Proverbs 13:12-19, A Chiasm about Desire and Receiving the Word
Note: For translation and structure of the chiasm scroll down to the end of this document. The word “desire" marks the beginning and end of this paragraph. It begins with desire (or hope) deferred and ends with desire fulfilled. The verses between deal especially with the word of God and the receiving or neglecting of…
Proverbs 11:23-27, A Chiasm about Generosity
A 23. The desire of righteous ones (is) only good,B And the expectation of wicked ones (is) wrath.C 24. There is one who disperses and still increases,D And one who withholds more than is upright, surely to poverty.C 25. A soul of blessing will be made fat,C’ And one who gives drink, he also will…
The Structure of Psalm 18
This psalm is a close copy of the song of David found in 2 Samuel 22. It's clear from both 2 Samuel and from the title of the psalm that David wrote it near the end of his life. He had defeated his enemies, consolidated his kingdom after the long and bitter struggle with Saul,…
Proverbs 30 – A Chiasm?
The title ends with a question mark because there are some parts of the "chiasm" that do not seem to have much in common. But other features point to the familiar symmetrical pairing of passages around a central point. I've shown the structure of the chiasm below, but some comments are in order. The number…
The Structure of Psalm 86
When you hear someone begin to talk again about a chiasm in some Biblical passage, you may be inclined to groan and ask why commentators and Bible teachers are always looking for these things. What good are they, and why must I be constantly afflicted with them? There are two things that we should remember.…
Psalm 37: Two Chiasms and an Acrostic
At first glance, Psalm 37 seems to be a more or less random collection of verses with the general theme, “Do not fret because of evildoers.” It is, in fact, both an acrostic, or alphabetic psalm, and a carefully constructed poem with three main parts, the first two of which are chiasms. The table below lays out these parts in detail. The central promise for those who heed the exhortation and trust in the Lord is the possession of the land; it is repeated at least five times. For us, that promise means a heavenly inheritance and, in the end, the possession of all things in the new heavens and earth, “for all things are yours… and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (1 Cor 3:21-23).”