Antistrophe; or, Retort
Antistrophe; or, Retort
A turning the Words of a Speaker against himself
An-tis-tro-phee. Greek, , a turning about, from (anti), against, and (strepho), to turn.
The figure is so called because the words of a speaker are turned against himself in Retort.
When the retort is violent, it is called BIAEON (Bi-ae-on), Greek, , forcible, violent, compulsory.
Hence the Latin, VIOLENTUM, violent, and INVERSIO, inversion, a turning against.
Mat 15:26-27.-The woman of Canaan used this figure in her reply to Christ. He had said It is not meet to take the childrens bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table, and thus turned His words against Himself.
2Co 11:22.-Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. See also under Epiphoza.
When the words thus turned against the speaker are an accusation, then the figure is called