Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
Finding Chiasms
Finding chiasms is not an exact science of simply finding repeated words in opposite sections. This makes it more confusing and people doubt it veracity thinking all the different chiastic structures show there actually is no chiastic structure. Chiasms involve word repetition, but is also an art. The first example listed below follows strictly the repetition of words. Even in this it takes a little maneuvering of ideas:
- A – FAITH: 5) By faith [pistis]
B – TAKEN: Enoch was taken [metatithemi] so that he should not see/experience death; and he was not found, because God took [metatithemi] him: before his being taken [metathesis]
C – PLEASING: he was approved that he had been pleasing [euaresteo] to God:
- A’ – FAITH: 6) And without faith [pistis]
C’ – PLEASING: it is impossible to be pleasing [euaresteo] to him;
- A’ – FAITH: for he that comes to God must believe [pisteuo] that he exists,
B – SEEKING: and to those that seek him,
C’ – PLEASING: a rewarder He becomes.
As you can see, it is not an exact repetition because B is not repeated in the second section. Also, this pattern is parallelism, not reversed parallelism (i.e., chiastic). It is still helpful though as we can see the repeated words and ideas.
If we are not restricted mainly by repeated words, then we start to see how chiastically it is arranged into something very creative – word play of opposites:
A – TAKEN BY GOD: 5) By faith [pistis] Enoch was taken [metatithemi] so that he should not see/experience death; and he was not found [heurisko], because God [theos] took [metatithemi] him: before his being taken [metathesis]
B – PAST PLEASING GOD: he was approved that he had been pleasing [euaresteo] to God [theos]:
B’ – PRESENT PLEASING GOD: 6) And without faith [pistis] it is impossible to be pleasing [euaresteo] to him;
A’ – COMES TO GOD: for he that comes to God [theos] must believe [pisteuo] that he exists, and to those that seek [ekzeteo] him, a rewarder He becomes.
Word Play Dealing in Opposites:
- Enoch was 1) taken away by God and 2) not found by people.
- Faithful 1) come to God and God awards 2) those who seek/find him.
This makes finding the true chiastic order more difficult, but when found, even more beautiful and meaningful. Chiasms are a combination of linguistic science and the art of ideas.
Now this chiastic order of the writer is more than structure. Seeing it as organized above we see how in a very real way we are to be exactly like Enoch, and yet exactly the opposite in our times.
- Enoch had faith, and we are also to believe.
- Enoch was taken, and we come.
- Enoch was not found, but God wants us to find Him.
- Enoch was rewarded by not seeing death, and God will reward us even if we see death (discussed elsewhere in Hebrews).
By faith we are to be like Enoch even though each of the individuals discussed in Hebrews 11 lived by faith in different ways and were rewarded by God each according to His work in their lives defined by faith.
Comments