Bible Lexicons

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

Epanadiplosis; or Encircling

The Repetition of the same Word or Words at the beginning and end of a Sentence

Ep´-an-a-di-plô´-sîs. Greek ἐπαναδίπλωσις, from ἐπί (epi), upon, ἀνα (ana), again, and διπλοῦς (diplous), a doubling.

It means a doubling upon again, and the Figure is so called because the same word is repeated both at the beginning and at the end of a sentence.

The Latins called it INCLUSIO, inclusion: either because the first word of the sentence is included at the end, or because of the importance of the matter which is thus included between the two words.

They called it also CYCLUS, from the Greek κύκλος (kyklos), a circle, because the repetition concluded what is said, as in a circle.

When this figure is used, it marks what is said as being comprised in one complete circle, thus calling our attention to its solemnity; giving completeness of the statement that is made, or to the truth enumerated, thus marking and emphasizing its importance.

The Massorah gives two lists of this peculiar form of repetition,* [Note: See Ginsburg’s Massorah, Rubrics, 424, Vol. II., letter מ; and 98, Vol. I., letter ו.] which we have incorporated in our examples marking them with an asterisk.

The Figure is frequently hidden or lost in translation (both in A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] and R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] ), so that in these cases we shall be obliged to vary the rendering in order to properly exhibit it. Some are very difficult to reproduce, as in our first example.

*Genesis 9:3.-"Everything (נל) moving that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you everything."

Here the first, according to our English idiom, is every, while the last means the whole.

Exodus 32:16.-"The tables were the work of God, and the writing the writing of God, graven upon the tables." See also under Anadiplosis.

*Leviticus 7:19.-"The flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten: it shall be burnt with fire; and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat of the flesh."

*Leviticus 23:42.-"In booths shall ye dwell seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths."

*Numbers 3:33.-"Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari."

*Numbers 8:12.-"The Levites shall lay their hand upon the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin-offering and the other for a burnt-offering, unto the Lord, to make an atonement for the Levites."

*Numbers 31:40.-"And the persons (Hebrew, souls) were sixteen thousand: of which the Lord’s tribute was thirty-and-two persons (Hebrew, souls)."

*Numbers 32:1.-"And cattle, a very great multitude, had the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad; and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, behold the place was a place for cattle."

*Numbers 32:41.-"And Jair, the son of Manasseh, went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havoth-Jair."

*Deuteronomy 31:3.-"Jehovah thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as hath said Jehovah." See also under Anadiplosis.

*Joshua 15:25.-"And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor."

*Judges 11:1.-Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot, and Gilead begat Jephthah."

*1 Samuel 26:23.-"Jehovah render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the Jehovah delivered thee into my hand to-day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the anointed of Jehovah."

*2 Samuel 9:12.-"Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth." See also under Anadiplosis.

*2 Samuel 19:8.-"Now (עַתָּה, attah) therefore, arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants; for I swear by the Lord, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night; and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befel thee from thy youth until now (עַתָּה, attah).

*1 Kings 22:47.-"A king there was not in Edom; a deputy was king."

*2 Kings 23:25.-"And like him there was no king before him; that turneth to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses: neither after him arose there any like him."

*1 Chronicles 9:8.-The verse begins and ends with "Ibneiah."

*Nehemiah 11:21.-"The Nethinims dwelt in Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa were over the Nethinims."

*Esther 7:7.-"The king, arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath, went into the palace garden. And Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen: for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king."

Psalms 27:14.-"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart, wait (I say) on the Lord."

See also under Apostrophe.

Psalms 53:2.-"God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God."

Psalms 122:7-8.-

"Peace be within thy walls

And prosperity within thy palaces.

For my brethren and companion’s sake,

I will now say, Peace be within thee."

Ecclesiastes 1:2.-"Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity."

There is also the figure in this verse of Mesadiplosis (q.v. [Note: Which see.] ).

Ecclesiastes 7:2.-"A good name is better than ointment that is good."

The figure is lost by the translation both in the A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] and the R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] There is another figure in this verse: Paronomasia (q.v. [Note: Which see.] ).

Mark 7:14-16.-Hearken (ἀκούετε, akouete) unto me every one of you and understand: there is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hearken (ἀκουέτω, akouetô)."

See under Polyptoton, for the figure employed in the last sentence.

Mark 13:35-37.-"Watch ye, therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."

Luke 12:5.-"Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell: yea, I say unto you, Fear him."

John 3:8.-In this verse the figure is hidden both in the A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] and R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] The word is τὸ πνεῦμα (to pneuma), the Spirit, which is used both at the beginning and the end of the passage in the original. But at the beginning it is translated "the wind," and at the end "the Spirit." The R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] has "the Spirit breathed, etc." in the margin.

Now the word πνεῦμα (pneuma), spirit, occurs 385 times in the New Testament, and is never translated "wind," except in this one place. There is a proper word for "wind," which is ἄνεμος (anemos). It occurs 31 times, and is always translated wind. So that it would have been much clearer to have used this word, if "wind" had really been meant.

If then we keep here the translation "spirit," which is used everywhere else, the verse will read and the figure appear as follows:-

"The Spirit breatheth where He willeth, and thou hearest His voice, but thou knowest not whence He cometh or whither He goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

The wind has no will, but the Spirit has a will and a voice, and it is of Him that we are born.

The verb θελεῖν (thelein), to will, occurs 213 times, and always expresses a mental act of desire or determination proceeding from one capable of wishing, willing, or determining. See the nearly synonymous expression in 1 Corinthians 12:11. "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will."

Moreover, it is not correct to assert this of the "wind." We do know whence it comes and whither it goes, and the Scriptures them-themselves assert that the comings and goings of the wind can be easily known and traced. See Job 1:19. Psalms 18:10. Ecclesiastes 1:6, Ezekiel 37:9. Luke 8:23. But not so of the Spirit (see Ecclesiastes 11:5), where "spirit" is placed in direct contrast with "wind" in the previous verse.

The things opposed in the immediate context are flesh and spirit, earthly things and heavenly things, nature and grace, and AS the Spirit in His movements is contrary to nature and above nature, SO is every one who is born of the Spirit. Those who are thus born are "sons of God, therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not" (1 John 3:1). As the world knoweth not and understands not the motions and working of the Spirit of God, so the new breathings, and new will, and new desires, and new motions of the new nature in those who are born of the Spirit are also unknown.

Romans 8:24.-"Hope that is seen is not hope."

Galatians 2:20.-In this verse the figure, which is in the Greek, is lost in the translation owing to the difference of idiom. In the Greek it reads:-

"Christ, I have been crucified-together-with, yet I live: and yet it is no longer I that live, but, in me, Christ."

See also under Hyperbaton.

Philippians 4:4.-"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say Rejoice."

James 2:14-16.-The passage begins and ends with the words, "What doth it profit."

The repetitions at the beginning and end of distinct portions, or independent passages (such as Psalms 8:1-9, ciii., etc.), belong rather to the subject-matter and are classed under Correspondence (q.v. [Note: Which see.] ).