2492: Merism Oct 8, 2021

As a literary device, referring to a while by mentioning the two ends of the spectrum—such as "searching high and low" as opposed to "searching everywhere"—is known as 'merism', from the Greek μερισμός (merismos) meaning 'partitioning'. In that case, it is understood one is not only searching high and also low, but in between too. This can paint a more vivid image, and add emphasis, and so is used as a poetic description often, though of course not always. The opening line of the Bible contains

את השמים ואת הארץ (es hashamayim ve-es ha'arets) "the sky [or 'heavens'] and the earth", but from Shema (Deuteronomy 6) ובשכבך ובקומך (u'vshachbcho u'vkumecho) "(and) in your lying down and in your getting up" in both a merism but also literal, describing the relative time of day.