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I've heard this term off and on and recently came in contact with it again.
Here's some more about it...
Definition
Whereas many literary structures have been recognized in the past (step parallelism, inclusion, etc.), a significant literary structure of biblical texts has received noted recognition in the past century, an especially in the past two decades, is chiasmus. Chiasmus, also spelled sometimes as "chiasm", is derived from a Greek verb meaning "mark with two lines crossing like an ‘X’" (chi, the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet). The following graphics illustrates this idea.
In general, chiasmus refers to an inverted parallelism or sequence of words or ideas in a phrase or clause, sentence, paragraph, chapter, or an entire literary work. For example, Matthew 7:6 contains a simple chiasmus which may be represented as follows:
A "Do not give what is holy to dogs,
B and do not throw your pearls before swine,
B’ lest they trample them under their feet,
A’ and turn and tear you to pieces"
In this instance, the propositions A and B are reflected as in a reversed mirror image by the propositions B’ (said as "B prime") and A’ (said as "A prime"). By recognizing Matthew 7:6 as a chiastic structure, one can make much better sense of this verse than might otherwise be done; for it seems most logical that the dogs (A) tear to pieces (A’
, and the swine (B) do the trampling (B’.
Chiasmus involves fundamentally two elements: inversion and balance (as shown in the example above). These two main elements of chiasmus, inversion and balance, produce a third, climactic centrality. Looking at the above illustration, strictly speaking, it represents inverted parallelism rather than chiasmus. Thus, the uniqueness of the chiastic structure lies in its focus upon a pivotal theme, about which the other propositions of the literary unit are developed, whereby the author may compare, contrast, or complete each of the flanking elements in the chiastic structure. An example of formal chiasmus may be found in Genesis 17:1-25:
The below should be shaped like the left side of an X - hence the Chi...Forum formatting kinda ruins the effect.
A Abram's age (1a)
-- B The LORD appears to Abram (1b)
--- C God's first speech (1b-2)
---- D Abram falls on his face (3)
-----E God's second speech
------(Abram's name changed, kings; 4-8)
-------X God's Third Speech
-------(the covenant of circumcision; 9-14)
----- E' God's fourth speech
-----(Sari's name changed, kings; 15-16)
---- D' Abraham falls on his face (17-18)
--- C' God's fifth speech (19-21)
-- B' God "goes up" from Abraham (22)
A' Abraham's age (24-25)
Thus, technically speaking, "chiasmus" refers to an author’s literary structure whereby he produces balanced statements, in direct, inverted, or antithetical parallelism, constructed symmetrically and encompassing a central idea. The abrupt repetition by which the last elements of the first half of the system become the first elements of the second half, draws attention to the central terms (A/B/X/B’/A’.
Chiasmus: Home Page
Here's some more about it...
Definition
Whereas many literary structures have been recognized in the past (step parallelism, inclusion, etc.), a significant literary structure of biblical texts has received noted recognition in the past century, an especially in the past two decades, is chiasmus. Chiasmus, also spelled sometimes as "chiasm", is derived from a Greek verb meaning "mark with two lines crossing like an ‘X’" (chi, the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet). The following graphics illustrates this idea.
In general, chiasmus refers to an inverted parallelism or sequence of words or ideas in a phrase or clause, sentence, paragraph, chapter, or an entire literary work. For example, Matthew 7:6 contains a simple chiasmus which may be represented as follows:
A "Do not give what is holy to dogs,
B and do not throw your pearls before swine,
B’ lest they trample them under their feet,
A’ and turn and tear you to pieces"
In this instance, the propositions A and B are reflected as in a reversed mirror image by the propositions B’ (said as "B prime") and A’ (said as "A prime"). By recognizing Matthew 7:6 as a chiastic structure, one can make much better sense of this verse than might otherwise be done; for it seems most logical that the dogs (A) tear to pieces (A’
, and the swine (B) do the trampling (B’.Chiasmus involves fundamentally two elements: inversion and balance (as shown in the example above). These two main elements of chiasmus, inversion and balance, produce a third, climactic centrality. Looking at the above illustration, strictly speaking, it represents inverted parallelism rather than chiasmus. Thus, the uniqueness of the chiastic structure lies in its focus upon a pivotal theme, about which the other propositions of the literary unit are developed, whereby the author may compare, contrast, or complete each of the flanking elements in the chiastic structure. An example of formal chiasmus may be found in Genesis 17:1-25:
The below should be shaped like the left side of an X - hence the Chi...Forum formatting kinda ruins the effect.
A Abram's age (1a)
-- B The LORD appears to Abram (1b)
--- C God's first speech (1b-2)
---- D Abram falls on his face (3)
-----E God's second speech
------(Abram's name changed, kings; 4-8)
-------X God's Third Speech
-------(the covenant of circumcision; 9-14)
----- E' God's fourth speech
-----(Sari's name changed, kings; 15-16)
---- D' Abraham falls on his face (17-18)
--- C' God's fifth speech (19-21)
-- B' God "goes up" from Abraham (22)
A' Abraham's age (24-25)
Thus, technically speaking, "chiasmus" refers to an author’s literary structure whereby he produces balanced statements, in direct, inverted, or antithetical parallelism, constructed symmetrically and encompassing a central idea. The abrupt repetition by which the last elements of the first half of the system become the first elements of the second half, draws attention to the central terms (A/B/X/B’/A’
.Chiasmus: Home Page
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