Latest revision as of 18:02, 5 October 2014

Synonymous Parallelism

Synonymous Parallelism

This form consists of two lines of text: the idea or subject of the first line is either repeated directly or echoed (in what is termed a "synonymous repetition") in the second line. An example appears in 2 Nephi 9:52:

:pray unto him continually by day,  :and give thanks unto his holy name by night

In this example the verb pray in line 1 is a synonymous counterpart to give thanks in line 2, and the phrase by day corresponds to by night. A third parallel is the correspondence between the pronoun him and his holy name, both referring to God.

A second example of synonymous parallelism is found in 2 Nephi 25:2:

 :their works were works of darkness,  :and their doings were doings of abominations

Note the parallels between these two lines: the possessive pronoun their and the verb were are repeated, and the phrase works of darkness is a synonymous expression for doings of abominations.

Speaking of those who deny the works of God, the writer of 3 Nephi 29:5 crafted a synonymous parallelism by restating wo unto him and by pairing that spurneth with that shall deny, Lord with Christ, and doings with works.

 :Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord;

 :yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works!^[1]

Notes

1. ↑ Donald W. Parry, "Hebraisms and Other Ancient Peculiarities in the Book of Mormon," in Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon, edited by Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, and John W. Welch (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 2002), [:http://publications.maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1082&index=7 Chapter 7], references silently removed—consult original for citations.