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Elements of Persuasion in the Bible The study of Greek Persuasion Concepts has an interesting effect on people: they begin to see these concepts in just about every form of communication they encounter. Hebrew and Christian Scripture - being the quintessential communications document - offers many excellent examples of Persuasion. Each of the concepts is represented! |
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The Classical Concepts of Persuasion (Pathos)
Simile - A Qualified Comparison using "as", "as if", or "like"; softer in its implications. "She is like a Dove."
Metaphor - An Absolute Comparison with no qualifiers. "She is a Dove."
Allegory - A series of Tropes; a figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another; a parable.
Metonymy - Borrowing a word out of its element for use in a cause/effect relationship where the word enhances or augments its new surroundings. "Ruby Lips."
Synecdoche - Using the Whole for a Part, or the Part for a Whole. "Russia" for "U.S.S.R." "Americans" for residents of "U.S.A." exclusively.
Antonomasia - Using a Proper Name for a Common Name. "Frigidaire" means "Refrigerator." "Chyron," a specific manufacturer of character generators, means "Character Generator."
Irony - A Polite Wounding; an incongruity of speech in which the words express a meaning that is usually opposite of the intended meaning; can be unintentional.
Sarcasm - A form of Irony that is deliberately intended to hurt or offend; always intentional.
Hyperbole - An intentional exaggeration not intended to be taken literally; usually descriptive in nature.
Catachresis - Related to Metaphor, but more direct; name-calling. "He's a dork." "What a doll."
Onomatopoeia - The use of suggestive words for rhetorical effect, usually through the imitation of sounds. "Crack." "Tweet."
Interrogatio - Asking a question or series of questions in order to trap someone into a specific response or to make a point. A leading question.
Dissimulation - Use of humor to emphasize the differences between two ideas, or to evoke a confession.
Ecphonesis - A showing of strong or vehement passion.
Aporia - The art of creating doubt.
Personification - Giving human attributes to inanimate objects in a passive form. "That stupid bed."
Aposiopesis - Denial through pretending to conceal or omit what one really intends to declare. "We won't mention the fact that my opponent is a womanizing hedonist: it's not really germane to the discussion."
Anacoenosis - Appealing to the audience for documentation or approval.
Anastrophe - Inversion; holding the point to the end to increase the listener's expectations or to thwart a hostile audience.
Erotesis - A show of strong emotion in order to infuse energy or passion into our discourse.
Prolepsis - Enumerate our opponent's objections in our discourse, then answer them in order to emasculate them.
Epanaphora - Graceful repetition; either a word or phrase alone, or a word at the beginning of a series of phrases. Beatitudes.
Apostrophe - The deliberate interruption of our current train of thought for a specific effect.
Periphrasis - Double-talk. Use of pedantic or excessive language in order to dodge an issue or question. Common in politics.
Synchoresis - Granting or yielding a point in order to win one
Asyndeton - Omitting conjunctions, such as "and", "but", "however".
Polyasyndeton - Deliberate use of conjunctions.
Oxymoron - Two juxtaposed concepts which apparently contradict each other, used to lend force to an expression.
Enantiosis - The juxtaposition of opposites used to mutually set off or enhance each other.
Climax - Building to a key point.
Hypotyposis - Language that moves very rapidly; using as few words as possible to make a point.
Prosopopeia - Giving human attributes to inanimate objects in an active form. "The bed said, 'You stupid human.'"
Alliteration - Repetition of consonants.
Epiphonema - The Epic Statement; a word or phrase that is intended to be remembered; a slogan or trademark. Usually used at the end of a discourse.
Euphony - A pleasant-sounding title, usually used to describe an unpleasant task or object. "Sanitation Engineer" for "Garbage Collector". Tool of the Politically Correct.
Cacophony - Describing in loud or harsh terms, or the use of loud sounds or language.
Honorific - Giving people or items a title. "The Right Honorable Mr. Quinton Smythe Jones". "Quinton Jones, Esq." for an attorney. Glossary
Ideomotor - Self-suggestion (or self-motivation) that originates from within; usually self-revelatory.
Prestige - Associate a cause, project, or product with a prestigious source, implying that consumption will impart qualities of the endorser on the consumer. Usually used with Transfer (below).
