Antimetabole; or, Counterchange
Antimetabole; or, Counterchange
Epanodos, with Contrast or Opposition
An-ti-me-tab-o-lee, from (anti), against, (meta), reversely, and (ballein), to throw.
This figure repeats the word or words in a reverse order, for the purpose of opposing one thing to another, or of contrasting two or more things. It is the figure of Epanodos with this special added object of opposing words against one another.
It is also called DIALLELON, from (dia), through, and (laleo), to speak, to say (or place by speaking) one thing against another. Also METATHESIS, Me-tath-e-sis, i.e., transposition, from (meta), beyond, or over, and (titheemi), to place. This name is also given in Etymology, where letters are transposed. The Latins called it COMMUTATIO, commutation, i.e., changing about.
Gen 4:4-5.-
aAnd the Lord had respect
bunto Abel and to his offering:
bBut unto Cain, and his offering
ahe had not respect.
2Ch 32:7-8.-
aThere be more with us
bthan with him;
bWith him is an arm of flesh,
a but with us is the Lord our God.
Isa 5:20.-Woe unto them that call
evil
good, and
good
evil;
that put darkness
for light,
and light for
darkness;
that put bitter
for sweet,
and sweet for
bitter.
Isa 55:8.-
aFor my thoughts
bare not your thoughts,
bneither are your ways
amy ways, saith the Lord.
In verse 9 these words are in their natural order.
In verses 8 and 9 taken together, the figure is a simple Epanodos:
aFor my thoughts are not your thoughts,
bNeither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
bFor as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,
aand my thoughts than your thoughts.
Here in a and a we have thoughts; while in b and b we have ways.
Further, there is another involved Epanodos in b and b, between the my and your; as there is between a and b.
Mar 2:27.-
aThe sabbath
bwas made for man,
band not man for
athe sabbath.
Joh 8:47.-
aHe that is of God,
bheareth Gods words,
bye therefore hear them not (i.e., the words)
abecause ye are not of God.
Joh 15:16.-
aYe have not chosen
bme,
bbut I
ahave chosen you.
Joh 14:17.-Even the Spirit of Truth;
awhom the world cannot receive,
bbecause it seeth him not,
cneither knoweth him:
cbut ye know him;
bfor he dwelleth with you,
aand shall be in you.
Here the words are not repeated in b and c, but the fact is stated as to seeing and receiving
1Co 11:8-9.-
aFor the man
bis not of the woman;
bbut the woman
aof the man.
cNeither was the man created
dfor the woman,
dbut the woman
cfor the man.
Gal 5:17.-
aThe flesh lusteth
bagainst the spirit,
band the spirit
aagainst the flesh.
1Jn 2:18.-
aLast time (little children)
bAntichrist to come (and as)
bmany come (even now)
alast time (whereby).
2Jn 1:6.-
aThis is love, that we walk
bafter his commandments.
bThis is the commandment,
athat ye should walk in it.
3Jn 1:11.-
aFollow not that which is evil,
bbut that which is good;
bHe that doeth good is of God,
abut he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
Other examples of introverted parallelism (of lines) may be studied in Gen 12:16. Deu 16:5-6; Deu 28:1-2. 1Sa 1:2; 1Sa 25:3; 2Sa 3:1. 1Ki 16:22. Pro 30:8-9. Isa 56:3-7. Joe 2:18-21; Joe 2:30-31. Mic 3:12; Mic 4:1-2. Zec 9:5. But they are to be found everywhere, and they abound in the Psalms.
These examples Will be sufficient to explain and illustrate the figure and show its importance.
See further under Parallelism and Correspondence.
(c) Similar in sound (but different in sense)
——–