Bible Lexicons

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

Ploce: or Word-Folding

pronounced plo´-kee. Greek πλοκή (plokee), a fold or plait, from πλέκω (plekô), to twine, twist, weave, or braid.

As in Antanaclasis, the same word is repeated in a different sense. Only with Ploce that sense implies more than the first use of it. It often expresses a property or attribute of it. "His wife is a wife indeed." In that great victory "CAEsar was CAEsar." Lord Chatham says, speaking of Oliver Cromwell, "He astonished mankind by his intelligence, yet did not derive it from spies in the cabinet of every prince in Europe; he drew it from the cabinet of his own sagacious mind. He observed facts, and traced them forward to their consequences."

In our examples from Scripture, we will not give two separate lists of these figures, as it is often very difficult to classify them. In many of the examples the reader will have, however, little difficulty in distinguishing them. Other names are also used for this figure, either synonymous, or referring to some special variation, or shade of meaning. It is sometimes called HOMOGENE (ὁμογενής), hôˊmo-genes, from ὁμός, the same, and γένος, kind: i.e., of the same family: in the case of words from the same root or origin: and is thus more appropriately confined to the figure Polyptoton (q.v. [Note: Which see.] ).

ANACLASIS, an´-a-clas´-is, a breaking back.

ANTISTASIS (ἀντίστασις), an-tis´-ta-sis, a standing against, or opposition. So called because the one word stands against the other in an opposite sense. In Rhetoric, the figure is used where an action is defended by showing that something worse would have happened if it had not been done.

DIALOGIA (di-a-log´-i-a), the interchange of words or of their meanings.

In Latin the figure is called

REFRACTIO (re-frac´-ti-o), a breaking back; similar in meaning to Antanaclasis.

RECIPROCATIO (re-cip´-ro-ca´-ti-o), interchange of words or meanings.

There are instances of two words being spelt exactly alike, and yet having different meanings. These are called HOMONYMS. We can hardly class them with Figures of Speech, because they are not used as such, and are not used in Repetitions. We have, however, given a list of the most important in Appendix D.

The following are examples of Antanaclasis, or Ploce:-

Judges 11:40.-"The daughters of Israel went from days to days to talk with the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year."

Here, "days" is first used by Syncedoche for a year (i.e., year to year), and afterwards literally for days of twenty-four hours ("four days"). See under Synecdoche.

Judges 15:16.-The word חֲמוֹר (hamôr) means not only an ass, but a mass (or heaps as the word is rendered) to imply that the Philistines were to be no more regarded than asses:-

"With the jaw-bone of an ass (hamôr),

A mass (hamôr), yea, masses;* [Note: According to another pointing of the same consonants (as exhibited in the lxx.), this line would read, "I have utterly destroyed them." In this case the Figure would be (not Antanaclasis) but Polyptoton (q.v.): viz., lxx., ἐξαλείφων ἐξήλειψα exaleiphon exeeleipsa), or Hebrew, הָמוֹר הֲמַרְתִּים (chamôr chamarteem). Thus preserving the correspondence between the second and fourth lines.]

With the jaw-bone of an ass,

I slew a thousand men."

1 Samuel 1:24.-"And the child was young." Hebrew: And the child (נַעַר, naar) was a child (נַעַר, naar). In English idiom we should put the emphasis on "was."

In the former case the word is used of the child Samuel; and in the latter case, a child of tender age, (by the figure Synechdoche, q.v. [Note: Which see.] , the word "child" is Used to denote the kind).

Psalms 141:5.-"It shall be an excellent oil (oil of the head) (רֹאשׁ, rosh): let not my head (רֹאשִׁי, roshee) reject it.

The first time it means the head, or head of hair; and the second time it is put by Synecdoche (q.v. [Note: Which see.] ) for the whole body or person, i.e., let me not refuse it.

Isaiah 37:18.-"Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations (הָאֲרָצוֹת, ha-aratzoth, lands) and their countries (אַרְצָם, artzam, land)." Here, the repeated word is אֶרֶץ, land.

