Exploring The X Factor
Caving, also known as spelunking in the United States, is the recreational sport of underground cave exploration. Our journey today is a lot like spelunking. We’re going to descend into one of the literary structures found in Scripture known chiasmus or chiasm. These words derive from the Greek verb meaning “to mark with two lines crossing like an ‘X.’” (X is pronounced “chi.” It’s the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.)
Searching for Buried Treasure
Flashlight ready? As readers, we’re accustomed to reading Scripture as if it were written in modern times. Bible publishers such as Zondervan (NIV Kindle) use conventional devices like punctuation, paragraphs, chapters, subheadings, and enumeration to establish the boundaries of a thought unit. However, in ancient culture things like words, sentences, paragraphs, and episodes were not separated but instead, ran together. For the ancient author, a literary device like a chiasmus framed the writing and signaled the beginning and end of each thought unit. Here’s a simple example from Matt 7:6.
A Do not give what is holy to dogs,
_____B and do not throw your pearls before swine,
_____B’ lest they trample them under their feet,
A’ and turn and tear you to pieces.
In this example, the statements A and B are reflected like a reversed mirror image in the statements B’ and A.’ Identifying the chiastic structure helps us to make better sense of this verse. It seems logical that dogs (A) tear to pieces (A’), while the swine (B) trample underfoot (B').
X Marks the Spot
William Ramey, the author of Chiasmus Studies says, “A fundamental principle when dealing with chiasmus is not to think linear, but concentric.” We’re accustomed to outlining a passage that progresses from I, II, III, A, B, C etc. However, we rarely stop to ask if this form of Western outlining actually does justice to a passage, chapter, or book which was written in a very different language and over two millennia ago.
Fundamentally, chiasmus involves two elements: inversion and balance which produce a third climactic centrality (X). Strictly speaking, Matt 7:6 (above) represents an inverted parallelism rather than a chiasmus. The key element that distinguishes the chiastic structure lies in its focus on a pivotal central theme (X). The author uses other statements in the literary unit (A B A’ B’) to flank and develop X through comparison and/or contrast. A classic example of a true chiasm is found in
1 John 3:9.
A whoever is born of God
______B does not sin
____________X for his seed remains in him
_______B’ and he cannot sin
A’ because he has been born of God
“KIYE-az-uhm” in The Flood Story
There are numerous chiastic patterns in Scripture—both in poetry and prose, Hebrew and Greek. One of the most impressive is the chiastic structure found in the Genesis 6-9. Here the author uses repetition to make his central point (X) more clearly. Despite the world devolving into horrendous evil so wicked that His only recourse is destruction, "God remembers Noah." The seed of the woman (Gen 3:15) will not be completely annihilated, an event that would render God’s promise of a Savior completely void.
A Noah (6:10a)
__B Shem, Ham, and Japheth (10b)
___C Ark to be built (14-16)
____D Flood announced (17)
_____E Covenant with Noah (18-20)
______F Food in the ark (21)
_______G Command to enter the ark (7:1-3)
________H 7 days waiting for flood (4-5)
_________I 7 days waiting for flood (7-10)
__________J Entry to ark (11-15)
___________K YHWH shuts Noah in (16)
____________L 40 days flood (17a)
_____________M Waters increase (17b-18)
______________N Mountains covered (19-20)
_______________O 150 days water prevail (21-24)
________________P GOD REMEMBERS NOAH (8:1)
_______________O’ 150 days waters abate (3)
______________N’ Mountain tops visible (4-5)
_____________M’ Waters abate (5)
____________L’ 40 days (end of) (6a)
___________K’ Noah opens window of ark (6b)
__________J’ Raven and dove leave ark (7-9)
_________I’ 7 days waiting for waters to subside (10-11)
________H’ 7 days waiting for waters to subside (12-13)
_______G’ Command to leave ark (15-17 [22])
______F’ Food outside ark (9:1-4)
_____E’ Covenant with all flesh (8-10)
____D’ No flood in the future (11-17)
___C’ Ark (18a)
__B’ Shem, Ham and Japheth (18b)
A’ Noah (19)
I’m indebted to Chiasmus Studies and examiner.com for this information.
More Chiasms For Avid Bible Spelunkers
• The Lord’s Covenant With Abraham (Gen 17:1-25)
• Beloved Son Hated Brother (Gen 37:1-11)
• Paul and the Book of Romans
Caving, also known as spelunking in the United States, is the recreational sport of underground cave exploration. Our journey today is a lot like spelunking. We’re going to descend into one of the literary structures found in Scripture known chiasmus or chiasm. These words derive from the Greek verb meaning “to mark with two lines crossing like an ‘X.’” (X is pronounced “chi.” It’s the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.)
