Figurative language, Metonymy.
A trope is a word or expression used in a different sense from that which it properly meant: or a word changed from its original intent to another, for the sake of giving life or emphasis to an idea. One example is, when we call a shrewd man a fox. Or, that man is as strong as a lion.
A Metonymy is a trope, by which we substitute one appellation for another, as the cause for the effect, the effect for the cause, the subject for the adjunct, or the adjunct for the subject.
An appellation is the word by which a thing is called and known.
An Adjunct is when something joined or added to another thing but not an essential part of it. Or when a word or word group that qualifies or completes the meaning of another word or other words and is not a major structural element in its sentence. Example, most children eat heartily. “Most,” is an adjunct to the subject children. “Heartily,” is a adjunct to the verb eat.
There are four classes of metonymy.
1. A metonymy of the cause is used in Scripture, when the person acting is put for the thing done, or the instrument by which a thing is done is put for the thing affected or when a thing or action is put for the effect produced by that action. Examples will follow.
2. A metonymy of the effect occurs, when the effect is put for the efficient cause.
3. A metonymy of the subject is, when the subject is put for the adjunct, that is, for some circumstance or appendage belonging to the subject: when the thing or place containing, is put for the thing contained or placed; when the possessor is put for the thing possessed; when the object is put for the thing conversant about it; or when the thing signified is put for its sign.
4. A metonymy of the adjunct is, when that which belongs to any thing serves to represent the thing itself.
The person acting is put for the thing done, see #1 above. Christ is put for His doctrine in,
1. Romans 16:9, “Salute Ur-bane our helper in Christ.” This is to say, in preaching the doctrines of the Gospel, Ur-bane having been a fellow-laborer with the apostles. Other examples occur in, 1 Corinthians 4:15, and Ephesians 4:20.
2. The Holy Spirit is put for His effects: This is seen in,
2 Corinthians 3:6, “Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
By the word “letter,” we are to understand the law written on tables of stone, which required perfect obedience, an obedience that no man can perform because of his corrupt nature. Therefore the law, or letter kills, pronouncing upon man a sentence of guilty, with eternal death following.
“But of the spirit,” implies the saving doctrine of the Gospel, which derives it origin from the Holy Spirit, or Comforter, who teaches, instructs, and prepares believers for eternal life. In the same sense, Jesus said in,
John 6:63, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” That is to say, the words are from the Holy Spirit of God, and if received with true faith, will lead to eternal life.
Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” By “the law of the Spirit of life,” is meant the doctrine of the Gospel, because it is an instrument of the operation of the Holy Ghost; who by Divine power, changes the heart of sinners, and writes His law on man’s hearts. Now the law is not only inscribed on tablets of stone, and parchments, but God’s word now penetrates the hearts of men, and quickens the mind to spiritual deeds, action and words.
3. The Holy Spirit is put for His operation.
For Regeneration: Compare Psalms 51:10, Ezekiel 36:26-27, with Ephesians 4:23, and Romans 12:2.
a. Psalms 51:10, Christian’s pray, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
b. Ezekiel 36:26-27, God said, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
c. Ephesians 4:23, Believers are told to, “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” And,
d. Romans 12:2, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
4. The Holy Spirit is put for, “The influences of gifts of the Spirit,” as in,
1 Thessalonians 5:19, “Quench not the Spirit.”
The similarity is borrowed from the altar of burnt-offering in which the fire was to be kept continually burning. The Holy Spirit is here represented as a fire, because it is His to enlighten, quicken, purify, and refine the soul, and to excite and maintain every holy and reverential exercise toward God. Christians must not quench the sacred flame of the Holy Spirit or any of his influences by committing any act, uttering any word, or indulging in any actions which may provoke the Spirit to withdraw both His gifts and graces.
Neither must we, “Extinguish the gifts of the Spirit,” but keep them in constant use, as in love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, etc. In 2 Tim.1:6, Paul’s advice is, “stir up the gift of God, which is in thee,” meaning, stir up the gift of the Holy Spirit. Also we are told, 1 Tim.4:14, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee.”
Jesus exhorts us to ask with confidence for spiritual help. He adds,
Luke 11:13, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?”