Auto-Suggestion - Self-suggestion that originates from without.
Direct Suggestion - Directly suggesting an action. "You must do such-and-such."
Indirect Suggestion - Suggesting an action by delineating a path and letting the subject arrive at the target suggestion through his or her own interest.
Negative Suggestion - Suggesting a negative attitude by example.
Positive Suggestion - Putting something in a positive light, usually through praise or flattery.
Counter Suggestion - Countering an opponent's suggestion, usually before it is made.
Atmosphere Effect - Develop an atmosphere or mood complimentary to the message.
Together Device - Fostering Unity; appealing to the harmonious whole, or as a harmonious whole. "We're in this together."
Common Ground - Appealing to those individual aspects we all share. "What do we have in common?"
Rationalization - A neutral term: an emotional form of proof that we reason to explain an event, or warrant a position; to invent plausible explanations for (acts, opinions, etc.) that actually have other causes.
Repetition - Repeat an idea for effect. "Tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em, tell 'em, then tell 'em you told 'em."
Scapegoat Technique - Blaming others for unreconcilable problems in which they had no involvement, usually to escape one's own fault.
The Big Lie - To tell a lie in such a way that it sounds like truth: the bigger the lie, the more credibility it exudes. "I feel your pain", "The Worst Economy of the last 50 years". OR To tell the truth in such a way that it sounds like a lie.
Strategy of Terror - Using terror or fear to elicit a response or an action. "They want to take away your medicare."
Transfer - The concept that, by using a product (or adopting a position) endorsed by a desirable spokesman, some of the qualities of the spokesman - ostensibly gained by him through use of the same product - will transfer to us. Usually used with Prestige (see above).
Plain Folks - Appeal to the basic elements of a population.
Testimonial - Using the testimony of an endorser (either celebrity or average Joe) to promote a product; usually outcome-based (what the product did for him).
Band Wagon - Conscientious attempt through excitement or pressure to get people to support your cause, usually through a degree of coercion. "Get on the Band Wagon."
A Qualified Comparison using "as", "as if", or "like"; softer in its implications. "She is like a Dove."
1. Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men.
Song of Solomon 2:2,3
2. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
Isaiah 53:7
3. For all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.
1 Peter 1:24,25
4. Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
Deuteronomy 32:2
An Absolute Comparison with no qualifiers. "She is a Dove."
1. I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
Song of Solomon 2:1
2. Judah is a lion cub, you climb back, my son, from your kill.
Genesis 49:9 [JB]
3. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.
Exodus 15:2
4. He has built himself a spider's web, made himself a watchman's shack.
Job 27:18 [JB]
5. My Beloved is a sachet of myrrh lying between my breasts.
My Beloved is a cluster of henna flowers among the vines of Engedi
Song of Solomon 1:13-14 [JB]
A series of Tropes; a figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another; a parable.
1. "Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
Luke 6:46-49
2. "If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."
Matthew 18:12-14
3. "The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."
Matthew 13:45,46
Borrowing a word out of its element for use in a cause/effect relationship where the word enhances or augments its new surroundings. "Ruby Lips."
1. The Lord said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go."
Exodus 4:21
2. Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power.
Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.
Exodus 15:6
3. Now as they walked on, talking as they went, a chariot of fire appeared and horses of fire, coming between the two of them; and Elijah went up to heaven in the whirlwind. Elisha saw it, and shouted, "My father! My father! Chariot of Israel and its chargers!" Then he lost sight of him, and taking hold of his clothes he tore them in half.
2 Kings 2:11,12 [JB]
4. Their throats are yawning graves; they make their tongues so smooth!
Psalms 5:9b [JB]
Using the Whole for a Part, or the Part for a Whole. "Russia" for "U.S.S.R." "Americans" for residents of "U.S.A." exclusively.
1. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
Genesis 32:28
2. Hear, O Heavens! Listen, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows his master, the donkey his own manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand."
Isaiah 1:2,3
Using a Proper Name for a Common Name. "Frigidaire" means "Refrigerator." "Chyron," a specific manufacturer of character generators, means "Character Generator."
1. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.
