Ezekiel 36:26
"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."Next, focus on the markings:
"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."
Polysyndeton: Employing many conjunctions between clauses, often slowing the tempo or rhythm.
- In this scripture, the repetition of the conjunction "and" adds emphasis to each successive clause. Each clause is saying pretty much the same thing, as well, so the clauses build on each other to underline this heart metaphor. "I am surely going to purify your soul and make you my people," is the message we receive (in the context of the rest of Ezekiel 36).
Antimetabole: Repetition of words, in successive clauses, in reverse grammatical order.- The antimetabole in this scripture compliments and yet minimizes the effects of the polysyndeton. The switched order of "will I" to "I will" creates a sort of climax in the middle of the scripture, at the colon of the second phrase, making the last two lines the "falling action."
- The last line repeats what was said in the first line ("A new heart will I give you" / "I will give you an heart"). In this way, this scripture could also function as chiasmus (repetition of ideas in inverted order). Again, this repeats and emphasizes the idea given in the first line.
Epistrophe: Ending a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or words.
- I didn't realize until I split the scripture into its marked and separate lines that this was being used. The repetition of "you" at the end of the first two lines, then "flesh" at the end of the last two, increases the feeling of antimetabole. It also brings focus to the Lord's audience (the House of Israel) and creates an interesting contrast between the flesh of the stony heart and the heart of flesh that the Lord is giving.
The use of these rhetorical devices play really well with the metaphor of the Lord giving us a "new heart." The scriptures are packed full of this stuff, and I never realized!
*Definitions are all from Silva Rhetoricae.
Nice post! Indeed, the way this scripture is structured differs greatly from that of normal speech or writing, particularly with its use of antimetabole. Reading the passage with its clauses listed together in backward fashion, my interest was piqued and I was drawn in. Perhaps this was intended, but could this also just be due to differences in translation? Are these devices purposefully included (in either the original language or this translation), or are they simply coincidental? I would like to know...
ReplyDeleteYour marked up version of the scripture really helped me to see the rhetorical elements of this verse before you started your analysis. Chiasmus (which you mentioned briefly) was the first thing that came to my mind as it is clear from the repetition and then reversal of the words "will I". I would be interested to learn more about the context of this verse and see how these rhetorical figures help to explain the expression/context of the scripture beyond it's gospel message.
ReplyDeleteCool! The slow tempo created by polysyndeton teaches us that the process of changing our hearts is also slow.
ReplyDeleteChiasmus is also found quite frequently in the Book of Mormon.The rhetorical beauty of the scriptures is another testimony to me that they really were written by inspired prophets.