For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, a chiasm as a parallel structure in which ideas are presented in sandwiched form; ie: ABCDDCBA). You can see this structure in the overall creation account and also within many of the individual creative days.
http://www.xmind.net/share/spookysquirrel/creation/
2 comments:
What would you say is the key thought in Genesis 1:1-2:3? Do you think it is more important than the chiastic structure? What do you think about the repetition in Genesis 1:1-2:3? Do you think the repetition should be ignored or emphasized? Please share your thoughts.
I think the key thought is in the first phrase, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." All the rest of the passage unpacks that thought and adds detail. I do think the message itself is more important than the structure. Most people, myself included, are (were) unaware of the chiastic structure, yet the message is still there.
I don't think the repetition should be ignored. Part of the message, I believe, is that God has carefully structured everything from start to finish, therefore the repetition is purposeful and important.
What are your thoughts?
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