1 Samuel 2:2
2. And he said to the man, "Wisdom? It is fear of the Lord. Understanding? --avoidance of evil."
Job 28:28 [JB]
3. "The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness."
Jeremiah 23:5,6
A Polite Wounding; an incongruity of speech in which the words express a meaning that is usually opposite of the intended meaning; can be unintentional.
1. You have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler.
The wicked foe pulls all of the up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food.
Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?
Habakkuk 1:14-17
2. "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words."
Matthew 6:7
3. ...After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.... [After they returned to Jerusalem and found him teaching in the Temple,] his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"
Luke 2:43,...48,49
A form of Irony that is deliberately intended to hurt or offend; always intentional.
1. Saul too went home to Gibeah and with him went the mighty men whose hearts God had touched. But there were some scoundrels who said, "How can this fellow save us?" They despised him, and offered him no present.
1 Samuel 10:26,27 [JB]
2. When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"
2 Samuel 6:20
3. As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
Proverbs 26:11
4. When Yahweh spoke through Hosea, Yahweh said this to him, "Go, marry a whore, and get children with a whore, for the country itself has become nothing but a whore by abandoning Yahweh."
Hosea 1:2 [JB]
5. "How can you say to your brother, `Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye?"
Luke 6:42a
An intentional exaggeration not intended to be taken literally; usually descriptive in nature.
1. "`You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself.'"
Exodus 19:4-6
2. "...Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. He brought us here and gave us this land, a land where milk and honey flow."
Deuteronomy 26:9 [JB]
3. The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand,...
Deuteronomy 28:49
4. "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it."
Joshua 1:8
5. "Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it."
2 Samuel 22:9
Related to Metaphor, but more direct; name-calling. "He's a dork." "What a doll."
1. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep."
John 10:14,15
2. He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
Proverbs 28:26
3. The angel of the Lord also said to her:
"You are now with child, and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers."
Genesis 16:11,12
4. "You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third or fourth generation of those who hate me."
Exodus 20:5
5. Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan ...
Amos 4:1a [JB]
The use of suggestive words for rhetorical effect, usually through the imitation of sounds. "Crack." "Tweet."
1. Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
Numbers 20:11
2. "The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry."
2 Samuel 22:8
3. "Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth."
2 Samuel 22:13
4 Yet Yahweh did not renounce the heat of his great anger which blazed out against Judah because of all the provocation Manasseh had offered him.
2 Kings 23:26 [JB]
5. Charge, horses! Crash on, Chariots!
Jeremiah 46:9 [JB]
Asking a question or series of questions in order to trap someone into a specific response or to make a point. A leading question.
1. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground."
Genesis 4:9,10
2. Then the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out." So the people rested on the seventh day.
Exodus 16:28-30
3. The Lord answered Moses, "Is the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."
Numbers 11:23
4. So Moses took the staff from the Lord's presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
Numbers 20:9-11
Use of humor to emphasize the differences between two ideas, or to evoke a confession.
1. Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?" Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, `Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes you did laugh."
Genesis 18:11-15
2. Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.
[Isaac means he laughs]
Genesis 21:1-3
3. "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words."
Matthew 6:7
A showing of strong or vehement passion.
1. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
John 2:13-17
2. The Israelites did what displeases Yahweh. They forgot Yahweh their God and served the Baals and Asherahs. The Yahweh's anger flamed out against Israel: he handed them over to Cushan-rishathaim the king of Edom, and the Israelites were enslaved by Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.
Judges 3:7,8 [JB]
3. Now as they walked on, talking as they went, a chariot of fire appeared and horses of fire, coming between the two of them; and Elijah went up to heaven in the whirlwind. Elisha saw it, and shouted, "My father! My father! Chariot of Israel and its chargers!" Then he lost sight of him, and taking hold of his clothes he tore them in half.
2 Kings 2:11,12 [JB]
4. I am in anguish! I writhe in pain! Walls of my heart! My heart is throbbing! I cannot keep quiet, ...
Jeremiah 4:19 [JB]
The art of creating doubt.
1. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:1-5
2. One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
Job 1:6-12
Giving human attributes to inanimate objects in a passive form. "That stupid bed."
1. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
2. "I will say to the north, `Give them up!' and to the south, `Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth--"
Isaiah 43:6
3. Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand towards heaven, and let darkness, darkness so thick that it can be felt, cover the land of Egypt."
Exodus 10:21 [JB]
4. So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,...
Joshua 10:13
Denial through pretending to conceal or omit what one really intends to declare. "We won't mention the fact that my opponent is a womanizing hedonist: it's not really germane to the discussion."
1. The Pharisees and Saducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, "When evening comes, you say, `It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, `Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.
Matthew 16:1-4
Appealing to the audience for documentation or approval.
1. "`You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'"
Exodus 19:4-6
2. Though you, Israel, play the whore, there is no need for Judah to sin too.
Hosea 4:15a [JB]
3. "I brought you up out of Egypt, and I led you forty years in the desert to give you the land of the Amorites. I also raised up prophets from among your sons, and Nazarites from among your young men. Is this not true, people of Israel?" declares the Lord.
Amos 2:10,11
Inversion; holding the point to the end to increase the listener's expectations or to thwart a hostile audience.
1. He said, "Go and tell this people:
"`Be ever hearing, but never understanding, be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
Isaiah 6:9,10
2. Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.
Mark 12:13-17
A show of strong emotion in order to infuse energy or passion into our discourse.
1. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
Psalm 22:16-18
2. "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."
Malachi 4:5,6
3. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
John 2:13-17
Enumerate our opponent's objections in our discourse, then answer them in order to emasculate them.
1. Listen to this, you who trample on the needy and try to suppress the poor of the country,
you who say,
"When will New Moon be over so that we can sell our corn, and sabbath, so that we can market our wheat? -- Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel, by swindling and tampering with the scales, we can buy up the poor for money, and the needy for a pair of sandals, and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat."
Yahweh swears it by the pride of Jacob, "Never will I forget a single thing you have done."
Amos 8:4-7 [JB]
2. "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
"`We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."
Matthew 11:16-19
Graceful repetition; either a word or phrase alone, or a word at the beginning of a series of phrases. Beatitudes.
1. Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 150:1-6
2. Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
Luke 6:20-22
The deliberate interruption of our current train of thought for a specific effect.
1. "Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the hills of Kedam, `Come, curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel'. How shall I curse one when God does not curse? How shall I denounce when God does not denounce? Yes, from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I observe him. See, a people dwelling apart, not reckoned among the nations. Who can count the dust of Jabob? Who can number the cloud of Israel? May I die the death of the just! May my end be one of theirs!"
Numbers 22:7-10 [JB]
2. Then I looked up--and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, "Where are you going?" He answered me, "To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is." The angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him and said to him: "Run, tell that young man: `Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the Lord, `and I will be its glory within.'" "Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north," declares the Lord, "for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven," declares the Lord.
Zechariah 2:1-6
Double-talk. Use of pedantic or excessive language in order to dodge an issue or question. Common in politics.
1. Ben-hadad then sent him the following message, "May the gods do this to me and more of there are enough handfuls of rubble in Samaria for all the people in my following." But the king of Israel returned this answer, "The proverb says: The man who puts on his armor is not the one who can boast, but the man who takes it off."
1 Kings 20:10,11 [JB]
2. While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." But the Pharasees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons."
Matthew 9:32-34
Granting or yielding a point in order to win one.
1. He said, "Go and tell this people:
"`Be ever hearing, but never understanding, be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
Isaiah 6:9,10
Omitting conjunctions, such as "and", "but", "however".
1. "You shall not kill. "You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not steal. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
Exodus 20:6-9 [JB]
2. Yahweh passed before him and proclaimed, "Yahweh, Yahweh, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness; for thousands he maintains his kindness, forgives faults, transgression, sin; yet he lets nothing go unchecked, punishing the father's fault in the sons and in the grandsons to the third and fourth generation."
Exodus 34:6,7 [JB]
3. "The following, which either chew the cud or have a cloven hoof, are the ones that you may not eat: the camel must be held unclean, because though it is a ruminant, it has not a cloven hoof; the hyrax must be held unclean, because though it is a ruminant, it has not a cloven hoof; the hare must be held unclean, because though it is a ruminant, it has not a cloven hoof; the pig must be held unclean, because though it has a cloven hoof, divided into two parts, it is not a ruminant."
