A As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you (5b) B Be strong and courageous … be strong and very courageous (6,7a) C Be careful to obey all the law … that you may be successful (7b) D Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth (8a) D′ Mediate on it day and night (8b) C′ Be careful to do everything written in it … you may be prosperous and successful (8c) B′ Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged (9a) A′ for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (9b) (Joshua 1:5b-9) A chiasm is a repetition of similar ideas in the reverse sequence: A goes with A′, B goes with B′, etc. In this case, A – A′ reminds us of the Lord's everlasting presence. On the B – B′ level, we see that the emphasis is on "Be strong and courageous", as stated in Joshua 1:6 and Joshua 1:9b. Obedience and success is the theme of the C – C′ level. On the D – D′ level, the words of the law were to be in their mouth and meditating on it continuously.
The inner most level of this chiasm (center point) is the D – D′ level in this example, which is Joshua 1:8a,8b. Instead of the NIV's use of the "Book of the Law" in Joshua 1:8, a look at the Hebrew shows it is dabar torah (word of the Torah). Moses spoke to all of Israel these words at the end of his life:
http://www.bible-discernments.com/joshua/overcomer.html
ReplyDeleteConsider these verses:
ReplyDeleteA As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you (5b)
B Be strong and courageous … be strong and very courageous (6,7a)
C Be careful to obey all the law … that you may be successful (7b)
D Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth (8a)
D′ Mediate on it day and night (8b)
C′ Be careful to do everything written in it … you may be prosperous and successful (8c)
B′ Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged (9a)
A′ for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (9b)
(Joshua 1:5b-9)
A chiasm is a repetition of similar ideas in the reverse sequence: A goes with A′, B goes with B′, etc. In this case, A – A′ reminds us of the Lord's everlasting presence. On the B – B′ level, we see that the emphasis is on "Be strong and courageous", as stated in Joshua 1:6 and Joshua 1:9b. Obedience and success is the theme of the C – C′ level. On the D – D′ level, the words of the law were to be in their mouth and meditating on it continuously.
The inner most level of this chiasm (center point) is the D – D′ level in this example, which is Joshua 1:8a,8b. Instead of the NIV's use of the "Book of the Law" in Joshua 1:8, a look at the Hebrew shows it is dabar torah (word of the Torah). Moses spoke to all of Israel these words at the end of his life:
Joshua's Spiritual Warfare
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding the Chiasms of Joshua
by Thomas B. Clarke
Being an Overcomer