Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
playing off
English answer:
implicitly contrasting this meaning of the expression with its usual sense (to underline the point)
Added to glossary by
Ana Juliá
Mar 2, 2016 12:49
8 yrs ago
English term
playing off
English
Art/Literary
Religion
About the book of Proverbs
Proverbs 11:30: The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.
The Hebrew phrase translated whoever captures souls is used elsewhere in places where the sense is “to take life” or “to kill” (e.g., 1 Sam. 24:11; 1 Kings 19:10, 14; Jonah 4:3). However, this proverb appears to be purposely ***playing off*** the usual sense of the phrase to focus on the effect of the fruit of the righteous. The life of the righteous leads not only to blessing for themselves but also provides fruit that “captures souls” in the sense of leading people out of the path that ends in death. For similar declarations, cf. Dan. 12:3, equating “those who are wise” to “those who turn many to righteousness”; see also James 5:20, where the one “who brings back a sinner
from his wandering” will “save his soul from death.”
The Hebrew phrase translated whoever captures souls is used elsewhere in places where the sense is “to take life” or “to kill” (e.g., 1 Sam. 24:11; 1 Kings 19:10, 14; Jonah 4:3). However, this proverb appears to be purposely ***playing off*** the usual sense of the phrase to focus on the effect of the fruit of the righteous. The life of the righteous leads not only to blessing for themselves but also provides fruit that “captures souls” in the sense of leading people out of the path that ends in death. For similar declarations, cf. Dan. 12:3, equating “those who are wise” to “those who turn many to righteousness”; see also James 5:20, where the one “who brings back a sinner
from his wandering” will “save his soul from death.”
Responses
+5
22 mins
Selected
implicitly contrasting this meaning of the expression with its usual sense (to underline the point)
This verb, I think, is being used in a somewhat intuitive way, and I see two ideas implicit in it.
First, in terms of its dictionary definition, the sense of "set in opposition" is present. If you play two things off against each other, you set them in opposition to each other, you contrast them. This is relevant, because the way the Hebrew expression is being used here, "capturing souls", diverges widely from killing and there is a contrast there that the reader is expected to notice.
That contrast, because the expression is being used in an unusual sense, will tend to underline the point being made in the verse, and is intended to do so. The reader is expected to have both meanings in his/her mind and be conscious of how they are being "played off".
At the same time, there is a kind of wordplay in this, because an expression which normally means one thing is being used in a different sense, and I think the word "play" in the verb probably carries a suggestion of verbal play: playing on meanings.
First, in terms of its dictionary definition, the sense of "set in opposition" is present. If you play two things off against each other, you set them in opposition to each other, you contrast them. This is relevant, because the way the Hebrew expression is being used here, "capturing souls", diverges widely from killing and there is a contrast there that the reader is expected to notice.
That contrast, because the expression is being used in an unusual sense, will tend to underline the point being made in the verse, and is intended to do so. The reader is expected to have both meanings in his/her mind and be conscious of how they are being "played off".
At the same time, there is a kind of wordplay in this, because an expression which normally means one thing is being used in a different sense, and I think the word "play" in the verb probably carries a suggestion of verbal play: playing on meanings.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
philgoddard
: This is a charitable interpretation. The uncharitable one is that this person can't write, and only they know what they're talking about :-)
16 mins
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This particular bit is not well expressed, though the rest of the passage seems all right to me. I think something like what I've outlined was probably in the writer's mind, given that he/she has just explained the usual meaning of the phrase.
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| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
: yes, contrasting and playing with the meaning(s) of the word "capture". I don't really see why Phil has a problem with this?
39 mins
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Many thanks! I do think the writer could have made it clearer.
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| agree |
Robert Forstag
48 mins
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Thanks, Robert :)
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| agree |
Tushar Deep
6 hrs
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Thanks, Tushar :)
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| agree |
acetran
4 days
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Thanks, acetran :)
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| agree |
Harry Crawford
5 days
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Thanks, Harry :)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you!"
Discussion
Maybe you're right that it simply means "depart from". That was in fact my own first thought. I rejected it, because I don't think this writer is bad enough to use such an utterly inappropriate verb to make such a simple point that is already implicit in what he/she has said. My reading, which implies an imprecise use of "play off" in its usual sense but a degree of sophistication perfectly compatible, in my view, with what I read here, is more convincing to me, because apart from this verb the writing here is perfectly all right and not remotely difficult to understand. But if you don't agree, I shan't be offended :)
In my opinion, all we can do is make guesses here. This author has an odd style that's difficult to understand. It's not "wordplay" in my opinion, it's bad writing.
There's another interpretation, which I think is simpler and perhaps more likely than yours: "play off" means "depart from".