Chiasmus: 1 John 3:9

George Blaisdell maqhth at hotmail.com
Sat Feb 27 17:35:28 EST 1999





>From: "William B. Steidtmann" 

  What you are referring to as a helical form is 
>called "introversion" in this commentary Bible.  There are two main 
>structural forms: introversion and alternation.  Each of these two 
forms 
>can be woven or embedded within one another in a hierarchial fashion in 
>multiple levels, much like your computer organizes files inside of 
folders 
>inside of yet other folders, etc.  The entire Bible is built this way, 
and 
>goes way beyond a mere couple of sentences or two.  Entire sets of 
books 
>form introversions, as do single words.  Sometimes the structures 
extend 
>across several books.  

So it would appear, although I do not know of anyone seeing the 'whole 
Bible' as a chiasm.  One would have to argue that Christ is the pivot 
point and that the books of the OT parallel those of the GNT in mirror 
image fashion.  That could lead to a massive re-ordering of the books of 
the Bible to fit chiastic structuring!!

Beck argues for the development of the habit of 'seeing chiastically' as 
one reads the Bible, and especially OT prophetic works, which are almost 
invariably chiastic.  Single chiasms of 12 strophs are known, each 
perfectly balanced and in ascending/descending development.  There 
appears to be no limit to the number of strophs possible in a single 
chiasm.

As well, he argues that the book of John follows as a whole chiastic 
form, which easily accounts for the apparent sequence anomilies [noted 
recently by Carl and well known to Biblical scholarship] in that when 
they are seen in terms of chiastic structuring, they are not in the 
least out of sequence.  Hence there is no need, on this [literary] 
approach, to 'correct' sequencing by moving the text around.

Pretty heady stuff, imho.

George


George Blaisdell
Roslyn, WA


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