As the Text now stands, the word lands is put by Metonomy (q.v. [Note: Which see.] ) for the inhabitants (but according to an alternative reading in some MSS. it is actually nations, as it is the parallel passage 2 Kings 19:17); and in the second, for their country which they inhabited. Hence, the A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] has translated the figure by giving two different renderings, ("nations" and "countries") of the one repeated word "land."

Isaiah 58:10.-"If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul."

Here, the word "soul" is first put (by Metonymy) for the feelings of kindness, liberality, and charity; and then (by Synecdoche) for the person himself who is in trouble.

Isaiah 66:3-4.-Here, the words of Jehovah are emphasized and solemnised by the structure of the passage which exhibits Epanodos or Chiasmos (q.v. [Note: Which see.] ); and the words when repeated are used in another sense, the first time of the natural acts of men, and the second by Anthropopatheia (q.v. [Note: Which see.] ), of God.

a Their soul delighteth in their abominations.

b I also will choose their delusions and will bring their fears upon them:

c Because when I called, none did answer:

c When I spake, they did not hear;

b But they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that

a In which I delighted not.

Here, in "a" and "a," we have delighting: in "b" and "b," the choosing: while, in "c" and "c," we have the reason given for each.

Jeremiah 7:18-19.-"That they may provoke me to anger. Do they provoke me to anger? saith the Lord."

In the first place, it is used of the act of the people in provoking God: in the latter, it is used of the punishments inflicted. Do they provoke me? No; they bring upon themselves the anger and fury of Jehovah, as the next verse goes on to explain.

Jeremiah 8:14.-"Let us be silent there." Thus the People propose to rest in quietness and security in their sin. But the prophet answers them with the same word in a different sense: "The Lord our God hath put us to silence;" i.e., the silence of Divine punishment-the silence of death.

Jeremiah 34:17.-"Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty … behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the Lord."

The people had refused to give "liberty" to the oppressed, which He had commanded in verse 9. Therefore He will proclaim another kind of liberty-liberty for the sword, and pestilence, and famine to destroy them; as the context shows.

Ezekiel 20:24-26.-Here the figure is heightened by the structure of the passage.

A a Because they had not executed my judgments,

b but had despised my statutes,

B and had polluted my sabbaths …

A b Wherefore I gave them statutes that were not good,

a and judgments whereby they should not live:

B and I polluted them in their own gifts, etc."

Matthew 8:22.-"Let the dead bury their dead."

In the former place, the word refers to the spiritually dead, "dead in sin"; in the latter, to those who have departed this mortal life.

John 1:10.-"The world was made by Him (the Word), and the world knew Him not."

The former place refers to the created world, the latter to unbelieving men.

John 1:11.-"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not."

In the former place, it refers to His own possessions (neuter plural); in the latter, to His own people (masculine plural). See under Polyptoton.

John 2:23-24.-"Many believed (πιστεύειν, pisteuein) in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit himself (πιστεύειν, pisteuein) unto them."

In the former place, the word "believed" means to assent to His doctrines by a confession of faith; in the latter place, to trust as a friend, to place confidence in. The words read therefore: "Many believed in His name when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not himself believe in them."

John 3:31.-"He that is of the earth (ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ek tees gees) is of the earth (ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ek tees gees), and speaketh of the earth (ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ek tees gees);" i.e., he that is of the earth (in respect to his natural birth and origin) is of the earth (in respect to his nature) and speaketh according (to his nature).

John 4:31-32.-"His disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But He said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of."

In the former place, the word is used naturally of eating food; in the latter, spiritually, of doing the Father’s will. See verse 34.

John 19:22.-"What I have written, I have written."

In the former place, it refers to the act of writing; in the latter, to the writing which standeth written.

Romans 2:12.-"As many as have sinned without law (ἀνόμως, anomôs) shall also perish without law (ἀνόμως, anomôs). Here, in the former case, it means not under the Law; in the latter, it means without the judgment of the Law.

Romans 2:26.-"If the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision."

In the former place, the word "uncircumcision" denotes the Gentiles; and in the latter, their condition as fulfilling the requirements of the Law. For this is the force of δικαίωμα (dikaiôma), which is not righteousness as a state or condition, but the righteous requirements of the Law.

