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This article is reproduced by permission from Appendix A of the 1970 edition of The Keyword Concordance. It does not appear in the current edition, which is bound with the Concordant Literal New Testament. See also: Figures of Speech by Peter Wade, Figures of Speech by E.W. Bullinger, and Appendix 6 of the Companion Bible.
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Figures of Speech, cont.
by A.E. Knoch
FIGURES OF ASSOCIATION
Association includes that class of figures in which something
associated with a thing is put for it. Our Lord practically defined it when He said.
"He who swears by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by Him Who is sitting
upon it" (Matt. 23:22). Here we have God's throne put for His rule and heaven
put for the throne, not because there is any likeness between these, but because they are associated
with one another. The difference between a literal statement and this figure is plainly
seen in the statement, "I came not to be casting peace but a sword"
(Matt. 10:34). Literally, it would read strife or war in place of sword.
The sword is so commonly used (by association) for war, that it may be called its symbol,
were it not that it is used in a still broader sense for all enforcements of government
(Rom. 13:4).
ASSOCIATION
Association, usually called Metonymy, may also be classed as a
figure of omission, for it may always be made literal by the insertion of an explanatory
phrase. Thus, the phrase "the kingdom of the heavens" may be expanded into
"the kingdom (of the God of) the heavens" (Dan. 2:44). By usage it includes the
thought of God ruling the earth through others.
A common form of Association is worthy of special mention, in which a
noun is followed by another in the genitive case, as, "purpose of the eons,"
which may be expanded as "purpose (carried out during) the eons," or "the
word of life," expanded, "the word (which gives) life." The relation is
usually general, and may be expanded in a variety of ways. It is not always clear whether
there is a figure present when two nouns are thus related, so the following are only
representative, striking examples.
Often such formations appear where we would generally use an adjective
in English, such as "Son of His love" (Col. 1:13) instead of "His beloved
Son" or "administration of the secret" (Eph. 3:9) instead of "secret
administration." There are exceptions, though. "Slaves of Sin" (Rom.
6:17), for example, does not mean "sinful slaves" for the very reason that in
Romans six Sin is personified as a ruler. The context will have to decide what is the
correct procedure. In the Version the translation often follows the word order of the
Greek. Thus in such cases the decision whether or not the genitive noun has an adjectival
sense must be left to the discernment of the reader.
Association, Noun with genitive Noun
assurance, riches of, Col. 2:2;
condemnation, dispensation of, 2 Cor. 3:9;
consolation, God of, 2 Cor. 1:3;
darkness, world mights of, Eph. 6:12,
gloom of, 2 Pet. 2:17;
death, body of, Rom. 7:24;
deception, spirit of, 1 John 4:6:
destruction, sects of, 2 Pet. 2:1:
eon, eon of, Heb. 1:8:
eons, purpose of, Eph. 3:11:
expectation, God of, Rom. 15:13
exultation, oil of, Heb. l:9
faith, hearing of, Gal. 3:5,
work of, 2 Thes. 1:11 ;
flesh, disposition of, Rom. 8:6
fathers of, Heb. 12:9,
lusts, will of, Eph. 2:3,
mind of, Col. 2:18,
just statutes, Heb. 9:10:
freedom, law of, Jas. 1:25, 2:12;
fury, wine of, Rev. 18:3:
gloom, caverns of, 2 Pet. 2:4;
glory, advent of, Titus 2:13,
body of, Phil. 3:21,
Christ of, Jas. 2:1,
evangel of, 2 Cor. 4:4,
expectation of, Col. 1:27,
Father of, Eph. 1:17,
God of, Acts 7:2,
laud of, Eph. l:12,
Lord of, 1 Cor. 2:8,
might of, Col. 1:11,
riches of, Eph. 3:16:
God, man of, 2 Tim. 3:17;
good, evangel of, Rom. 10:15:
goodness, delight of, 2 Thes. 1:11:
humiliation, body of, Phil. 3:21:
injustice, wages of, 2 Pet. 2:15;
irreverence, desires of, Jude 18
law, works of, Gal. 3:5, 3:10;
lawlessness, man of, 2 Thee. 2:3;
life, log of, Rev. 2:7, 22:2,14,19,
scroll of, Phil. 4:3,
water of, Rev. 7:17,
word of, Phil. 2:16, 1 John 1:1,
wreath of, Jas. 1:12
love, God of, 2 Cor. 13:11,
kiss of, 1 Pet. 5:14,
spirit of, 2 Tim. 1:7
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maturity, tie of, Col. 3:14:
mercy, vessels of, Rom. 9:23;
peace, evangel of, Eph. 6:15,
God of, Rom. 15:33, 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:11, Phil. 4:9, I Thes.
