A parable is a story or a saying that illustrates a truth using comparison, hyperbole, or simile.
In the Old Testament, parables instruct in wisdom (Proverbs 1:6), convey predictions (e.g., Numbers 23:7, Numbers 23:18; Numbers 24:3, Numbers 24:15, Numbers 24:20–23; Ezekiel 17:2–10), enhance a message (e.g., 2 Samuel 12:1–15), or pronounce judgment (e.g., Ezekiel 24:3–14; Micah 2:4–5; Habakkuk 2:6).
In the New Testament, rabbis would use parables to explain passages of Scripture or illustrate an interpretation of a passage already provided. Jesus appears to copy this practice, since a central feature of his teaching was his use of extended similes and short stories to express spiritual truths. Over one third of Jesus’ instruction was done via parables.
Parables are not allegories, wherein each element of the story, like a mathematical equation, represents a specific reality. Jesus’ parables usually have only a single main point.1
2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: