enallage (exchange)
Using the Present Tense but intending the Past Tense
There are occasions in scripture where the writer or speaker was describing an event as happening in the present, when it actually occurred sometime in the past. This is a well known figure of speech called Enallage, meaning the exchange of one word for another.
In his massive work on Figures on Speech, page 490, E. W. Bullinger describes it as such;
In my previous sentence above I stated that Bullinger describes this figure of speech, but in reality he described it over one hundred and twenty years ago when he wrote the book. We often speak of scripture saying this or that when the truth is, it was said thousands of years ago. We are speaking of the present but meaning the past.
We'll take some time and consider a few passage to see this Figure of Speech being used. The present tense is visible in the Greek but the English King James Version has replaced the present with the past tense. As such, we will give the English translation of the Greek with the KJV in brackets [].
Thus, when considering ROMANS 7, we are not out of bounds in thinking that Paul could have been dictating to Tertius (16:22) in the present tense, when all the while he was thinking and referring to his actions in the past.
In his massive work on Figures on Speech, page 490, E. W. Bullinger describes it as such;
- Enallage is a figure of grammar; and consists of an exchange of words, or a substitution of one word for another. It differs from Metonymy (q.v.) in that Motonymy is the exchange or substitution of one noun for another noun: while Enallage is a change of one part of speech for another (Antimeria); or one tense, mood, person, or number for another (Heterosis); or one case for another (Antiptosis), but never of one noun for another.
In my previous sentence above I stated that Bullinger describes this figure of speech, but in reality he described it over one hundred and twenty years ago when he wrote the book. We often speak of scripture saying this or that when the truth is, it was said thousands of years ago. We are speaking of the present but meaning the past.
We'll take some time and consider a few passage to see this Figure of Speech being used. The present tense is visible in the Greek but the English King James Version has replaced the present with the past tense. As such, we will give the English translation of the Greek with the KJV in brackets [].
- MATTHEW 2:13 And they having withdrawn, behold, an angel of the Lord appears [appeareth] in a dream to Joseph. . . .
- MARK 2:14 And passing on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and says [said] to him. . . .
- JOHN 1:29 On the morrow John sees Jesus coming to him, and says [saith], Behold the Lamb of God. . . .
- JOHN 1:46 And Nathanael said to him, Out of Nazareth can any good thing be? Philip says [saith] to him, Come and see.
- JOHN 9:13 They bring [brought] to the Pharisees, him who once was blind.
- ACTS 9:26 And Saul having arrived at Jerusalem, he attempted to join himself to the disciples, and all were afraid of him, not believing that he is [was] a disciple.
- GALATIANS 2:14 But when I saw that they walk [walked] not uprightly according to the truth of the glad tidings. . . .
Thus, when considering ROMANS 7, we are not out of bounds in thinking that Paul could have been dictating to Tertius (16:22) in the present tense, when all the while he was thinking and referring to his actions in the past.