Bible Lexicons

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

Antiptosis; or Exchange of Cases

Exchange of one case for another

An´-tip-tô´-sis (??t?pt?s??), from ??t? (anti), against or instead of; and pt?s?? (ptôsis), a falling; in grammar an inflection or a case of a noun in declension; from p?pte?? (piptein), to fall.

The figure is so called, because one case is put instead of another case. Especially when the absolute is put for the construct: i.e., where the governing noun is changed for the noun in regimen

Antiptosis is to be distinguished from Hypallage. In Hypallage, the two words and cases are interchanged, and the sense and relation of the two reversed; while in Antiptosis the governing noun becomes the adjective instead of the noun in regimen.

N.B.-When the noun in regimen is used instead of an adjective, it is a form of Antimereia (see above).

Exodus 19:6.-"A kingdom of priests": i.e., a royal priesthood. In 1 Peter 2:9, this is put literally, instead of (as here) by Antiptosis.

Psalms 1:1.-"O the blessedness or happinesses of the man": i.e., the happy or blessed man.

Matthew 13:5.-"No depth of earth": i.e., no deep earth.

Luke 1:48.-"The low estate of his handmaiden": i.e., his humiliated bondmaid: referring to the humiliation to which she had to be subject. If even Joseph could suspect her, however sorrowfully and sadly, what would others do? What, in fact, in Jewish teaching still!

Luke 5:9.-"At the haul of the fish": i.e., the fish of the capture; or, the captured fishes.

Romans 2:4.-"The good thing (t? ???st??, to chreeston) of God": i.e., the goodness of God. See under Antimereia of the adjective.

Romans 5:17.-"The abundance of the grace": i.e., the abounding grace.

1 Corinthians 1:17.-"Not with wisdom of speech": i.e., not with learned or eloquent language.

1 Corinthians 1:21.-"The folly of preaching": i.e., foolish (as the wise Gentiles ironically called it) preaching.

1 Corinthians 14:12.-"So do ye also, since as ye are zealous of spirits." Here, the noun "spirits" is used for the adjective spiritual (p?e?µ?t??, pneumatôn for p?e?µat????, pneumatikôn). Both the A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] and R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] insert the word "gifts" in italics. See under Metonymy.

2 Corinthians 8:8.-"The genuineness of your love": i.e., your genuine love.

Galatians 3:14.-"The promise of the Spirit": i.e., the promised Spirit.

Galatians 4:4.-"The fulness of the time": i.e., the full or completed time.

Ephesians 1:7.-"The riches of his grace." By Enallage this would be gracious riches, but it means more than this. Grace is the subject, and it is the exceeding wealth of this wondrous grace which has abounded toward those who are "accepted in the Beloved."

By Antiptosis the one is put for the other, and the noun "riches" is put for the adjective: i.e., His exceeding rich grace. So also

Ephesians 1:18.-"The riches of his glory" denotes the exceeding rich glory of His inheritance in the saints.

Ephesians 4:29.-"Building up or edifying of the need." The A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] renders this-"Use of edifying;" but it is the word "use" (or need) which is in the genitive case, and not the word "edifying." The R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] renders it "Edifying as the need may be."

But by the figure of Antiptosis (which neither Version perceived), the former noun is used for the adjective, instead of the latter in the genitive case.

The meaning, therefore, is "that which is good for edifying use."

Hebrews 6:17.-"The immutability of his counsel": i.e., his immutable counsel.

Colossians 1:27.-"The riches of the glory": i.e., His wondrously rich glory, in the mystery revealed to and through Paul.

1 Thessalonians 1:3.-"Work of faith," "labour of love," and "patience of hope."

We have given these under the genitive of origin (see Appendix B): i.e., work which proceeds from faith, labour which proceeds from love, and patience that proceeds from hope.

The genitive, however, may be, by Antimereia, faithful service, loving labour, and hopeful patience.

But, if the figure is Antiptosis, then it means a working faith (i.e., a faith which is manifested by its works), a laborious love, and patient hope. Probably all three interpretations are correct!

Hebrews 6:17.-"The immutability of his counsel": i.e., His unchangeable counsel."

Hebrews 9:15.-"The promise of the eternal inheritance": i.e., the promised eternal inheritance.

1 Peter 3:20.-"The longsuffering of God": i.e., the longsuffering God.

There are other exchanges of case beside that of the absolute for the construct. But these are for the most part peculiar to Greek usage.

Luke 1:55.-"As he spake to (p???) our fathers, to Abraham (t? ?ß?a?µ), and to his seed (t?)." Here, the fathers is in the Accusative because more general; while Abraham, etc, is in the Dative, because more personal

Hebrews 10:5.-"A body hast thou prepared me (Dat. µ?? (moi), for me)."

It is a question whether the Dative is used, by Antiptosis, for the Accusative; to show that, while Christ’s human body was prepared for Him, yet He was also constituted a servant for ever according to Exodus 21:6 and Deuteronomy 15:17. This is the sense in Psalms 40:6 (7), and s?µa (sôma), body, was used of slaves (Revelation 18:13), just as we use "hands" of labourers.

Revelation 1:5-6.-"And from Jesus Christ (Gen. [Note: en. The Genitive Case.] ), the faithful witness (Nom. [Note: om. The Nominative Case.] ), and the first begotten (Nom. [Note: om. The Nominative Case.] ) from the dead … to him (Dat.) that loved us … and made us (Nom. [Note: om. The Nominative Case.] ) kings, etc., to him (Dat.)." All this change of cases seems to overwhelm us with the idea of the impossibility of expressing the praise and glory which should be ascribed to Jesus Christ.