5:23, Heb. 13:20
king of, Heb. 7:2,
Lord of, 2 Thes. 3:16,
tie of, Eph. 4:3;
pities, Father of, 2 Cor. 1:3;
power, declaration of, Heb. 1:3,
messengers of, 2 Thes. 1:7,
spirit of, 2 Tim. 1:7,
greatness of, Eph. 1:19;
promise, children of, Rom. 9:8, Gal. 4:28,
covenants of, Eph. 2:12,
land of, Heb. 11:9,
spirit of, Eph. 1:13,
word of, Rom. 9:9;
reasoning, judges of, Jas. 2:4;
rectitude, scepter of, Heb. 1:8;
revelation, spirit of, Eph. 1:17;
righteousnegs, king of, Heb. 7:2;
salvation, day of, 2 Cor. 6:2, 2;
sanity, spirit of, 2 Tim. 1:7;
secret, Administration of), Eph. 3:9;
seduction, desire of, Eph. 4:22;
shame, hidden things of, 2 Cor. 4:2;
Son, kingdom of, Col. 1:13;
spirit, law of, Rom. 8:2,
unity of, Eph. 4:3,
disposition of, Rom. 8:6,
holiness of, 1 Pet. 1:2;
strength, might of, Eph. 1:19;
timidity, spirit of, 2 Tim. 1:7;
truth, benignity of, Eph. 4:24
spirit of, John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13, 1 John 4:6
word of, Eph. l:13, Col. 1:5:
unbelief, heart of, Heb. 3:12;
wages, deception of, Jude 11;
will, delight of, Eph. l:5,
secret of, Eph. 1:9,
counsel of, Eph. l:11;
wisdom, meekness of, Jas. 3:13,
spirit of, Eph. 1:17. |
APPELLATION
In an Appellation some quality, office or attribute is used
instead of a proper name, as when God is spoken of as "the Majesty", Heb. 1:3).
Sometimes this is reversed, and a proper name is used to indicate that with which it is
associated, as when John the Baptist is called Elijah, because he came in his spirit and
power (Matt. 17:12, Luke 1:17). It is used frequently when calling our Lord, Teacher,
Rabbi, Son of Mankind, Prophet, Christ, Lord, etc, These are too numerous to list.
See also Acts 22:14, 25:26.
COMPOUND ASSOCIATION
Association may be so remote that it is best resolved by
making two steps (Metalepsis). Thus, "the word of the cross" (1 Cor. 1:18, uses
the term cross for the shameful death endured, and this, in turn, for the effects which
follow it (Gal. 6:14, Col. 1:20). So also the blood of Christ, since it contained
the soul (Lev. 17:11), figures His suffering, and beyond this its effects as figured in
the tabernacle and temple ritual. See under blood in the Concordance.
NEAR ASSOCIATION
Near Association (Synechdoche) is a special form of
Association in which it is partly literal. Thus, when we read that Jerusalem went out to
hear John the Baptist (Matt. 3:5), we know that the place itself did not go, but the
inhabitants, a part of it, are intended. This figure is frequently used of the flesh to
indicate the physical frame of man, including the bones and the blood, though, in other
places these are especially distinguished from it.
