[B-Greek] Revelation 16:19 - the great city
L. Harris
ljoharris at ckt.net
Thu Dec 29 14:39:56 EST 2005
Regarding the many usages of the word KAI, there is a name for that called
"POLUSUNDETON". The Greeks developed a science called "SCHEMA", which the
Latins carried on with called "Figura" and which come to us as "figures of
speech". E.W. Bullinger in his book Figures of Speech used in the Bible
states:
"All language is governed by law; but, in order to increase the power of a
word, or the force of an expression, these laws are designedly departed
from, and words and sentences are thrown into and used in new forms, or
figures. The ancient Greeks reduced these new and peculiar forms to science,
and gave names to more than two hundred of them"....the knowledge of this
ancient science is is so completely forgotten, that its very name to-day is
used in a differnet sense and whith almot an opposite meaning."
One such usage of a Greek Figure or SCHEMA" is POLUSUNDETON and means MANY
ANDS (KAI) and is described by Bullinger as:
The repetition of the word "and" at the beginning of successive clauses.
Polysyndeton. Greek, POLUSUNDETON, from POLUS, many and SUNDETON, bound
together; hence, in grammar, it means a conjunction. The word, therefore,
means 'much bound together' or 'many conjunctions'. It is also called
POLYSYNTHETON, from TITHEEMI,to put or place. Hence 'many puttings: i.e.,
of the same word - at the beginning f successive sentences: but his is
always one special word "AND", Greek KAI.
The Greeks also had one for NO KAI, or "no ands" called Asyndeton. These
were not just haphazard usages but were a major part of Greek grammar and
writing. SCHEMA or figures of speech were used to attract the attention of
the hearer (or reader which err the case may be.) Obviously it's done it's
job (ha ha)
Bullinger goes on to state: "The laws of Grammar decide for us how the
conjunction "and" shoudl be used. If we are enumerating a number of things,
we (by usage) place the conjunction immediately before the last. (eggs,
bacon, toast AND jelly [my example]) This the the COLD LAW, which leaves
what we say without any special emphasis. But this law may be legitimately
broken in tow different ways for the sake of emphasis. In order to attract
the attention of the hearer or reader, wemay either use NO ANDS, or we may
use MANY ANDS. May may use these figures, however, without sufficient
reason, and unwisely: but the Holy Spirit [and obviously the ancient Greeks
who developed this grammatical science (my comment)] ever uses words in all
perfection, and it behoves us carefully to note whatever He thus calls our
attention to. When He uses "many-ands" ther eis never any climax at the end.
Instead of hurrying us on, breathlessly, to reach the important conclusion;
we are asked to sstop at each point, to weigh each matter that is presented
to us, and to consider each particular that is thus added and emphasized."
In thinking about the use of the word "and" I know that when ever I use it
out of the normal sense it's also because I want to emphisize something,
like: "Get out of the house AND mow the lawn, AND don't forget to empty the
garbage, AND feed your dog!"
This is really a great book to have it's called "Figures of Speech Used in
the Bible" by E.W. Bullinger. But I would like to have a secular one on just
the Greek language in general. I think I'll see if I can find one.
Hope this was of interest.
Linda Harris
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