Bible Lexicons

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

Asteismos; or Politeness

Addition by graceful disclosure of what is professedly concealed

As-te-is´-mos. Greek, ἀστεϊσμός, clever talk, from ἀστεῖος (asteios), of the city, polite, from ἄστυ (astu), city.

The figure is used when, by pretending to conceal something, the speaker adds some graceful language which discloses it.

It comes in here when it is used as an addition by way of reasoning. We have included it also in Figures involving change, where the application of words is affected by way of feeling. (See below).