Chiastic Structure and Isaiah 14
Compiled by Ron Corson
Some have thought that the
Chiastic structure of Isaiah 14 indicates that the chapter is dealing with
historical
What's a 'chiasm' anyway?: One of the most interesting and intricate biblical literary structures is called a chiasm. It takes its name from the Greek letter chi, written X, because it has a structure that crosses over somewhat like an 'X.' Or a form suggested by its conforming to the > shape of the left half of the Greek letter chi, which is drawn like the English X. The "outer" elements, designated AA', are the "frame,". In a chiasm, the various elements of a writing are related to each other in parallels so that the first and the last are parallel, the second and the second from the last are also parallel, and so on. There can be two or more elements.
The most simple example is the saying of Jesus: "The first shall be last and the last shall be first." The chiasm is first - last - last first, forming the pattern, AB B'A'. But the structure can be developed even more to have a central element that stands by itself, around which the other parts circle, and can serve as a center and theme for the whole writing.
It might be helpful to think of chiasm as saying things forwards and backwards
Chiasms appears frequently in New Testament gospels and epistles, a literary form in which the sequence of the material presented in the second portion of a literary block is presented as a mirror image of its presentation in the first portion of that block (e.g., A B C C' B' A'). Examples of this form in history are well documented in Homeric and classical Hellenistic education and are frequently found in the Old Testament, especially in Qohelet (Ecclesiastes). Paul was probably aware of the many passages in the Old Testament that featured the device. Examples are as diverse as Gen. 33:10-11 and Ps. 2:9. Modern interpreters have found chiasmus very helpful in unpacking such difficult passages as Mt. 7:6.
When the innermost element of a chiasmus is unpaired, it is said to have "climactic centrality," the whole structure tending to give emphasis to the element at its focal point. Examples of this phenomenon include Eccl. 11:1-12:8 ("but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment"), Heb. 12:1-2 ("keeping our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of the faith"), Lk. 1:6-25 (the annunciation), and even Jn. 1:1-18 (by the incarnate Word we become children of God). There are both large scale (where the echoed element is a phrase, sentence or idea) and small scale (where it is words or sounds that are echoed).
Examples:
Am 5:4-6a:
For thus says the LORD to the house of
"Seek me and live; A
but do not seek
and do not enter into Gilgal C
or cross over to Beer-sheba; *
for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, C
and
Seek the LORD and live, A
lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it devour, with none to quench it for
Eccl. 11:3-12:2 as a Chiasm discovered by D. C. Fredericks
Eccl. 11:3 Clouds and Rain A
Eccl. 11:7 Light and Sun B
Eccl. 11:8a Consider the days of darkness C
Eccl. 11:8b All that comes is breath D
Eccl. 11:9a Enjoy your Youth E
Eccl. 11:9b But know ... God will bring you to judgment F
Eccl. 11:10a Enjoy your Youth E'
Eccl. 11:10b All of youth is breath D'
Eccl. 12:1 Consider God before the days of darkness C'
Eccl. 12:2a Sun and Light B'
Eccl. 12:2b Clouds and Rain A'
The diagram of the chiastic structure of the Flood Story is as follows. It is taken, with some small modifications, from Gordon J. Wenham, "The Coherence of the Flood
Narrative," VT 28 (1978): 336-48.
