Bible Lexicons

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

Repeated Negation; or Many Noes

The Repetition of divers Negatives

This seems to deserve a place by itself, though the Greeks did not classify it, or name it. They used it, however, and this is the all-important point.

It is a special form of Synonymia, the synonyms being negatives of different kinds heaped together for a special purpose.

Negatives are repeated even in English to strengthen and increase the emphasis: just as we say "No, no," "No, I will not." But in the Greek this is done much more emphatically. Two or more negatives are used to strengthen the assertion.

These negatives are οὐ (ou) and μή (mee), which both equally mean no or not.

As we are now considering their combined use we need not too closely define their separate use. Otherwise we might enlarge on the fact that the one, οὐ (ou), denies absolutely what is a matter of fact, and negatives an affirmation: the other μή (mee) denies hypothetically what is implied, and negatives a supposition.

This difference may be seen in such passages as 1 Corinthians 2:14 (οὐ). John 3:18, where we have οὐ in the first sentence, and μή (both times) in the second.

Matthew 22:29.-"Ye do err not (μή, mee), knowing the Scriptures." Here the μή (mee) denies subjectively, not absolutely, implying that though they did actually know the letter, they did not wish to know their truth.

When however they and their compounds, οὐδὲ μή (oude mee), and οὐδε οὐ μή (oude ou mee), are used together, this difference is sunk, and the combination produces a most solemn and emphatic asseveration.

Indeed, so strong is it, that whenever man used it the result always belied it. See:-

Matthew 16:22 : where Peter says "This shall not be unto thee." But it was.

John 13:8 : Peter says again, "Thou shalt never wash my feet." But Christ did.

Matthew 26:35 : where Peter affirms "I will not deny thee." But he did.

John 20:25 : Thomas says, "Except I shall see, etc., I will not believe." But he did.

On the other hand, our Lord often used this figure: and, whenever He did so, He always made it good:-

Matthew 5:18.-"Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle* [Note: This is a little ornament something like a fleur-de-lis over certain letters. The Hebrew name for this is Taag, or little crown (plural Taagim). The Greek is κεραία (keraia), a little horn, which is exactly what the Taag is. See The Massorah, by the same author and publisher, One Shilling. The jot or yod is the smallest letter of the alphabet. For full information on this subject see Dr. Ginsburg’s Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, published by the Trinitarian Bible Society.] shall in no wise pass from the law, etc." Here we have the certainty of Divine Truth.

Matthew 5:20.-"Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Here we have the absolute necessity of Divine righteousness.

Matthew 5:26.-"Thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing." Here we have the inflexibility of Divine justice.

Matthew 13:14.-As in Acts 28:26, we have here the solemn announcement concerning Israel’s judicial blindness, emphasising and strengthening its certainty.

Matthew 16:28.-The certainty of His promise as to the manifestation of His coming glory (see 17:1-5, and 2 Peter 1:16-18).

Matthew 18:3.-The absolute necessity of conversion.

Matthew 23:39.-The certainty of His words concerning the conditions as to His return.

Matthew 24:2.-Completeness of the overthrow and dismemberment of the Temple.

Matthew 24:21.-The greatness of the tribulation.

Matthew 24:34.-The fact that when once these things begin to come to pass (γέηται, not πληρόω, compare Luke 21:24; Luke 21:32), that generation which sees the abomination of desolation set up (verse 15) shall see "all these things" come to pass.

Matthew 24:35.-The inviolability of Christ’s words.

Matthew 26:29.-The certitude of Christ’s pledge (Mark 14:25. Luke 22:18).

Luke 18:7.-The speediness of the Divine avenging.

Luke 18:30.-The certainty of the future recompense.

Luke 21:18.-The perfectness of Divine protection.

Luke 22:67-68.-The accuracy of the Lord’s foreknowledge.

John 4:14.-The satisfying power of the Divine gifts.

John 4:48.-The obstinacy of unbelief.

John 6:35.-The satisfying power of "the bread of life."

John 8:12.-The perfection of the Divine light.

John 8:51-52.-Eternal security for the keepers of Christ’s sayings.

John 10:5.-The miraculous power of His sheep’s spiritual instinct.

John 10:28.-The Divine preservation of Christ’s sheep.

John 11:26.-The certainty of being "changed in a moment" for those who are "alive and remain" till His coming.

Once this repeated negation was used by an angel-Gabriel, in Luke 1:15, of John the Baptist, that "he shall neither drink wine nor strong drink." And this was perfectly fulfilled (Matthew 11:18).

But there is one more use of the figure by Christ, so blessed and so important that we have reserved it to the last:-

John 6:37.-"All (πᾶν ὁ, pan ho, everything) that the Father giveth me shall come to (ἥξει, heexei, will reach) me; and him that cometh (τόν ἐρχόμενον, ton erchomenon, he who is on his way to) to me I will in no wise cast out."

The repeated "not" in the Greek is thus beautifully rendered, and George Keith effectively sums it up in his hymn on Hebrews 13:5 : "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," where we have the οὐ μή in both clauses:-

"The soul that on Jesus has fled for repose,

He cannot, He will not desert to his foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,

He’ll never, no never, no never forsake."

4. Repetition of Sentences and phrases