[b-greek] "Syntactical Chiasmus"

From: Wayne Leman (wleman@mcn.net)
Date: Sun Jan 28 2001 - 18:12:45 EST


Steven concluded:

> Please show me real examples where
> in Biblical Hebrew the chiasmus effects Hebrew syntax! Please show me real
> examples in the LXX where the chiasmus effects Greek syntax! Give me solid
> examples, and I will be more than happy to admit that my doubts have been
> wrong.
>

Steven, here is an excerpt from webpage:
http://www.wco.com/~hdrake/chiasm.html

If I understand your use of the term syntactical chiasmus, where chiasmus
affects syntax, not simply rhetorical structure, then I suspect the
following would not qualify as evidence for our particular search. But I
post it just in case:

A Biblical Example

Let me offer a favorite chiasm from a favorite Old Testament book--Qohelet
(more commonly known as Ecclesiastes). This was discovered by Daniel C.
Fredericks ("Life's Storms and Structural Unity in Qohelet 11:1-12:8,"
Journal for the study of the Old Testament 52 (1991), 95-114). Fredericks
identifies the focus verse (that is, the main message) in Eccl. 11:9--"But
know that for all these things God will bring you to judgement" This is a
verse that many biblical scholars had scoffed at, saying that it appeared
contrary to Qohelet's whole carpe diem ("seize the day!") philosophy and had
probably been added by a pious scribe in order to get the book into the Old
Testament canon. But Fredericks, in showing that the structure of the
passage absolutely depended on its focus verse, demolished such arguments.
Here is the chiasm discovered by Fredericks--examine it with Ecclesiastes
open before you and marvel at the symmetry of the matching of the pairs AA',
BB', CC', and so forth. What do you think? Do you agree that the chiasm was
the intent of the book's ancient author? Or was it a mere coincidence?

Eccl. 11:3-12:2 as a Chiasm discovered by D. C. Fredericks

Eccl. 11:3 A Clouds and Rain
Eccl. 11:7 B Light and Sun
Eccl. 11:8a C Consider the days of darkness
Eccl. 11:8b D All that comes is breath
Eccl. 11:9a E Enjoy your Youth
Eccl. 11:9b F But know ... God will bring you to judgment
Eccl. 11:10a E' Enjoy your Youth
Eccl. 11:10b D' All of youth is breath
Eccl. 12:1 C' Consider God before the days of darkness
Eccl. 12:2a B' Sun and Light
Eccl. 12:2b A' Clouds and Rain

-----------

Would Luke 17:33 (and parallel passages) qualify as syntactic chiasmus for
you?

hOS EAN ZHTHSHi THN PSUXHN AUTOU APOLESEI AUTHN,
hOS D' AN APOLESHi ZWiOLONHSEI AUTHN

This is literary chiasmus; does it also qualify as a syntactic one for you?
There is clearly a difference in meaning in the second line of the couplet
from the meaning of the first line. That difference is reflected in the
syntax (as well as semantics) of the Greek, but is it reflected in such a
way that fits your criteria for syntactic chiasmus?

Wayne
---
Wayne Leman
Bible translation site: http://www.geocities.com/bible_translation/




---
B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [jwrobie@mindspring.com]
To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-327Q@franklin.oit.unc.edu
To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu




This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:36:49 EDT