A Noah (6:10a)
B Shem, Ham, and Japheth (6:10b)
C
D Flood announced (
E Covenant with Noah 6:18-20)
F Food in the ark (
G Command to enter ark (7:1-3)
H 7 days waiting for flood (7:4-5)
I 7 days waiting for flood (7:7-10)
J Entry to ark 7:11-15)
K Yahweh shuts Noah in ark (
L 40 days flood (7:17a)
M Waters increase (7:17b-18)
N Mountains covered (
O 150 days waters prevail (
X GOD REMEMBERS NOAH (8:1)
O' 150 days waters abate (8:3)
N' Mountains tops visible (8:4-5)
M' Waters abate (8:5)
L' 40 days (end of) (8:6a)
K' Noah opens window of ark (8:6b)
J' Raven and dove leave ark (8:7-9)
I' 7 days waiting for waters to subside (8:7-9)
H' 7 days waiting for waters to subside (
G' Command to leave ark (
F' Food outside ark (9:1-4)
E' Covenant with all flesh (9:8-10)
D' No flood in future (
C'
B' Shem, Ham, and Japheth (9:18b)
A’ Noah (
Part 2
There is no doubt that Isa 14 is filled with Chiasms but that in no way
supports the move from historical
Here is a brief example of certain authors analysis. Davidson writes: (Adventist Theological Society Occasional Papers, Vol. 1: Issues in Revelation and Inspiration, Ed. by F. Holbrook and L. Van Dolson, p. 118) Jose "Bertoluci (1985 Andrews University Ph.D. dissertation entitled "The Son of the Morning and the Guardian Cherub in the Context of the Controversy between Good and Evil") and Chiasm:
"Bertoluci shows that the chiastic literary structure of Isaiah 14 moves from the historical realm in the outer members of the chiasm to the heavenly, supernatural realm in the heart of the chiastic structure. The language in this central section transcends any possible reference to any historical Assyrian or neo-Babylonian ruler.
What they are doing, is inserting their meaning into the text. The problem is, this is not how Chiasms work, if the frame points to a central point than it is a point that is being described by the frame. They have no justification to say that the central point is the supernatural realm. Even less when you consider that within the frame and both sides of the central part of the Chiasm Bablyon is clearly named. (see vs. 4 and 22, 25)
The central point as I see it and as I can determine it using the Chaism structure
is found in verses 13 and 14, and 15 (though 15 is also a transition to the
next thought. I would include it in the central part since it makes more sense
that way.) Those who set themselves up before God are doomed. The rest of the
Chiasm talks about the destruction of the oppressor and the restoration of the
afflicted people.
Let's look at an example: Isaiah 14:12
How you have fallen from heaven, A
O morning star, B
son of the dawn! B'
You have been cast down to the earth, A'
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; A
I will raise my throne above the stars of God; B
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, C
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. C'
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; B'
I will make myself like the Most High." A'
So that’s a look at chiasm on the sentence level now what would it be on the thought or paragraph level. I will just list the thoughts as I see them.
1-2 The Lord shall give Jacob relief from bondage A
3-4 The Lord gives relief B
5-6 The rod of the wicked is broken C
7-8 The land is at peace D
9-12 The grave meets them E
13-15 You say I will ascend to heaven X
15-25 Cast out of your tomb E
25b-28 Burdens removed from their shoulders D
29 The rod is broken C
30 Lie down in safety B
32 Afflicted people find refuge A
Note v. 31 seems to be extraneous material for the Chiasm. It also must be noted that if you picked out every little thought the Chiastic structure could not survive.
Isa 14:1-32
1 The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.
2 Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD's land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.
(A)
3 On the day the LORD gives you relief from suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage,
4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended!
(B)
5 The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers,
6 which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression.
(C)
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing.
8 Even the pine trees and the cedars of Lebanon exult over you and say, "Now that you have been laid low, no woodsman comes to cut us down."
(D)
9 The grave below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you-- all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones-- all those who were kings over the nations.
10 They will all respond, they will say to you, "You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us."
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you.
12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
(E)
13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
(X)
15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.
16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: "Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble,
17 the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?"
18 All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb.
19 But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
20 you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your people. The offspring of the wicked will never be mentioned again.
21 Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the sins of their forefathers; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities.
22 "I will rise up against them," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will cut off from Babylon her name and survivors, her offspring and descendants," declares the LORD.
23 "I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD Almighty.
24 The LORD Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.
25 I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down.
(E')
His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders."
26 This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations.
27 For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
28 This oracle came in the year King Ahaz died:
(D')
29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.
(C')
30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.
31 Wail, O gate! Howl, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks.
(B')
32 What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? "The LORD has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge." (NIV)
(A')