Curated: published only
Chiasms
The text that mirrors itself around its center, A, B, C, B′, A′, and puts the point at the pivot.
The shape of this lensFolded around a centre
- 9pairs published
- Law
- History
- Wisdom
- Major Prophets
- Minor Prophets
- Gospels
- Acts
- Pauline Epistles
- General Epistles
- Apocalyptic
A
Genesis 7:11“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.”
mirrors
A′
Genesis 8:2“The springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained.”
Mirror members of the Flood palistrophe: 'the fountains of the great deep burst open and the windows of heaven were opened' is reversed by 'the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were closed'. Verbatim reversal (Welch objectivity high). Level=pericope/book
Gordon J. Wenham, 'The Coherence of the Flood Narrative,' Vetus Testamentum 28 (1978): 336-348
mirrors
A′
Genesis 8:3“The waters receded steadily from the earth, and after 150 days the waters had gone down.”
Flood palistrophe pair: 'the waters prevailed 150 days' mirrors 'after 150 days the waters had abated'.
Wenham, VT 28 (1978): 336-348
A
Genesis 7:16“And they entered, the male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.”
mirrors
Flood palistrophe pair: 'the LORD shut him in' mirrors 'Noah opened the window of the ark'.
Wenham, VT 28 (1978): 336-348
mirrors
A′
Genesis 11:9“That is why it is called Babel, for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth.”
Babel inclusio/outer ring: 'the whole earth had one language' mirrors 'the LORD confused the language of all the earth'; Babel/balal pun frames the unit.
J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (1975); Wenham, Genesis 1-15 (WBC, 1987)
mirrors
A′
Amos 5:10“There are those who hate the one who reproves in the gate and despise him who speaks with integrity.”
Amos 5 chiasm inner pair: turning justice to wormwood mirrors hating the reprover in the gate.
de Waard, VT 27 (1977): 170-177
mirrors
A′
John 1:18“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.”
John's Prologue divine-Word inclusio: 'the Word was with God ... was God' mirrors 'the only God ... has made him known'.
R. Alan Culpepper, 'The Pivot of John's Prologue,' New Testament Studies 27 (1980): 1-31
mirrors
John's Prologue pair: 'all things were made through him' (creation) mirrors 'grace and truth came through Jesus Christ' (new-covenant gift).
Culpepper, NTS 27 (1980): 1-31
A
Romans 10:9“that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
mirrors
A′
Romans 10:10“For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.”
Chiasm across two verses: confess/believe (v.9) reversed to believe/confess (v.10), ordering the two halves of saving response.
Lund, Chiasmus in the New Testament (1942); standard exegesis
mirrors
A′
Amos 5:14“Seek good, not evil, so that you may live. And the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be with you, as you have claimed.”
Amos 5:1-17 chiasm outer imperative pair: 'Seek me and live' mirrors 'Seek good, not evil, that you may live': carries the oracle's ethical demand.
Jan de Waard, 'The Chiastic Structure of Amos V 1-17,' Vetus Testamentum 27 (1977): 170-177