Figurative Language: Synecdoche
The Synecdoche.
A Synecdoche is a trope in which,
1. The whole is put for a part;
2. A part is put for the whole.
3. A certain number for an uncertain one.
4. A general name for a particular one.
5. Special words for general ones.
Following are a few examples to illustrate a Synecdoche.
The Roman Empire was but a small part of the world, yet it was a remarkable part of the world. In various verses, the Roman Empire is referred to as the world. See,
1. Acts 24:5, "For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world (Roman Empire.)"
2. Rev.3:10, "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world (Roman empire,) to try them that dwell upon the earth."
The WORLD is referred to as the EARTH, which is a part of it.
1. 2 Pet.3:6, "Whereby the world (earth) that then was, being overflowed with water, perished."
2. Rom.1:8, "I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world (earth.)"
3. 1 John 5:19, "We know that we are of God, and the whole world (earth) lieth in wickedness."
When the WHOLE is put for a PART: As the MAN for the SOUL,
Luke 16:23, "In hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." Here the rich man, Abraham, and Lazarus, are respectively put for their souls;
MAN is sometimes put for the BODY. In the following passages, Jesus our Lord, is put for His dead body.
1. John 19:42, "There laid they Jesus."
2. John 20:2, "They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid Him."
3. John 20:13, "They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him."
4. Luke 24:3, "They entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus."
TIME is put for a PART of time, as in,
1. Dan.2:4, "O king, live for ever." Which simply means, we wish you a long life and reign.
2. Gen.17:19, "I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him." Here the words everlasting covenant means, as long as the Jewish policy subsists, or until Messiah come,
Gen.49:10, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, not a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be."
Ex.21:6, Concerning a servant who shall say, "I love my master, -- I will not go out free: his master shall --- bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever." The expression "for ever," meaning the year of jubilee."
Another class of Synecdoche may be referring to the PLURAL number, which is sometimes put for the SINGULAR.
In the following, only ONE of these things, or persons mentioned is to be understood.
1. Gen.8:4, "upon the mountains of Ararat." This term "mountains," is referring to the top of the mountainous range.
2. Amos 6:10, "by the sides (side) of the house."
3. Jonah 1:5, "Jonah was gone down into the sides (side) of the ship."
4. Matt.21:7, "And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon," compared with Zech.9:9, "thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
5. Mark 1:2, "As it is written in the prophets." Prophets refer to Malachi.
7. John 6:45, "It is written in the prophets," referring to Isaiah.
8. Acts 13:40-41, "Beware therefore, let that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, -- I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you." Referring to Habakkuk.
Where CHILDREN, is put for CHILD,
1. Gen.21:7, "Sarah should have given children (one child) suck?"
2. Gen.46:7, "His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters." Jacob had but one daughter, ver.15. and one grand-daughter, ver.17.
3. So also the "sons" of Dan, ver.23, Dan having but one son.
4. Also the "cities" of Gilead where Jephtare is said to have been buried, is mentioned in Judges 12:7. Jephthah was buried in but one city in that region.
5. Our Saviour speaks of Himself in the plural number, John 3:2, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, WE speak that WE do know, and testify that WE have seen; and ye receive not our witness."
When sometimes the PART is put for the WHOLE.
1. In Gen.1:5-8-13-19-23-31, where the evening and the morning, being the principal parts of the day, are put for the entire day.
2. When the SOUL is put for the WHOLE MAN, as in Acts 27:37, "We were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls ."
3. Gen.12:5, "the souls that they had gotten in Haran."
4. Gen.17:14, Exod.12:19, "That soul shall be cut off."
5. Lev.4:2, "If a soul shall sin."
6. Acts 2:41, "there were added unto them about three thousand souls."
When the SINGULAR number is put for the PLURAL. This usually takes place when the Scriptures speak of the multitude collectively. In
1. Gen.3:8, Tree in the Hebrew is put for trees.
2. Gen.49:6, "in their anger they slew a man," meaning they slew many men.
3. Ex.14:17, "I (God) will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host." "Host" meaning the whole multitude of his chariots which are numbered (600) in ver.7.
4. Ex.15:1-21, "the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea." This is put collectively for the horses and horsemen who were in the Egyptian army.
5. Ex.23:28, "I will -- drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before thee." This speaks collectively of the whole of their people.
6. The following verses speak of the oxen, strokes, turtles, cranes, swallows, etc. collectively as a whole.
A. Isa.1:3, "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib,"
B. Jer.8:7, "The stork in heaven -- the turtle and the crane and the swallow."
C. Joel 1:4, "the palmerworm -- the locust, -- cancerworm, -- caterpillar eaten."
d. Rev.21:21, "the street of the city," meaning streets of the city."