EUPHEMISM
Euphemism (Euphemismos) is the substitution of a pleasant
expression for an offensive one. It is not often used in the Scriptures except in the verb
know when referring to the relations of the sexes.
RETENTION
Retention is the use of an epithet in a new relation which
displaces the old, though it is no longer literally true. It is often used of those our
Lord healed, as when the dumb talk. But it is especially striking in such phrases as,
"the tablets of the heart" (2 Cor. 3:3) displacing the tablets of the law, and
"a new covenant" (2 Cor. 3:6) displacing the old literal covenant. The
following are examples: blind, Matt. 11:5, 15:31; covenant, Matt. 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke
22:20, Rom. 11:27, 1 Cor. 11:25, 2 Cor. 3:6, Heb. 8:8, 10, 9:15, 10:16, 29, 13:20: dead,
Luke7:15, 1 Pet. 4:5, 6, Rev. 20:12; mute, Matt. 9:33, 11:5, 12:22, Luke 7:22, 11:14;
kingdom, 1 Cor. 15:24; lame, Matt. 11:5; leper, Matt. 26:6, Mark 14:3; tablets, 2 Cor.
3:3; tribute collector, Matt. 10:3; water, John 2:9.
CIRCUMLOCUTION Circumlocution (Periphrasis) uses a descriptive phrase in
place of a name in order to emphasize the association. Occurrences are: born of women
(human) Matt. 11:11, Luke 7:28; the product of the grapevine (wine) Matt. 26:29: the city
of David (Bethlehem) Luke 2:11; those sitting on the surface of the entire earth
(humanity) Luke 21:35; terrestrial tabernacle house (body) 2 Cor. 5:1; those about to be
enjoying the allotment of salvation (the saved) Heb. 1:14; in this tabernacle (alive) 2
Pet. 1:13; my tabernacle is to be put off (die) 2 Pet. 1:14; He Who is sitting on the
throne (the Deity) Rev. 4:2, 10, 5:1, 7.
ENIGMA Ancient mirrors did not reflect clearly or fully. So also with
God's Word up to the latest revelations of Paul. Previous unfoldings he speaks of as
an enigma (1 Cor 13:12).
SYMBOL
The Symbol is a more or less permanent figure of likeness or
association. In order to understand symbols there must be a close acquaintance with the
figures of which they are composed. In no case should they conflict with literal or later
revelation. They come too close to the realm of interpretation to be dealt with here at
length. We simply add some examples of figures which seem to warrant this designation, as
well as some symbelic actions. The action is literal, but is associated with and implies a
spiritual attitude or activity. Thus, bowing the knee indicates worship.
Symbolic Objects
Cambric, horse, key, leaven, sheep, throne, trees, water.
Symbolic Actions Beat the chest, Luke 18:13, 23:48; bind, Acts 21:11; bow the knee, Rom.
11:4, 14:11, Eph. 3:14, Phil. 2:10; gird up the loins, 1 Pet. l:13; give the right hand,
Gal. 2:9; impose hands, 1 Tim. 4:14, 5:22, Heb. 6:2; kiss, Rom. 16:16, 1 Cor. 16:20, 2
Cor. 13:12, 1 Pet. 5:14; lift up eyes, Luke 18:13; lift up hands, Luke 24:50, 1 Tim. 2:8;
loose sandals, Acts 7:33, 13:25; loose the thong, John 1:27; measure, Rev. 11:1; place
foot on, Rev. 10:2; shake off dust, Matt. 10:14, Acts 13:51; shake out garment, Acts 18:6;
sit at right, Col. 3:1, Heb. 1:3, 13, 8:1, 10:12; sit in sackcloth and ashes, Luke 10:13;
spew out of mouth, Rev. 3:16: stand at door and knock, Rev. 3:20 stand at right, Acts
7:56; stand on, Rev. 10:5; taking hold of hand, Heb. 8:9; trumpet, Rev. 8, 9, 11; twitch
off dust, Luke 9:5; wash feet. John 13:4-12; wash hands, Matt. 27:24; wipe off dust, Luke
19:11.
