Litotes in the Bible:

Litotes is a rhetorical device of understatement used in some languages 
in which a positive statement is intended by stating the opposite of 
its negative, for example, saying "not many" for the meaning "a few".

English speakers use litotes quite often, for example,

"That's not bad."
"It's nothing to sneeze at."
"What you did is no small accomplishment."
"It was not an inconsiderable sum of money."
"What you've asked is not an unreasonable question."
"He's no dummy!"

Even in a language, such as English, where litotes is part of the inventory of 
permitted rhetorical devices, some examples of litotes can be difficult to 
process, especially if the syntax of a sentence is complex or double negatives 
present some understandability problems for many speakers.

Because of such processing difficulties, field testing demonstrates that some 
examples of litotes (e.g Eccl. 7:17; Matt. 2:6) are not understood well, if at 
all, by average, fluent speakers of English.

In the following examples of litotes in the Bible, the literal rendering of the 
litotes is given first, then a translation which removes the litotes. Please 
note that by giving a wording with the litotes removed, we are not suggesting 
that preserving litotes is necessarily inferior translation, especially for a 
language such as English which uses litotes. But some variant of the natural 
meaning should be used in translation for other languages which do not have 
litotes as one of their rhetorical devices.

Eccl. 7:17 don't be too wicked = don't be wicked at all
Is. 55:11 my word ... it shall not return unto me void = my word ... will 
accomplish something important
Jer 30:19 "I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will 
make them honoured, and they shall not be small (RSV) = ... they shall be 
very many ... and they shall be very great
Jer. 23:32 they do not profit this people at all = they lead these 
people astray
Matt. 2:6 you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah = you 
are very important among the towns of Judea (CEV)
Matt. 10:29 not one of them will fall to the ground without your 
Father's will (RSV) = your Father knows when any one of them falls to 
the ground (CEV)
Matt. 10:38 he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me 
(RSV) = he who takes up his cross and follows me will be my disciple
Mark 4:22 For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest (RSV) = 
Whatever is hidden away will be brought out into the open (TEV)
Mark 4:34 he did not speak to them without a parable (RSV) = he spoke 
to them only with parables
Mark 6:4 A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and 
among his own kin, and in his own house = A prophet is honored 
everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his 
own family (NLT)
Mark 9:41 will by no means lose his reward (RSV) = will certainly 
receive a reward (TEV)
Mark 12:34 You are not far from the kingdom of God (NRSV) = You are 
close to the kingdom of God (NCV)
Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God (NLT) = God can do anything (NCV)
Luke 18:29-30 there is no man who has left house or wife or brothers or 
parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive 
manifold more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life (RSV) = 
anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the 
sake of the Kingdom of God will receive much more in this present age and 
eternal life in the age to come (TEV)
John 1:3 without him was not any thing made that was made = everything was 
made by him
Acts 1:5 not many days from now = a few days from now
Acts 14:28 And they remained no little time with the disciples (RSV) = 
And they stayed a long time there with the believers (TEV)
Acts 15:2 Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them (RSV) = Paul and Barnabas had a fierce dispute with these men (GW)
Acts 19:23 there arose no little stir concerning the Way (RSV) = serious 
trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way (NLT)
Acts 20.12 and were not a little comforted (NRSV) = and were 
greatly comforted (TEV)
Acts 21:39 no ordinary city = an important city (NLT)
Acts 26:19 I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision (NRSV) = I obeyed 
this vision from heaven (CEV)
Acts 27:3 
Acts 27:20 no small tempest raged (NRSV) = the storm was very bad (NCV)
Rom. 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel (RSV) = I am proud of the good news 
(CEV)
Rom. 4:19 he did not weaken in faith = he kept on believing
1 Cor. 1:26 not many of you were wise = few of you were wise (TEV, NLT)
1 Cor. 9:21 not being without law toward God (RSV) = still obeying God's law
1 Cor. 15:10 his grace toward me was not in vain = his grace toward me 
was effective
2 Cor. 1:8 we do not want you to be ignorant (RSV) = we want to remind you (TEV)
2 Cor. 11:5 I think that I am not in the least inferior to these superlative 
apostles (RSV) = I think I am as good as any of those super apostles (CEV)
Eph. 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you (RSV) = I always give thanks 
for you
Heb. 2:11 he is not ashamed to call them brethren (RSV) = he is glad to call 
them brethren
Heb. 6:10 God is not unjust to forget your work ... = God's character 
guarantees he will remember your work ...
Heb. 9:7 high priest goes ... not without taking the blood (NRSV) = (the high 
priest) takes with him blood (TEV)
Rev. 2:11 He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death (RSV) = he 
who overcomes will be totally spared the second death
Rev. 3:5 I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life = I will treat his 
name very specially in the Book of Life

Compiled by Wayne Leman, July 30, 2001