Merismus
- 1. F R O M B E G I N N I N G T O E N D Merismus
- 2. What is merismus? Merismus comes from a Greek word meaning division Merismus refers to a literary device where two words (often contrasting) or two parts of something stand for the whole
- 3. Examples of Merismus The following are common English examples of merismus: I dont know whether Im coming or going = I have no idea what Im doing in any of my actions It doesnt matter whether youre young or old = It doesnt matter what your age is at all
- 4. Merismus in the Bible The biggest cluster of examples of merismus in the Bible can be found in Ecclesiastes 3 Verse 1 makes clear that examples of merismus follow: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven (ESV) Verse 2: a time to be born, and a time to die = a time for every stage of life from birth to death Verse 4: a time to weep, and a time to laugh = a time for every human emotion between sorrow and joy Verse 8: a time to love, and a time to hate = a time for every human emotion between love and hate
- 5. Identifying Merismus It is not always clear whether something is a merismus, but it can sometimes be important for interpretation to decide if something is a merismus or not: In Genesis 2:17, is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil a merismus? What would this phrase mean if it was a merismus? How would the meaning be different than if this was only a contrast?
- 6. So be on the lookout next time you see a merismus. You dont want to miss out on a jot or tittle of what the author is saying.