contain figures of speech? After all, figures of speech have been claimed for this passage.62 Although figures of speech are more abundant in poetic literature, they are not uncommon in other historical narratives. For instance, God uses both simile and literary hyperbole when He informs Abraham that his descendants will be like the stars of heaven or like the sand on the seashore in number (Gen. 15:5; 22:17).63 We are informed again by simile that in Solomon’s time, silver was like stones in Jerusalem