Leviticus 11:4-7 [JB]
4. "Listen, Israel: Yahweh or God is the one Yahweh. You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength."
Deuteronomy 6:4,5 [JB]
Deliberate use of conjunctions.
1. The Lord said to Moses, "If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do--"
Leviticus 6:1-3
2. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psalms 1:1,2
Two juxtaposed concepts which apparently contradict each other, used to lend force to an expression.
1. Death and life are in the gift of the tongue, those who indulge it must eat the fruit it yields.
Proverbs 18:21 [JB]
2. Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
John 9:39
3. "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."
Revelation 22:12,13
The juxtaposition of opposites used to mutually set off or enhance each other.
1. Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."
John 9:39-41
2. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Building to a key point.
1. "My father was a wandering Aramaean. He went down into Egypt to find refuge there, few in numbers; but there he became a nation, great, mighty, and strong. The Egyptians ill-treated us, they gave us no peace and inflicted harsh slavery on us. But we called on Yahweh the God of our fathers. Yahweh heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. He brought us here and gave us this land, a land where milk and honey flow."
Deuteronomy 26:5-9 [JB]
2. Then he was told, "Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh." Then Yahweh himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before Yahweh. But Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But Yahweh was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak....
1 Kings 19:11,12 [JB]
Language that moves very rapidly; using as few words as possible to make a point.
1. "My father was a wandering Aramaean. He went down into Egypt to find refuge there, few in numbers; but there he became a nation, great, mighty, and strong. The Egyptians ill-treated us, they gave us no peace and inflicted harsh slavery on us. But we called on Yahweh the God of our fathers. Yahweh heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. He brought us here and gave us this land, a land where milk and honey flow."
Deuteronomy 26:5-9 [JB]
2. Then he was told, "Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh." Then Yahweh himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before Yahweh. But Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But Yahweh was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak....
1 Kings 19:11,12 [JB]
3. "But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love."
Nehemiah 9:17
Giving human attributes to inanimate objects in an active form. "The bed said, 'You stupid human.'"
1. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground."
Genesis 4:9,10
2. Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him.... When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road.... Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" "No," he said.
Numbers 22:22-30
3. Night, they say, makes room for day, and light is near at hand to chase the darkness.
Job 17:12 [JB]
Repetition of consonants.
1. But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
Ruth 1:16,17
2. ...a soft tongue breaks bones.
Proverbs 25:15b [JB]
The Epic Statement; a word or phrase that is intended to be remembered; a slogan or trademark. Usually used at the end of a discourse.
1. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
2. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Genesis 1:3
3. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:1-6
A pleasant-sounding title, usually used to describe an unpleasant task or object. "Sanitation Engineer" for "Garbage Collector". Tool of the Politically Correct.
1. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel; his origin goes back to the distant past, to the days of old.
Micah 5:1 [JB]
2. "Yahweh Sabaoth says this. I am coming back to Zion and shall dwell in the middle of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the Faithful City and the mountain of Yahweh Sabaoth, the Holy Mountain.
Zechariah 8:3 [JB]
3. "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright Morning Star."
Revelation 22:16
Describing in loud or harsh terms, or the use of loud sounds or language.
1. When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.
Joshua 6:20
2. I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
Revelation 6:12-14
3. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
Revelation 8:5
Giving people or items a title. "The Right Honorable Mr. Quinton Smythe Jones". "Quinton Jones, Esq." for an attorney.
1. Yahweh passed before him and proclaimed, "Yahweh, Yahweh, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness; for thousands he maintains his kindness, forgives faults, transgression, sin; yet he lets nothing go unchecked, punishing the father's fault in the sons and in the grandsons to the third and fourth generation."
Exodus 34:6,7 [JB]
2. "I see him -- but not in the present, I behold him -- but not close at hand: a star from Jacob takes the leadership, a scepter arises from Israel."
Numbers 24:17 [JB]
3. I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
Deuteronomy 32:3,4
4. He then sent a captain of fifty soldiers with his contingent to Elijah, whom they found sitting on top of the hill; the captain went up to him and said, "Man of God, the king says, `Come Down.'"
2 Kings 1:9 [JB]
Self-suggestion (or self-motivation) that originates from within; usually self-revelatory.