Jesus would have us to understand that if we, with all our imperfections and all our unkindness, can be tender hearted to our children, giving food, shelter and gifts to them, THEN how much more will God, who is perfect in love, give to us the blessing of His Holy Spirit to those who with a sincere heart, ask?
God will illuminate our darkness, strengthen our indecisions, our wavering, hold back that which is violent, comfort the sick, the lame, the aged, the needy, etc. He will do so in such a way, and to such a degree as to strengthen and maintain those who struggle under various and difficult temptations. Without the assistance of the Holy Spirit, we could not overcome the evils of this world.
5. The Spirit is speaking of a Divine Power or energy reigning in the soul of the regenerate man.
Compare, Luke 1:46-47, with 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Luke 1:46-47, “Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord.” And, “my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23, “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Other places where the word spirit is put for the new man and spiritual strength, see,
a. Isaiah 26:9, “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early.”
b. Ezekiel 18:31, “Cast away from your all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit.”
c. Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” See Also,
d. Romans 1:9, 1 Corinthians 5:3-5, 6:20, Galatians 3:3, “Are ye so foolish? having been in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
6. When the Holy Spirit is put for those peculiar and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, having many uses, whether public or private, spiritual or temporal, are given to men.
In, 2 Kings 2:9, Elisha requests of Elijah, “I pray thee, let a double portion of the Spirit be upon me.” Elisha is asking for an extraordinary measure of gifts concerning prophesy, and in the power of working miracles, which are called, the “portion of the Spirit.” Also,
Numbers 11:17-25, The LORD is speaking to Moses and said, “I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee.”
Verse 25, The LORD, “took of the Spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.”
Dan.5:12, “An excellent spirit.” Daniel had a more excellent spirit, that is, a more eminent gift of the Spirit, more knowledge, and more understanding.
7. The Spirit is also put for revelations and visions, whether from the Holy Spirit, or from lying spirits.
a. Ezekiel 37:1, “The hand of the LORD carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD,”
This means the prophet was carried out by a vision or rapture of spirit.
b. 2 Thesssalonians 2:2, “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, not by word, not by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.”
This means, do not be moved, or tricked in your mind and actions by revelations pretending to come from the God’s Spirit.
c. Revelation 1:10, John writes, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.”
This meaning, that John’s natural world was now shut out, and his inner and higher spirit was taken possession of by God’s Holy Spirit. In this, John was connected in hearing and seeing God’s invisible world. This is seen again in,
Revelation 4:2, “Immediately I was in the spirit:”
Revelation 17:3, 21:10, “So he (an angel) carried me away in the spirit.”
2 Corinthians 12:2, “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: — such an one caught up to the third heaven.”
d. Passages where spirit is put for doctrine, whether revealed or not.
d-1. 1 John 4:1, “Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Here spirit is put for doctrine said to be received by the false teachers from God.
d-2. 1 Timothy 4:1, “The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” Seducing spirits are false teachers who pretend to receive their doctrines from the Holy Spirit.
8. Parents or ancestors are put for posterity.
a. Shem, Japhet, and Canaan, are put for their posterity. Gen.9:27, ”
b. Jacob and Israel are put for the Israelites,
Exodus 5:2, “neither will I let Israel go.”
Numbers 23:21, “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel.”
Numbers 24:5, “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!” See Also, Deuteronomy 39:28.
c. Isaac, and/or the House of Isaac means, the Israelites. Amos 7:9-16, “The high places of Isaac shall be desolate.” Verse 16, “Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not the word against the house of Isaac.”
d. The seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is put for Jesus Himself, Romans 9:5, “of whom according to the flesh, Christ came.”
Genesis 12:3, God is speaking to Abram. “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
See also, Genesis 18:18, 22:18, 26:4, 28:14.
We have further evident of this when we compare,
Galatians 3:8, “the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nation be blessed.” Compared with,
Acts 3:25, “Ye are the children of the prophet, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed,” Compared with,
Galatians 3:14-16, “The blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
In, 2 Chronicles 25:24, Obededom is put for his descendants, who it appears from, 1 Chronicles 26:15 were porters and keepers of the sacred treasures.
