Bible Lexicons

Bullinger's Figures of Speech Used in the BibleBullinger's Figures of Speech

Anastrophe; or Arraignment

The position of One word changed so as to be set over against the Other

A-nas´-tro-phee. Greek, ἀναστροθή, from ἀνά (ana), back again, and στρέφειν (strephein), to turn, a turning back.

The figure is so-called because one word is turned, or turned back out of its proper or usual position in a sentence.

Hence it is a kind of Hyperbaton; but affecting only one word, instead of several words, in a sentence.

It is called also PARALLAGE, Par-al´-la-gee. Greek, παραλλαγή, from παραλλάσσω (parallasso), to make things alternate. Hence Parallage means a deviation, a turning aside, variation. And SYNCATEGOREMA, syn-cat´-ee-gor-ee´-ma, from σύν (syn), together with, and κατηγόρημα, an arraignment. Hence the figure is so called because one word is set over against or arraigned against another. Reversal would be a good English name for this figure.

The Latins called it TRAJECTIO: i.e., a crossing over, a transposition or trajection of words. And INVERSIO, a turning about, an inversion of words.

The word thus put out of its usual place receives great emphasis.

We have many examples in English:-

The Verb before its Noun.

"Burns Marmion’s swarthy cheek like fire."-Scott.

Adjective after its Noun.

"He ceased; and death involved him dark around."-Cowper.

Objective before the Verb.

"Me didst thou constitute a priest of thine."-Wordsworth.

Preposition before the Participle.

"Into what pit thou seest, from what height fallen."-Milton.

Preposition after the Noun.

"It only stands our lives upon, to use

Our strongest hands."-Shakespeare.

Noun at end of sentence.

"Ape-born, not God-born, is what the atheists say of-man."

Deuteronomy 22:1.-"Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them."

Here, the negative is put with "see" instead of with "hide," in order to emphasize the command, which would otherwise tamely read:-"If thou shalt see … thou shalt not hide," etc. See under Metonymy.

Micah 6:10.-"Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked?" In the Hebrew, the verse begins with the adverb: "Still are there in the house of the wicked man treasures of wickedness?"

Acts 7:48.-In the English, the negative is joined with the verb, with which it is to be read: but in the Greek, the negative is put at the beginning of the clause, and the verb at the end, which greatly intensifies the force of the word "not."

"But not the Most High in hand-made temples dwelleth."