You’re dismissal of metaphor I find to be insufficient in rebuttal, and ironic since you point out the “superficial likeness of imagery”, which I think is what you did there, and why it lacks.

Without the use of metaphor, I would be curious then to know how you interpret Job 30:30, who says, “My skin is black upon me”?

“Blacks in the scriptures” (I think is their name) give a very detailed explanation of metaphor as well as idiom expressions that provided the most compelling and convincing answer to me.

I believe, believing the literal meaning of those verses causes more problems, logically and spiritually, than other explanations, the easiest and simplest being metaphor.

Good luck!