Bible Lexicons

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

Apostrophe

A Turning Aside from the direct Subject-Matter to address others

A-pos´-tro-phe. Greek, ἀποστροφή, a turning away from, from ἀπό (apo), away from, and στρέφειν (strephein), to turn.

The figure is so called when the speaker turns away from the real auditory whom he is addressing, and speaks to an imaginary one. It is a sudden breaking off in the course of speech, diverting it to some new person or thing.

It is called also PROSPHONESIS (προσφώνησις, pros-phô-neeoˊ-sis), an addressing one’s self to: from πρός (pros), to, and φωνεῖν (ph̄nein), to speak.

Also by the Latins, AVERSIO, aversion, or a turning from.

The examples of the use of this figure may be arranged as follows:-

APOSTROPHE Addressed

I. To God.

II. To Men.

1. Definite.

2. One’s self.

3. Indefinite.

4. In prophecies.

III. To Animals.

IV. To Inanimate Things.

I. Apostrophe to God

Nehemiah 4:4 (3:36).-Nehemiah turns from his description of the opposition of his enemies to address God (by Apostrophe) in prayer: "Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head," etc.

There is another beautiful and sudden Apostrophe in

Nehemiah 6:9.-"For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now, therefore, O God, strengthen my hands."

Psalms 33:1-22 -After addressing us concerning God in the third person, the Psalmist suddenly turns away, and concludes (verse 22) with a brief Apostrophe addressed to God,

"Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee."

Psalms 82:1-8 -After speaking of God (verse 8) and the wickedness of man (verses 1-7), he suddenly concludes with the Apostrophe,

"Arise, O God, judge the earth; for thou shalt inherit all nations."

Psalms 104:24.-After enlarging on the wonderful works of God, he exclaims, "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."

Psalms 109:1-31 -After describing how his enemies had rewarded him evil for good, and spoken evil against him (verses 6-20), he suddenly turns aside in verse 21, and prays, "But do thou for me, O God the Lord (Jehovah Adonai), for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me," etc.

II. Apostrophe to Men: either Living or Dead

1. To certain definite persons

2 Samuel 1:24-25.-In David’s lament over Saul and Jonathan, he suddenly turns, and, (in verse 24), addresses the daughters of Israel. And in verse 25 he turns from these to dead Jonathan.

2 Samuel 7:23.-In the midst of David’s beautiful prayer, he suddenly turns from addressing Jehovah as to what He had done, and speaks to the people "to do for you great things and terrible."

Psalms 2:10-12.-After speaking of what God will do, the Psalmist suddenly turns, and addresses the kings and judges of the earth (10-12).

Psalms 6:8 (9).-He turns from his prayer in trouble to address those who had brought the trouble upon him. "Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity," etc.

Isaiah 1:4-5.-The prophet turns from the third person to the second," they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. "Why should ye be stricken any more?" etc.

Jeremiah 5:10 is an Apostrophe, addressed to the enemy who should fulfil the prophecy which was being delivered.

Jeremiah 11:1-23 -After prophesying the evils to come upon the houses of Israel and Judah, he breaks off in verse 18, and speaks of himself,

"And the Lord hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings."

Acts 15:10.-After speaking to the apostles and elders as to what God had been doing, Peter suddenly turns and addresses them as to what they proposed to do.

Romans 11:13-14.-He turns and addresses "you Gentiles" in the midst of his revelation concerning the past and future of Israel.

James 4:1-17 -He has been addressing the poor and oppressed: but, in verses 1-6 he turns away, and apostrophizes the rich oppressors, returning to his former subject in verse 7.

2. To one’s own self

This is done by the common Hebrew idiom, by which one’s "soul" is put (by Synecdoche) for one’s self.

Psalms 42:5; Psalms 42:11 (6, 12).-"Why art thou cast down, O my soul."

See also under Cycloides, Heterosis, and Synecdoche.

Psalms 103:1; Psalms 103:22.-"Bless the Lord, O my soul."

So Psalms 104:1; Psalms 146:1, etc.

3. To some second person or persons indefinite (put, by Synecdoche, for anyone)

Psalms 27:14.-After prayer to God for himself, David turns and addresses anyone who is in like circumstances, and exhorts him. "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."

See also under Epanadiplosis.

Psalms 34:12 (13).-He suddenly turns from the plural to the singular, and addresses some undefined individual: "Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile," etc.

Galatians 6:1.-"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; [now comes the Apostrophe, to some, or rather each, individual] considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."

See also Romans 2:17 ("thou"); 9:19 ("Thou"), 20 ("O man"); 12:20 ("thine"); 13:3 ("thou"); 14:4 ("thou"), 10 ("thou"). 1 Corinthians 7:16 ("O wife," "O man"). See under Antimetathesis and Metonymy. Galatians 4:7 ("thou").

4. In Prophecies

In certain solemn prophecies, the Prophet is told what to say directly (instead of indirectly or obliquely).

Isaiah 6:9.-"And he said, Go, and tell this people, ‘Hear ye indeed, but understand not,’ " etc.

(See under Polyptoton, and compare Matthew 13:14. Acts 28:26-27, etc.)

Isaiah 23:16.-Tyre is addressed as a person, after a prophecy concerning the city.

See also 47:1.

III. Apostrophe to Animals

Psalms 148:7 (dragons), 10 (beasts).

Joel 2:22.-"Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field," etc.

IV. Apostrophe to Inanimate Things

Deuteronomy 32:1.-"Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak: and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth."

Thus solemnly and emphatically opens this "Song of Moses" (which describes the whole history of Israel from the beginning to the end) and call us to give our attention to it and to consider it.

As every Israelite was expected to learn and study it (see verses 44-47) its importance to the interpreter of prophecy must be very great indeed. It is the key to Israel’s history-past, present, and future.

Its structure may be seen under Correspondence (page 375).

2 Samuel 1:21.-"Ye mountains of Gilboa."

1 Kings 13:2.-"And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, etc."

Psalms 114:5.-"What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains that ye skipped like rams? and ye little hills, like lambs? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord (Adon), at the presence of the God (Eloah) of Jacob."

Psalms 148:3-5.-"Praise ye him, sun and moon; praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens," etc.

Isaiah 1:2.-"Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken."

These words were chosen for, and invariably put in, the title-page of the early printed editions of the English Bible.

Jeremiah 2:12.-"Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this," etc.

Jeremiah 22:29.-"O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord." See Epizeuxis.

Ezekiel 13:11.-After saying that an overflowing storm shall burst upon the work of the false prophets, he turns away and addresses the hailstones. "And ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it."

Ezekiel 36:4; Ezekiel 36:8.-"Ye mountains of Israel," compare verse 1.

Joel 2:1-32 -After prophesying concerning the land, he turns away and addresses it in verse 21. "Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things."

Micah 6:2.-"Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy," etc.

Zechariah 11:1.-"Open thy doors, O Lebanon," etc.

Verse 2.-"Howl, fir-tree"; etc. "howl, O ye oaks of Bashan."