FIGURES OF ARRANGEMENT
PROMINENCE
In impassioned and even in ordinary speech the important words are
pushed to the fore, which produces emphasis, by means of Prominence (Hyperbaton).
In an inflected language like Greek this can be done much more than in one like English,
in which the sense depends, in some measure, on the position of a word in its sentence. strong>
PARALLELISM
Parallelism or Correspondence consists of the repetition of a sentence
or sentences in similar or contrastive terms and in the same order. An example is Luke
1:46-47:
My soul is magnifying the Lord,
And my spirit exults in God, my Saviour.
Soul corresponds to spirit, magnify to exult,
and Lord to God. It may be extended so as to be written in several lines
and then is sometimes called an Alternation. But, as there is no real difference,
parallelism is a better term for all. It is not confined to poetry. It is especially
effective in Contrastive Parallelism, as Matt. 6:19, 20:
Do not hoard for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and corrosion are causing them to disappear,
and where thieves are tunnelling
and stealing.
Yet hoard for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor corrosion are causing them to disapppear,
and where thieves are not
tunnelling or stealing.
REVERSAL
A Reversal (Introversion, Epanodos, Antimetabole, Chiasmus)
consists of the repetition of a sentence or sentences, or a larger section, in similar or
contrastive terms, but in reverse order, The whole of Scripture is a reversal, beginning
with the creation and ending with a new creation, in which the destruction by water (Gen.
1:2) corresponds to that by fire (2 Pet. 3:6-7, Rev. 20), its restoration (Gen. 1:2, 2:3)
with the thousand years (Rev. 20:4), the serpent's entry with the binding of Satan,
etc. The life of our Lord and the four accounts of it are constructed according to this
plan, for, after His rejection, He retraces His steps, as it were. Most of Paul's
epistles are arranged in this way, as the frameworks in the Complete Edition will show. In
these larger writings, of course, this applies only to the outlines. The details may be
parallelisms.
The recognition of this figure may be a help in interpretation, as in
Matthew 7:6:
You may not be giving that which is holy to curs,
nor yet should you be casting your pearls in front of hogs,
lest at some time they [the hogs] be trampling them with their feet
and, turning, they [the curs] should be tearing you.
The structure of Romans is a good illustration of this figure as
applied to a whole epistle. It is a regular reversal. except that the two main sections
run parallel in their parts. Other examples are given in the notes of the Complete Edition
of the Concordant Version.
MIXED ARRANGEMENTS
The larger frameworks usually contain both parallelism and inversion.
Thus the epistle to the Romans is a reveral, yet the two great doctrinal divisions,
dealing with justification and conciliation are parallels. In such a case it is better to
call the whole a Reversal with (Doctrinal) Parallelism, rather than make a new name.
Contrast (Antithesis) places one expression over against
another of opposite meaning, as in Rom. 5:18, one offense is set over against one just
award; in Acts16:37, publicly, surreptitiously; Rom. 5:19, disobedience, obedience; 6:7,
8, die, live; 8:5, 13, flesh, spirit; 2 Cor. 4:17, light affliction, burden of glory; 18,
temporary, eonian; 2 Cor. 6:8-10, glory and dishonor, defamation and renown, deceivers and
true, unknown and recognized, dying and living, sorrowing yet rejoicing, poor yet
enriching, nothing and all; Phil. 3:7, gain, forfeit; 2Pet. 2:19, freedom, slavery.
Contraries (Enantiosis) is a contrast in which the difference is expressed by negations and affirmations, as righteousness not of law but of faith. See Luke 7:44:46.
This article © 1970 Concordant Publishing Concern. From The Keyword Concordance, Companion Volume to the Concordant Literal New Testament. Used by permission.
 
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