"Syntactical Chiasmus"

Steven Craig Miller stevencraigmiller at home.com
Mon Jan 29 09:47:36 EST 2001


To: Iver Larsen,

<< The Matthew 7:6 is generally accepted as a Hebrew chiasm, partly because 
hRHXWSIN refers to tearing apart, a word that fits wild dogs better than 
domesticated pigs. >>

But why assume that it was a cute little domesticated pig? Why not assume 
that it was a wild boar? I'm not a farmer, and I know nothing about the 
raising of pigs, but I have been told that even domesticated pig can be 
dangerous and life-threatening to humans. Furthermore, the basic meaning of 
RHGNUMI is "break asunder" (LSMJ). And while BDAG states that it can also 
mean "tear in pieces," BDAG also cites a passage from Aesop where this verb 
is used of a swine. I see no reason to justify the the action discribed in 
the verb  hRHXWSIN fits dogs better than pigs. And why assume that the dogs 
are "wild," but not the pigs?

-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
stevencraigmiller at home.com




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