Content deleted Content added
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
Line 5:
The ABC…CBA chiastic stucture is used in many places in the [[Torah]]. This kind of chiastic structure is used to give emphasis to the middle concept, i.e., the concept that appears either twice in succession or only appears once. Also, it shows that the other ideas are all leading up to the middle idea or concept. A notable example is the chiastic structure running from the middle of the Book of [[Exodus]] all the way through the end of the Book of [[Leviticus]]. The structure begins with the covenant made from [[God]] to the [[Jewish People]] at [[Mount Sinai]], and ends with the Admonition from God to the Jews if they will not follow his laws, which is also a sort of covenant. The main ideas are in the middle of Leviticus, from chapter 11 through chapter 20. Those chapters deal with the [[holiness]] in the [[Tabernacle]] and the holiness of the [[Jewish homeland]] in general. The chiastic structure points us to the central idea, that of the holiness of the Jewish people in what they do. It tells us that if the Jews keep the covenant and all the laws around the central concept, they will be rewarded with a sense of holiness in their Tabernacle and in their land in general.
==The ABBAABB…ABBA chiastic structure==
The ABBABB…ABBA chiastic structure is used to tell the reader to contrast concepts A and B, which are usually closely related, but very different. The format shows the contrast between the two ideas, and tells the reader to look deeper. An example of this is in the beginning of chapter 4 of the Book of [[Genesis]], when the two sons of Adam, Cain and Abel, are contrasted. The Torah tells us about their names, their occupations, and their offerings. The Torah mentions Cain first, then Abel twice, then Cain twice, and so on. The structure draws our attention to
| |||