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Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:1-13*

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Designation of oracles  and chiasmus follows  J R Lundbom – (“Jeremiah among the Prophets”, Cascade Books, Eugene, Oregon, 2012.) Lundbom  points out that the phrase “walked after vanity” is inverted in the Hebrew in v8. The poetic form only roughly comes through in the AV. 

1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying,

Oracle 1
Thus saith the LORD;
I remember thee,
the kindness of thy youth,
the love of thine espousals,
when thou wentest after me in the wilderness,
in a land that was not sown.

3 Israel was holiness unto the LORD,
and the firstfruits of his increase:
all that devour him shall offend;
evil shall come upon them,
– saith the LORD.

Oracle 2
4 Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:

A. 5 Thus saith the LORD,
What iniquity have your fathers found in me,
that they are gone far from me,
and have walked after vanity,
and are become vain?

B. 6 Neither said they, Where is the LORD
that brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
that led us through the wilderness,
through a land of deserts and of pits,
through a land of drought,
and of the shadow of death,
through a land that no man passed through,
and where no man dwelt?

C. 7 And I brought you into a plentiful country,
to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof;

C’. but when ye entered, ye defiled my land,
and made mine heritage an abomination.

B’. 8 The priests said not, Where is the LORD?
and they that handle the law knew me not:
the pastors also transgressed against me,
and the prophets prophesied by Baal,

A’. and walked after things that do not profit.
9 Wherefore I will yet plead with you,
– saith the LORD,
and with your children’s children will I plead.

Oracle 3

10 For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see;
and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently,
and see if there be such a thing.

11 Hath a nation changed their gods,
which are yet no gods?
but my people have changed their glory
for that which doth not profit.

12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this,
and be horribly afraid,
be ye very desolate,
– saith the LORD.

13 For my people have committed two evils;
a. they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters,
b. and hewed them out cisterns,
b’. broken cisterns,
a’. that can hold no water.

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:6-12

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Note: the prayer of Jehoshaphat appears to have an ABB’A’ pattern. AA’ confess God’s might and Judah’s weakness. BB’ speaks of the inheritance given by God to Israel which the invaders are intent on reversing.
A. 6 O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven?
and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
B. 7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel,  and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?  8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

B’. 10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

A. 12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:14-19

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thanks to Matt Davies

A. 14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;

B. 15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude;

C.  for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

D. 16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

C’. 17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem:

B’. fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

A’. 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. 19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 19

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Thanks to Matt Davies
A. 1 And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. 2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. 3 Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.
B. 4 And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the LORD God of their fathers.
C. 5 And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city, 6 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do:
D  for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD,
E.  who is with you in the judgment.
D’. 7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you;
C’. take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.
B’.  8 Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of the LORD, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem.
A’. 9 And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. 10 And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the LORD, and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not trespass. 11 And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the LORD; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king’s matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and the LORD shall be with the good.
Micah

Micah 7:18-19

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Kevin Cutler

[A] 18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity

[B] And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His           possession?

[C] He does not retain His anger forever,

[D] Because He delights in unchanging love.

[C] 19 He will again have compassion on us;

[B] He will tread our iniquities under foot.

[A] Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea

Isaiah, Matthew

Isaiah quotations in Matthew

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Delene Holm

Chiasmus in  direct quotations of Isaiah in the gospel of Matthew. Note that A and A’ only refers to “a prophet’ or ‘it is written’ and does not explicitly name Isaiah in the Matthew quote.

A. Beginning of the house / birth of Jesus (Matt 1:22-23; Isa 7:14)

B. The need for change (Matt 3:3; Isa 40:3)

C. Darkness and the need for light (Matt 4:14-16; Isa 9:1)

D. The suffering servant (Matt 8:17; Isa 53:4)

D’. Behold my servant (Matt 12:17-21; Isa 42:1-4)

C’. Dullness and the need for healing (Matt 13:15-15; Isa 6:9-11)

B’. The need for change (Matt 15:7-9; Isa 29:13)

A’. A house of prayer (Matt 21:13; Isa 56:7)

I think that these quotes were included to show his Jewish readers that Israel had turned their backs on God’s house and so needed to change. This would happen through a light shining to the whole world, including the gentiles, in the form of God’s beloved suffering servant.

Job

Job 29

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from Peter Boon

A. Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; When his (lamp) shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness 29:2,3

B the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me 29:4,5

C went out gate through the city… sat in street 29:7

D young men saw me, and hid themselves 29:8a

E the aged arose, and stood up 29:8b

F princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth 29:11,12

G Because I delivered the poor 29:12

H I put on righteousness, and it clothed me 29:14a
 my judgment was as a robe and a diadem 29:14b

G’ I was a father to the poor 29:16

F’ brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth 29:17

E’ I shall die in my nest 29:18a

D’ I shall multiply my days as the sand 29:18b

C’ My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch 29:19

B’ Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them. they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. 29:21-23

A’ If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners 29:24,25

Genesis

Genesis 32:1-12

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Jacob meets angels and sends messengers to Esau

a. 32:1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim (“two camps”). 

b. 3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: 5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

b’. 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. 

a’. 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands (mahaneh); 8 And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

Jacob’s prayer

a. 9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: 

b. 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. 

b’. 11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. 

a’. 12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

James

James 1-5

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Note: I have noticed that the topics of chapter 1 are also picked up in reverse order in the rest of the epistle, making ch 1 a summary of the whole. I checked Google and found a few have already proposed something very similar (is there ana academic reference for this?).

A. patience 1v3
B. rich man 1v11
C. Lust 1v14
D. Gift of God 1v17
E. doers of the Word 1v22
F. widows 1v27 (the subject of discrimination in Acts 6)
F’. Prejudice against the poor 2:1-13
E’. Faith without works, 2:14-26
D’. The gift of wisdom from above , 3:1-18
C’. lust 4:1-12
B’. the rich and riches, 4:13-5:6
A’. Patience and prayer 5:7-20