taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth.As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.Hot as an oven.Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool.Leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.He was leprous as snow.My lips are like a thread of scarlet.His lips like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh.Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.Melt away as waters which run continual.Melted like wax.Mourn as a dove.Multiply as the bud of the field.Multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven.Even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude.As the stars of heaven for multitude.A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.A good name is like sweet-smelling ointment.Thy neck is as a tower of ivory.Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.They shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth.As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.Passeth away as a cloud.Pass through thy hand as a river.Perish forever like his own dung.As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.Purer than snow.Pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.Reel to and fro and stagger like a drunkard.Thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.Revive as the corn.Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep.Rise up as a great lion.Roareth like the sea.More ruddy in body than rubies.He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.Run like oil.Run like the lightnings.A rushing like the rushing of mighty waters.Sank into the bottom as a stone.Scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.Scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.Scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd.Secretly as a lion in his den.Set my face like a flint.Sharp as a two-edged sword.Sharper than a thorn.Shine as the brightness of the firmament.Shout, as they that tread the grapes.They sank into the bottom as a stone.Sank as lead in the mighty waters.Skip like a calf.Mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.Slideth back as a backsliding heifer.As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.Small as the dust before the wind.Beat them as small as the dust of the earth.As small as the hoar frost on the ground.Smoother than butter.Softer than oil.Sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.Spread … abroad as the four winds of heaven.As the valleys are they spread forth.Spreading himself like a green bay tree.They shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.Spring as the grass.Stagger like a drunken man.Still as a stone.Stingeth like an adder.Stretched out the heavens as a curtain.Strong as death.Strong as iron.As swift as the eagle flieth.As swift as the roes upon the mountains.Swift as the waters.Swifter than a weaver’s shuttle.Swifter than the eagles of the heaven.Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.His countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible.Terrible as an army with banners.My soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land.Gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit.Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.I am tossed up and down as the locust.Tried us as silver is tried.Shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments.Unstable as water.Went up as the smoke of a furnace.Upright as an heap.Vanish away like smoke.I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child.Weak as water.It was like coriander seed, white.Whiter than milk.But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.Wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.My heart is smitten, and withered like grass.Wither as the green herb.A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
