Note: Looking so long on Josephes's Red Cross that he sees in it the form of a man crucified, would appear to belong at least to sense 2.(a), but probably with overtones of 3.(a).

Note: We appear not to have a gloss that covers this quot. precisely--per MJW

Note: A literal rendering of a Latin rendering of a Hebrew idiom. As Bishop Patrick explains it, "Ver. 20. 'To fetch about this form of speech, hath thy servant Joab done this thing.' The meaning is, 'Joab instructed her, that having obtained pardon for her Son, she should "turn about the Face of her Speech" (as the words are in the Hebrew) another way; and transfer it to Absalom, as a parallel case with her own." --Simon Patrick [Bp. of Ely], A Commentary upon the Two Books of Samuel (London: Chiswell, 1703), p. 476. 'Figure' therefore means something like 'referent, surface meaning' or even 'application,' of a speech understood to have layers of meaning, therefore of a metaphor, parable, etc. Modern translations struggle between literal rendering and paraphrase. Hence Knox, "Joab..bade me use this parable"; JB/NJB: "Joab acted in this way to disguise the matter". Most readily placed under sense 4.(a), perhaps by adding: "also, the referent or surface meaning of parabolic speech."