Searching for Buried Treasure
Flashlight ready? As readers, we’re accustomed to reading Scripture as if it were written in modern times. Bible publishers such as Zondervan (NIV Kindle) use conventional devices like punctuation, paragraphs, chapters, subheadings, and enumeration to establish the boundaries of a thought unit. However, in ancient culture things like words, sentences, paragraphs, and episodes were not separated but instead, ran together. For the ancient author, a literary device like a chiasmus framed the writing and signaled the beginning and end of each thought unit. Here’s a simple example from Matt 7:6.
A Do not give what is holy to dogs,
_____B and do not throw your pearls before swine,
_____B’ lest they trample them under their feet,
A’ and turn and tear you to pieces.
In this example, the statements A and B are reflected like a reversed mirror image in the statements B’ and A.’ Identifying the chiastic structure helps us to make better sense of this verse. It seems logical that dogs (A) tear to pieces (A’), while the swine (B) trample underfoot (B').
X Marks the Spot
William Ramey, the author of Chiasmus Studies says, “A fundamental principle when dealing with chiasmus is not to think linear, but concentric.” We’re accustomed to outlining a passage that progresses from I, II, III, A, B, C etc. However, we rarely stop to ask if this form of Western outlining actually does justice to a passage, chapter, or book which was written in a very different language and over two millennia ago.Fundamentally, chiasmus involves two elements: inversion and balance which produce a third climactic centrality (X). Strictly speaking, Matt 7:6 (above) represents an inverted parallelism rather than a chiasmus. The key element that distinguishes the chiastic structure lies in its focus on a pivotal central theme (X). The author uses other statements in the literary unit (A B A’ B’) to flank and develop X through comparison and/or contrast. A classic example of a true chiasm is found in
1 John 3:9.
A whoever is born of God
______B does not sin
____________X for his seed remains in him
_______B’ and he cannot sin
A’ because he has been born of God
“KIYE-az-uhm” in The Flood Story
There are numerous chiastic patterns in Scripture—both in poetry and prose, Hebrew and Greek. One of the most impressive is the chiastic structure found in the Genesis 6-9. Here the author uses repetition to make his central point (X) more clearly. Despite the world devolving into horrendous evil so wicked that His only recourse is destruction, "God remembers Noah." The seed of the woman (Gen 3:15) will not be completely annihilated, an event that would render God’s promise of a Savior completely void.
A Noah (6:10a)
__B Shem, Ham, and Japheth (10b)
___C Ark to be built (14-16)
____D Flood announced (17)
_____E Covenant with Noah (18-20)
______F Food in the ark (21)
_______G Command to enter the ark (7:1-3)
________H 7 days waiting for flood (4-5)
_________I 7 days waiting for flood (7-10)
__________J Entry to ark (11-15)
___________K YHWH shuts Noah in (16)
____________L 40 days flood (17a)
_____________M Waters increase (17b-18)
______________N Mountains covered (19-20)
_______________O 150 days water prevail (21-24)
________________P GOD REMEMBERS NOAH (8:1)
_______________O’ 150 days waters abate (3)
______________N’ Mountain tops visible (4-5)
_____________M’ Waters abate (5)
____________L’ 40 days (end of) (6a)
___________K’ Noah opens window of ark (6b)
__________J’ Raven and dove leave ark (7-9)
_________I’ 7 days waiting for waters to subside (10-11)
________H’ 7 days waiting for waters to subside (12-13)
_______G’ Command to leave ark (15-17 [22])
______F’ Food outside ark (9:1-4)
_____E’ Covenant with all flesh (8-10)
____D’ No flood in the future (11-17)
___C’ Ark (18a)
__B’ Shem, Ham and Japheth (18b)
A’ Noah (19)
I’m indebted to Chiasmus Studies and examiner.com for this information.
More Chiasms For Avid Bible Spelunkers
• The Lord’s Covenant With Abraham (Gen 17:1-25)
• Beloved Son Hated Brother (Gen 37:1-11)
• Paul and the Book of Romans
Related: 1. The Markan Sandwich 2. Bible Poetry
3. How to Find a Chiasmus 4. Noah's Ark Replica
Photos: jonny_t & lasombraenlapared (Flickr) Noah’s Ark at Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles CA
Up Next—10 Books I Want to Read, But Haven't Yet
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1 Comments:
Interesting and thought provoking post...let's see, am I ready to go
spelunking?
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