Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Applied in the New Testament to the traditions and speculations, “cunningly devised fables”, of the Jews on religious questions (1 Tim. 1:4; 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16). In such passages the word means anything false and unreal. But the word is used as almost equivalent to parable. Thus we have (1) the fable of Jotham, in which the trees are spoken of as choosing a king (Judg. 9:8-15); and (2) that of the cedars of Lebanon and
the thistle as Jehoash’s answer to Amaziah (2 Kings 14:9).
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1863)
A fable is a narrative in which being irrational, and sometimes inanimate, are, for the purpose of moral instruction, feigned to act and speak with human interests and passions.—Encyc. Brit. The fable differs from the parable in that—
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible (1898)
FA'BLE is a form of narrative in which plants and animals, or even lifeless objects, are represented as endowed with some of the attributes of man, as the gift of speech and rational action. Sometimes the fable is designed to teach moral and practical truths, and sometimes only to interest and entertain. It differs from the parable in this: what the fable relates is not real and cannot occur, as trees speaking, Jud 9:8; while that which the
parable relates may and does take place, as the sower sowing seed in soil of various degrees of productiveness. Matt 13:3. The fable was often used in ancient heathen as in modern Christian literature. In the Bible there is only one fable, Jud 9:7-15, where Jotham represents the trees as seeking a king and asking, one by one, the olive and others to reign over them, till the bramble finally consents. This is often erroneously called a parable.
Fables are referred to in the N.T., 1 Tim 1:4, etc., as "cunningly devised," etc. Here "fables" mean false stories or foolish systems and opinions.