1. I lift my hand to heaven and declare: As surely as I live forever, when I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me.
Deuteronomy 32:40,41
2. But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
Ruth 1:16,17
Associate a cause, project, or product with a prestigious source, implying that consumption will impart qualities of the endorser on the consumer. Usually used with Transfer (below).
1. The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: `Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.'"
Leviticus 19:1,2
2. The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Luke 3:15-17
3. When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 8:12
Self-suggestion that originates from without.
1. Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised-- look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew -- a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.
Judges 6:36-40
2. "Now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense."
2 Chronicles 29:10,11
3. "You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Matthew 5:48 [JB]
4. "Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
Mark 3:35
Directly suggesting an action. "You must do such-and-such."
1. The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you."
Genesis 12:1
2. Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an alter there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau."
Genesis 35:1
3. "Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering."
Leviticus 2:6
4. "`Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.'"
Leviticus 18:22
5. Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
1 Chronicles 16:23,24
Suggesting an action by delineating a path and letting the subject arrive at the target suggestion through his or her own interest.
1. But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."
Exodus 3:11,12
2. "Then say to him, `The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you have not listened. This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. The fish of the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.'"
Exodus 7:16-18
3. See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse -- the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28
Suggesting a negative attitude by example.
1. "Wherever you live, you must not eat blood, whether it be of bird or of beast. Anyone who eats blood, whoever he may be, shall be outlawed from his people."
Leviticus 7:26,27 [JB]
2. "If you set yourselves against me and will not listen to me, I will heap these plagues on you in sevenfold punishment for your sins. I will let wild beasts loose against you to make away with your children, destroy your cattle, and reduce you in number until your roads are deserted."
Leviticus 26:21,22 [JB]
3. Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.
1 Chronicles 10:13,14
4. You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors.
Psalms 5:4-6
Putting something in a positive light, usually through praise or flattery.
1. "`You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'"
Exodus 19:4-6
2. I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
Psalms 40:1-4
3. The upright man is law-abiding and honest; he does not eat on the mountains or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not seduce his neighbor's wife or sleep with a woman during her periods. He oppresses no one, returns pledges, never steals, gives his own bread to the hungry, his clothes to the naked. He never charges usury on loans, takes no interest, abstains from evil, gives honest judgement between man and man, keep my laws and sincerely respects my observances -- such a man is truly upright.
Ezekiel 18:5-9 [JB]
Countering an opponent's suggestion, usually before it is made.
1. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
Deuteronomy 30:17,18
2. When all Israel saw that the king took no notice of their wishes, they gave him the answer:
"What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Henceforth look after your own house, David!"
1 Kings 12:16 [JB]
3. But when he saw many of the Pharasees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, [John] said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think to say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 3:7-10
Develop an atmosphere or mood complimentary to the message.
1. Then he was told, "Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh." Then Yahweh himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before Yahweh. But Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But Yahweh was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak....
1 Kings 19:11,12 [JB]
2. Now as they walked on, talking as they went, a chariot of fire appeared and horses of fire, coming between the two of them; and Elijah went up to heaven in the whirlwind. Elisha saw it, and shouted, "My father! My father! Chariot of Israel and its chargers!" Then he lost sight of him, and taking hold of his clothes he tore them in half.
2 Kings 2:11,12 [JB]
3. Set me like a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm. For Love is strong as Death, jealousy relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire, a flame of Yahweh himself. Love no flood can quench, no torrents drown.
Song of Solomon 8:6,7a [JB]
Fostering Unity; appealing to the harmonious whole, or as a harmonious whole. "We're in this together."
1. The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: `Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.'"
Leviticus 19:1,2
2. But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
Ruth 1:16,17
3. "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."
Matthew 12:30
4. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
Romans 14:13
Appealing to those individual aspects we all share. "What do we have in common?"
1. "Listen, Israel: Yahweh or God is the one Yahweh. You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength."
Deuteronomy 6:4,5 [JB]
2. "My father was a wandering Aramaean. He went down into Egypt to find refuge there, few in numbers; but there he became a nation, great, mighty, and strong. The Egyptians ill-treated us, they gave us no peace and inflicted harsh slavery on us. But we called on Yahweh the God of our fathers. Yahweh heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. He brought us here and gave us this land, a land where milk and honey flow."
