03.27. Rule 7 - The Law of Paranomasia
The seventh law of interpretation is the law of paranomasia or a play on words.
Paronomasia consists of our laying down beside one word or idea that has been used a similar one with a little variation.
The following are example of paronomasia:
In Amos 8:1-2 there is a play on the Hebrew word "kayits" (translated "summer fruit") and "kets" (translated "the end"). The radicals of each word are the same, with the exception of the "y."
In Micah 2:1-3 there is a play upon the word "evil."
Daniel 9:24 has a play upon the words "seventy sevens."
There is a play upon ideas in Daniel 11:36 ff —"the desire of women" (Messiah God in human flesh), Daniel 11:37; and the "god of fortresses" (military power pictured as idol), Daniel 11:38.
Exercises: Find the paronomasia in the following passages:
THE BIBLE is the revelation of God put in human language. God not only gave the thought, but also chose the words by which the disclosure was to be conveyed to man. In giving His Word He used the language of the people to whom He spoke. In all languages there are literal terms and figurative expressions. There are all types of figures of speech and metaphorical language. Unless a person realizes this fact, he will run into difficulty in interpreting the Scriptures. Moreover, the student must be familiar with the various figures of speech. One of the least known and yet one of the most important figures occurring in the Scriptures is that of paronomasia or a play on words and ideas. Since it occurs so very, very frequently, and since in many instances the entire point in a passage is bound up in an understanding of this figure, it is of the utmost importance that the Bible student should familiarize himself with it in order that he might follow the thought of the Scriptures as they are making their revelation known to him.