Ellipsis — Absolute
Absolute Omission
Absolute Ellipsis is the first of Bullinger’s three principal categories. Here the missing word is to be supplied from the nature of the subject alone — no contextual cue is needed. Bullinger subdivides the figure by the part of speech that is missing: nouns/pronouns, verbs/participles, connected words in the same member of a passage, or a whole clause.
For the general workings of Ellipsis see the overview at Ellipsis (parent).
I. Nouns and Pronouns (pp. 4-25)
1. Nominative omitted (pp. 4-17)
- Gen. 14:19-20 — “And he [Abram] gave him tithes of all”. The subject of “gave” is omitted in the Hebrew; the context plus Heb. 7:4 makes clear it was Abram (not Melchizedek) who gave the tithes.
- Gen. 39:6 — “And he [Potiphar] left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat”. The omitted nominative in v. 6b is Potiphar — Egyptians might not eat bread with Hebrews (43:32), so food fell outside Joseph’s stewardship.
- 2 Sam. 3:7 — “And [Ish-bosheth] said to Abner”. The supplied name is clear from v. 8 and 2 Sam. 21:8.
- 2 Sam. 24:1 — “And he [the Adversary] moved David against them”. The supplied nominative is Satan; clear from 1 Chr. 21:1.
- Ps. 34:17 — “[The righteous] cry, and the Lord heareth”. The nominative is omitted so that our attention is not on the persons but on the cry and the Lord’s gracious answer.
- Matt. 16:22 — “[God be] merciful to thee, Lord!” The Greek
Ἵλεώς σοι, κύριεis literally untranslatable without the nominative-ellipsis “God”. - 1 Cor. 15:25 — “For he [the Son] must reign, till he [the Son] hath put all enemies under his [the Son’s] feet”. Three nominatives omitted — all referring to the Son.
2. Accusative omitted (p. 18)
- 2 Sam. 23:20 — “He slew two [sons of] Ariel of Moab”. The Massorah indicates that “Ariel” is here a proper name, with the accusative “sons” omitted.
3. Pronoun omitted (p. 20)
Bullinger gives many examples in which the pronoun (subject or object) is omitted to direct attention to the verb or other words.
4. Other connected words (p. 25)
- 1 Cor. 15:53 — “For this corruptible [body] must put on incorruption, and this mortal [body] must put on immortality”. The noun “body” is omitted twice.
II. Verbs and Participles (pp. 26-46)
1. Finite verb omitted (p. 26)
Bullinger highlights especially the verb “to say” (p. 27ish) as commonly omitted.
2. Infinitive omitted (p. 32)
Three sub-types: after לכֹיָ (yahkol, “to be able”) in Hebrew (p. 35), after the verb “to finish” (p. 36), after another verb (p. 36).
3. Substantive verb omitted (p. 37)
The verb “to be” is frequently omitted in Hebrew — a fundamental feature of Hebrew syntax that translations often supply with italics.
4. Participle omitted (p. 46)
III. Connected words in the same member of a passage (p. 47)
When a combination of words forms a single member of a passage and one word — only supplyable from that member — is omitted.
IV. A whole clause (pp. 48-55)
1. Former part omitted (p. 48)
2. Latter part or Apodosis (Anantapodoton, p. 53)
In a conditional sentence the “then-clause” (apodosis) is sometimes omitted — the conditional “if-clause” stands without explicit consequence. The reader must complete the conclusion.
3. A comparison omitted (p. 55)
Related Figures
- ellipsis — parent overview
- relative — sister category B
- repetition — sister category C
- aposiopesis — related figure where not a word but an entire line of thought is cut off
- zeugma — related figure where one verb does not properly fit both objects
Source
E.W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible (1898), pp. 4-55.