Romans 3:21.-"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets."

In the former case, the word denotes moral law (no article) without the works of the law, as opposed to faith; in the latter case, the word denotes the Mosaic Law (with article).

N.B.-There is no article before the word righteousness, so that it means a Divine righteousness: the same as in chap. 1:17.

Romans 3:27.-"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the law of faith."

In the first place it refers to divine law; and in the second not to law at all but to faith itself by the genitive of apposition, "the law, i.e., faith," as in 1:17. (See Appendix B).

Romans 7:13.-"But sin, that it might appear sin."

In the former place, sin is used of the old nature; while, in the latter it is used of its real sinful nature and character.

Romans 7:23.-"But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."

In the first and third places, the word "law" refers to the old nature, which is indwelling sin, because it once lorded it over him, though now it only struggles to usurp again; in the second it refers to the divine law (i.e., the new nature) implanted in him, which is contrary to the former, and contests its claims.

Romans 9:6.-"They are not all Israel which are of Israel."

Here the former place refers to the true spiritual seed of Israel; the latter denotes Israel according to the flesh, the natural descendants from Israel’s loins.

Romans 12:13-14.-"Given (διώκοντες, diôkontes) to hospitality. Bless them that persecute (διώκοντας, diôkontas) you."

The word διώκειν (diôkein) is used in the former place, and means to pursue or follow closely in a friendly sense; but, in the latter place, it means the same in a hostile sense, to follow closely so as to persecute.

In the A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] , the figure is lost by translation. Literally, it is "Follow up hospitality. Bless them that follow you up [to injure you].

1 Corinthians 11:24.-"And when He had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you."

Here the verb to break is used, in the former case, in its proper signification: while, in the second place, it is used spiritually for the sufferings and crucifixion of Christ; as is clear from Luke 22:19, where the word is "given."

1 Corinthians 15:28.-"And when all things shall be subdued (ὑποτάσσειν, hupotassein) unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject (ὑποτάσσειν, hupotassein) unto Him that put all things under Him."

The verb means to arrange in order, but also to reduce to order. The former sense is used of Christ, the latter of all others (as explained on Psalms 110:1).* [Note: See Things to Come for October, 1898.]

1 Corinthians 15:28.-"That put all things under him, that God may be all in all."

In the first place "all" refers to all created things and beings; in the second, to all universal power, "that God may be over all things; and, in the third, it refers to all places.

"All," being an adjective, must be associated with some noun (expressed or implied) which it qualifies. Here the nouns are implied, and the omission (see under Ellipsis) produces the figure of Antanaclasis.

2 Corinthians 5:21.-"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin."

The order of the Greek is not ambiguous as is the English:-

"For He who knew no sin was made sin for us." Here, in the former place, it means "sin" in the ordinary acceptation of the word; while in the latter place, it is put by Metonymy (q.v. [Note: Which see.] ) for a sin-offering.

Ephesians 1:3.-"Blessed (εὐλογητός, eulogeetos) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us (ὁ ευλογήσας, ho eulogeesas)," etc.

This is really Polyptoton. But here we repeat it in order to point out that the word "blessed" is used in two different senses. We do not bless God in the same way that He blesses us. The former word is always used of God, the latter may be used of men. The former word means the Being who is to be spoken well of, the latter means the being of whom good has been lastingly spoken-especially by God Himself.

1 Timothy 6:5-6.-"Supposing that godliness is to be a way of making gain … but godliness with contentment Is a great way of making gain."

Here the word πορισμός (porismos) is used in two opposite associations. In the former case of what a false Christianity supposes it to be; and in the second, what it really is.

Hebrews 2:14.-"That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Here, the first "death" is put by Synecdoche, for the atoning results of Christ’s death: while the second means the act and article of natural or physical death.

1 Peter 3:1.-"That, if any obey not the word [τῷ λόγῳ, tô logô: i.e., the Gospel], they also may without the word [λόγου, logou: i.e., speaking or talking] be won by the conversation of the wives."