Epizeuxis
Immediate repetition
Epizeuxis is the immediate repetition of the same word or phrase, without any intervening word, to convey intense emphasis. The repetition signals that ordinary language is insufficient for the weight of what is being said.
Etymology
From the Greek ἐπίζευξις (epizeuxis): epi (upon) + zeuxis (yoking, from zeugnumi = to yoke together). Also known as geminatio (Latin: doubling) or iteratio (repetition). Bullinger identifies the variant Diacope when one or more words intervene between the repeated terms.
Definition
In Epizeuxis the repeated word stands immediately beside itself, with no intervening element. This distinguishes it from related repetition-figures where the repeated word is distributed across clauses or verses. The effect is an emotional deepening or solemn intensification — ordinary register is left behind.
Biblical Examples
The trice-holy cry — heavenly worship:
- Isa. 6:3 — “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts”
- Rev. 4:8 — “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty”
The calling of personal names — divine and human intensity:
- Matt. 27:46 — “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” (My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?)
- Ps. 22:1 — “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
- Luke 10:41 — “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things”
- Luke 22:31 — “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat”
- Gen. 22:11 — “Abraham, Abraham!”
- Ex. 3:4 — “Moses, Moses!”
Prophetic judgment:
- Jer. 7:4 — “The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these”
- Ezek. 21:27 — “Overthrown, overthrown, overthrown, will I make it”
Psalms — personal lamentation:
- Ps. 96:1-2 — “O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD”
Related Stylistic Figures
- polysyndeton — addition of conjunctions as a different emphasis device
- asyndeton — omission of conjunctions in enumeration
Source
E.W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible (1898), pp. 189-202.