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Bible Lexicons
Bullinger's Figures of Speech Used in the Bible Bullinger's Figures of Speech
Antistrophe; or Retort
A turning the Words of a Speaker against himself
An-tis´-tro-phee. Greek, ἀντιστροφή, a turning about, from ἀντί (anti), against, and στρέφω (strepho), to turn.
The figure is so called because the words of a speaker are turned against himself in Retort.
When the retort is violent, it is called BIAEON (Bi-ae´-on), Greek, Βίαιον, forcible, violent, compulsory.
Hence the Latin, VIOLENTUM, violent, and INVERSIO, inversion, a turning against.
Matthew 15:26-27.-The woman of Canaan used this figure in her reply to Christ. He had said "It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs." And she said, "Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table," and thus turned His words against Himself.
2 Corinthians 11:22.-"Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I." See also under Epiphoza.
When the words thus turned against the speaker are an accusation, then the figure is called