Deuteronomy 26:5-9 [JB]
3. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:14-16
A neutral term: an emotional form of proof that we reason to explain an event, or warrant a position; to invent plausible explanations for (acts, opinions, etc.) that actually have other causes.
1. Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised-- look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew -- a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.
Judges 6:36-40
2. He says to the snow, "Fall on the earth," and to the rain shower, "Be a mighty downpour." So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor. ...
He brings his clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show his love.
Job 37:6,7,...13
Repeat an idea for effect. "Tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em, tell 'em, then tell 'em you told 'em."
1. "`I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be Holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature and moves about on the ground. I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore, be holy, because I am holy.'"
Leviticus 11:44,45
2. Woe to those who plot evil, who lie in bed planning mischief!
Micah 2:1a [JB]
Blaming others for unreconcilable problems in which they had no involvement, usually to escape one's own fault.
1. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" The man said, "The woman you put here with me -- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Genesis 3:8-13
2. Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats - one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.
Leviticus 16:7-10
To tell a lie in such a way that it sounds like truth: the bigger the lie, the more credibility it exudes. "I feel your pain", "The Worst Economy of the last 50 years". OR To tell the truth in such a way that it sounds like a lie.
1. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:1-5
2. Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
"`He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus answered him, "It is also written: `Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Matthew 4:5-7
3. So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."
Exodus 32:3,4
Using terror or fear to elicit a response or an action. "They want to take away your medicare."
1. "If you set yourselves against me and will not listen to me, I will heap these plagues on you in sevenfold punishment for your sins. I will let wild beasts loose against you to make away with your children, destroy your cattle, and reduce you in number until your roads are deserted."
Leviticus 26:21,22 [JB]
2. "That day -- it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks -- I will make the sun go down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight. I am going to turn your feasts into funerals, and your singing into lamentation; I will have your loins all in sackcloth, your heads all shaved. I will make it a mourning like the mourning for an only son, as long as it lasts it will be like a day of bitterness.
"See what days are coming -- it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks -- days when I will bring famine on the country, a famine not of bread, a drought not of water, but of hearing the word of Yahweh. They will stagger from sea to sea, wander from north to east, seeking the word of Yahweh, and failing to find it."
Amos 8:9-12 [JB]
The concept that, by using a product (or adopting a position) endorsed by a desirable spokesman, some of the qualities of the spokesman - ostensibly gained by him through use of the same product - will transfer to us. Usually used with Prestige (see above).
1. He [the Lord] defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.
Deuteronomy 10:18,19
2. The Lord is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalms 27:1
3. Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brother are outside looking for you." "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
Mark 3:31-35
Appeal to the basic elements of a population.
1. "My father was a wandering Aramaean. He went down into Egypt to find refuge there, few in numbers; but there he became a nation, great, mighty, and strong. The Egyptians ill-treated us, they gave us no peace and inflicted harsh slavery on us. But we called on Yahweh the God of our fathers. Yahweh heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. He brought us here and gave us this land, a land where milk and honey flow."
Deuteronomy 26:5-9 [JB]
Using the testimony of an endorser (either celebrity or average Joe) to promote a product; usually outcome-based (what the product did for him).
1. "`You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'"
Exodus 19:4-6
2. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ?, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
Mark 14:61b,62
3. The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Luke 3:15-17
Conscientious attempt through excitement or pressure to get people to support your cause, usually through a degree of coercion. "Get on the Band Wagon."
1. "Whereas the king should be informed that the Jews, who have come up from your country of Jerusalem, and now rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city; they are working to restore the walls, and the foundations are already laid, and whereas the king should be informed that if this city is rebuilt and the walls are restored, they will refuse to pay tribute, customs or tolls, and that in short this city will damage the authority of the kings,..."
Ezra 4:12,13 [JB]
2. "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."
Malachi 4:4-6
3. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30
A r t | C a r e e r | M a s t e r s W o r k | M u s i c | R e l i g i o n
K u b r i c k | A c a d e m i c F r e e d o m | S c r i p t u r a l P e r s u a s i o n