Frequently a certain or definite number is put for an uncertain and indefinite number. At times we will find double meaning, "MUCH, or, SUFFICIENT. This is found in,
1. Isa.40:2, "she (Jerusalem) hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins."
2. Isa.61:7, "For your shame ye shall have double."
3. Jer.16:18, "I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double."
4. Zech.9:12, "I declare that I will render double unto thee."
5. Rev.18:6, "double unto her double according to her works."
"Twice," meaning several times, as in, Ps.62:11, "God
hath spoken once; twice have I heard this."
"FIVE," meaning a FEW,
1 Cor.14:19, "Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding." In this same verse, ten thousand are put for many, "ten thousand words in an unknown tongue."
"TEN," for MANY,
Gen.31:7, "your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten time."
1 Sam.1:8, "Am not I better to thee than ten sons?"
Frequently we have SEVEN, for an indefinite number.
Gen.4:15, "Vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold."
Lev.26:18-21-24-28, "I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins."
Ruth 4:15, "thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons."
1 Sam.2:5, "the barren hath born seven."
Ps.12:6, "the words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."
Ps.119:164, "Seven times a day do I praise thee."
Prov.24:16, "A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again."
Prov.26:25, "For there are seven abominations in his heart."
Isa.4:1, "In that day seven women shall take hold of one man."
Jer.15:9, "She that hath borne seven languisheth."
Ez.39:9-12, "Seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them."
Matt.12:45, "Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself."
ONE HUNDRED is put for MANY, or INDEFINITELY, see,
Ecc.6:3, "If a man beget an hundred children."
Ecc.8:12, "Though a sinner do evil an hundred times."
Prov.17:10, "A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool."
Matt.19:29, "Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, -- shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life."
Luke 8:8, "Other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold."
A THOUSAND is said to be a GREAT MANY,
Exod.20:6, "Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me."
Ex.34:7, "Keeping mercy for thousands."
Deut.1:11, "The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are."
1 Sam.18:7, "Saul hath slain his thousands."
Num.10:36, "Return O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel."
Ten thousand thousand for a countless host,
Ps.3:6, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people."
Dan.7:10, "Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him."
Rev.5:11, "I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne -- the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands."
When a general name is put for a particular one. As in,
Mark 16:15, "Preach the gospel to every creature," where every creature means all mankind.
As FLESH denotes ALL MANKIND,
Gen.6:12, "All flesh had corrupted His way upon the earth."
Ps.145:21, "Let all flesh bless His holy name for ever and ever."
Isa.40:5-6, "The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together."
Isa.66:23, "All flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD."
Matt.24:22, "Except these days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved."
Luke 3:6, "All flesh shall see the salvation of God."
Rom.3:20, "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight."
Sometimes special words or particular names are put for such as are general.
Jehovah is in Ps.46:9, is said to break the bow, and cut the spear in sunder, and to burn the chariot in fire. This meaning, God destroys all the weapons of war, and blesses the world with peace.
In Dan.12:2, we read, many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Here many is put for all that have died.
So MAN, generally, is put for all MANKIND, both male and female,
Ps.1:1, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly."
Mark 16:16, "He (any person) that believeth."
Numerous similar passages might be addressed. FATHER is put for any ANCESTOR,
Ps.22:4, "Our fathers trusted in thee."
Ps.44:1, "Our fathers have told us."
Ps.106:6, "We have sinned with our fathers."
FATHER is used at times for GRANDFATHER,
2 Sam.9:7, "I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake."
Dan.5:11, "thy father made master (chief) of the magicians."
MOTHER is sometimes used for GRANDMOTHER,
1 K.15:10-13, compare with verses 2-8.
BROTHER for KINSMAN,
Gen.13:8, "we are brethren."
Gen.14:14, Abram heard that his brother was taken captive," with Gen.12:5, "Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son."
Matt.12:46, "Behold, his mother and his brethren (brothers) stood without."
John 7:3-5, "Neither did his brethren believe in him."
In the same way, SON is put for any of the posterity; Laban is said to be Nahor's son, in Gen.29:5, This when Labab was the son of bethuel, and the grandson or nephew of Nahor.
Compare Gen.22:20-23, with Gen.24:29.
Rebekah is called Abraham's brother's daughter, Gen.24:48.
Father and mother intending all superiors, Ex.20:12,
"Honour thy father and thy mother."
Also in the manner, the Greeks, who are the most eminent of the heathen nations, are put for the whole Gentile world, see in,
Rom.1:16, "to the Jews first, and also to the Greek."
Gal.3:28, Col.3:11, "There is neither Jew nor Greek."
Bread means all the necessities of life, see in,
Matt.6:11, and numerous other places, "Give us this day our daily bread."
The FATHERLESS and WIDOWS are put for any who are in distress or affliction,
Isa.1:17-23, "They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them."
James 1:27, "To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction."
Hope the above information can be a learning tool for us all.
Thank you,
Phil LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com