In Ezekiel 34:23, “I will set up one shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, even my servant David.” Here David is put for the Messiah.
9. The writers or author is put for his book or work: As in,
Luke 16:29, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.”
Luke 24:27, “Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”
Acts 15:21, 21:21, and 2 Corinthians 3:15, in which passages Moses and the Prophets respectively mean the Mosaic and Prophetic writings written by them under Divine inspiration and transmitted to mankind as the rule of faith.
All the passages in Scripture were the soul of man is put for his life, which is its effect, as in,
Genesis 9:5, “Surely your blood of your lives will I require; — at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.”
Exodus 4:19, “The LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.”
Other verses are, Leviticus 17:11, Judges 9:17, 1 Samuel 26:21, 1 Kings 2:23. 2 Kings 7:7, Psalms 23:19, 38:12, 56:13, Jeremiah 45:5, Lamentations 5:9, Jonah 2:6. Matthew 2:20, 10:39, 16:25, 20:28, John 10:17, 13:37-38. 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Passages where the soul is put for the will, affections, and desires, which are its souls operations, as in the original of the following passages, where the metonymy is correctly rendered in the K.J.V.
Genesis 23:8, “If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight.”
Exodus 23:9, “ye know the heart of a stranger.”
Deuteronomy 23:24, “at thine own pleasure.”
Also, Psalms 17:10, 27:12, 41:2, 105:22, Proverbs 23:2,
John 10:24, “Then came the Jews round about Him, and said unto Him, How long dost thou make us to doubt?” (literally, hold our soul in suspense).
Passages where the spirit (which is frequently synonymous with the soul of man) is used to express the motions or affections of the soul, whether good or evil: Examples of this kind occur in,
Genesis 45:27, “The spirit of Jacob their father revived.”
Numbers 14:24, “My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, will I bring him to the land where into he went.”
Where in Hebrew anger is soul, as in heart:
1. Judges 8:3, “Then their anger was abated toward him.” Ex. 23:9, “Thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger.”
2. 2 Chronicles 21:16, “The LORD stirred up against Jeho-ram the spirit of the Philistines.”
Psalms 76:12, “He shall cut off the spirit of the princes.”
3. Psalms 77:3, “I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”
4. See also, Proverbs 1:23; 18:14; 29:1, Ecclesiastes 7:9, Isaiah 29:10, 37:7, Jeremiah 51:11, Ezekiel 13:3, Daniel 5:20, Haggai 1:14, Habakkuk 1:11, Romans 11:8, 1 Corinthians 2:12.
Sometimes the cause or instrument is put for the thing effected by it.
Where the mouth, the lips, and the tongue are respectively put for the speech:
1. Deuteronomy 17:6, “By the mouth of two or three witnesses (that is their speech or testimony) shall he that is worthy of death be put to death.”
2. Matthew 18:16, Deuteronomy 19:15, “At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.”
3. Proverbs 25:15, “A soft tongue breaketh the bone; that is a mild and courteous way of speaking softens the hardest heart and most obstinate resolutions.
4. Psalms 5:9, “Their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.”
5. Proverbs 10:20, “The tongue of the just is as choice silver.”
6. Jeremiah 18:18, “Come, and let us smite him (Jeremiah) with the tongue.”
Tongue is also put for the gift of foreign languages,
1. Acts 2:4-11, “Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.”
2. Mark 16:17, “In my name (Jesus) shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.”
3. 1 Corinthians 14:19, “In the church I (Paul) had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.”
Genesis 11:1. The whole earth was of one language (Hebrew is, lip,) and of one speech (word.)”
In Proverbs, the LIP, is frequently put for speech.
1. Proverbs 12:19-22, “The lip of truth shall be established for ever.”
2. Proverbs 14:7, “Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.”
3. Proverbs 17:7-20, “Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.”
Job 12:20, (in Marginal renderings)
The mouth is put for Commandment as in,
1. Genesis 45:21 (marginal rendering) “Joseph gave them (the Jews) wagons, according to the commandment (mouth) of Pharaoh.”
