Figures of Speech in Galatians-Philippians-Colossians

Walter Cummins

FREQUENT AND IMPORTANT FIGURES OF SPEECH IN GALATIANS, PHILIPPIANS, AND COLOSSIANS allegory – an extended metaphor or hypocatastasis. amphibologia – a word or phrase with two interpretations. anacoluthon – the grammatical sequence or flow of thought is changed or interrupted. anadiplosis – a sentence ends with a word, and the following sentence begins with the same word. anaphora – repetition of the same words at the beginning of successive sentences. antenantiosis – a positive is magnified by use of an equivalent negative statement. antimereia – exchange of parts of speech, such as a noun for an adjective; e.g. “angels of might” for “mighty angels”. antimetabole – the repetition of a series of words in the opposite order, for the purpose of contrasting. asterismos – a calling attention by the mark of an asterisk, i.e., a word which attracts attention, “lo!” “behold!” asyndeton – a series of words or phrases with an emphatic concluding statement. condescensio – (anthropopatheia) – ascribing human attributes, etc., to God; e.g. “the right hand of God.” ellipsis – the omission of a word or phrase in order to place emphasis on the remaining portion of the sentence. epanadiplosis – the repetition of a word at the beginning and end of a verse. epanorthosis – a recalling of what has been said in order to correct, as if by an afterthought. epitrechon – parenthetic addition thrown in, not complete in itself. erotesis – a rhetorical question, one which does not expect an answer.