2. Numbers 3:16-39, “Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment (Mouth) of the LORD.”
3. Numbers 20:24-27, “ye rebelled against my (God’s) word,” with 27:14, “ye rebelled against my (God’s) commandment.”
4. Deuteronomy 1:26-43, “ye — rebelled against the commandment (mouth) of the LORD your God.”
5. Proverbs 5:3, the Palate (marginal rendering in some older versions) is put for speech. ”
The throat is put for loud speaking,
Isaiah 58:1. “Cry aloud,” in Hebrew with the throat.
The hand is put for writing,
Colossians 4:18, 1 Corinthians 16:21, “The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.”
By the same form of speech, labor is put for wages, or the fruit of labor,
Ezekiel 23:29, “they shall take away all thy labor.”
The things that are sold, is put for the price at which they are sold.
Matthew 26:9, “This ointment might have been sold for much,” it is said the ointment might have been sold for so much and given to the poor. Likewise,
Exodus 21:21, “for he is his money.”
The sword is put for war or slaughter.
1. Exodus 5:3, “Lest He (God) fall upon us — with the sword.”
2. Leviticus 26:6, “neither shall the sword go through your land.”
3. Psalms 144:10, “Who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.”
4. Isaiah 1:20, “ye shall be devoured with the sword.”
5. Jeremiah 43:11, “such as are for the sword to the sword.”
6. Romans 8:36, “We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
The sword, famine, and pestilence, refer to the effects of those scourges.
Ezekiel 7:15, “The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within,” that is death and ruin are every where scattered by those terrible things. So in,
Matthew 10:34, I came not to send peace (or temporal prosperity) on earth: but a sword,” meaning, variance, death, and persecution. Jesus meant not that His coming was the necessary and proper cause of such unhappiness, but that so it should eventually happen on His appearance in our nature; because His kingdom was of another world, and consequently opposed to all the designs and interests of the present world. This satisfactorily explains Luke 12:51-53, were Jesus foretells the effect that would follow from preaching the Gospel.
Part 2:
I would like to add the following to this article on Metonymies.
A Metonymy of the effect occurs, when the effect is put for the cause.
1. God is called Salvation and is the author of it.
Exodus 15:2, “The LORD is — become my salvation.”
2. God is called our life and the length of our days.
Deuteronomy 30:20, “for he is thy life, and the length of thy days.”
3. He is called our strength,
Psalms 18:1, “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.”
4. Christ is termed, “Salvation,
Isaiah 49:6, “I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation.” And,
Luke 2:30, “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.”
5-a. Christ is called life, and the resurrection in the same verse.
John 11:25, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life.” And,
5-b. Colossians 3:4, “Christ, who is our life.”
6. Ephesians 2:14, Jesus is called our peace, “For He is our peace.”
7. Christ is said to be made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. That is He is the author of all these.
1 Corinthians 1:30, “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”
Compare Luke 11:14, with Matthew 9:32. A dumb devil, or demon is one that made the person whom he possessed, dumb. So, in like manner, the Gospel is called the power of God unto salvation, Rom.1:16, meaning the Gospel is the instrument of His power.
Faith is called our victory, because by it we overcome the world, 1 John 5:4.
Glad tidings, are such as make glad,
Romans 10:15, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
A lively hope is that which revives or enlivens, 1 Peter 1:3.
Wine is a mocker, and strong drink is raging, Proverbs 20:1, meaning they make men mockers, and raging.
There is the same form of speech likewise in Hebrews 6:1, and 9:14, where dead works are deadly works, that is, works as make men subject to death.”
Deuteronomy 30:15, “I have set before thee this day life and death, that is, have clearly showed thee what is the cause and original of life and death.
John 3:19, “This is the condemnation,” meaning, the cause of it.
Romans 7:7, “Is the law sin,” that is, the cause of sin in itself.
Romans 8:6, “To be carnally minded is death,” that is, its cause, “but to be spiritually minded is life and peace,” or the cause of those blessings. Romans 6:23, is a like expression as Romans 8:6.
Ecclesiastes 11:1, “Bread,” is put for the seed of which bread is made.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com