Chiasmus is a divinely inspired literary structure found throughout Scripture in which ideas, phrases, or narrative elements are arranged in a mirror pattern (A-B-C-B'-A'), with the most important point at the center. Far from mere decoration, chiastic structure reveals the author's — and ultimately the Holy Spirit's — emphasis. The entire Book of Genesis is structured chiastically around the covenant with Abraham. The Flood narrative (Genesis 6–9) forms a perfect chiasmus with God's remembrance of Noah at the center (Genesis 8:1). Many Psalms employ chiasmus: Psalm 67 centers on "Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee." Understanding chiastic structure prevents misreading — it tells us where to look for the main point. Western readers trained on linear argumentation (thesis → evidence → conclusion) often miss the center of a chiasmus, reading right past the theological climax. Biblical authors thought in circles, not lines. The structure itself is a form of teaching.
CHIASM — (Not listed in Webster 1828).
CHIASM — (Not listed in Webster 1828). Related: INVERSION — A turning or change of order, so that the last becomes first and the first last. In rhetoric, a change of the natural order of words.
• Genesis 8:1 — Center of the Flood chiasmus: "And God remembered Noah."
• Matthew 7:6 — "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs (A), neither cast ye your pearls before swine (B), lest they trample them under their feet (B'), and turn again and rend you (A')."
• Psalm 67 — A complete chiastic psalm with the center at v.4: "Let the nations be glad and sing for joy."
• Mark 2:27 — "The sabbath was made for man (A), and not man for the sabbath (A')."
The main danger with chiasmus is not corruption of the concept but ignorance of it.
The main danger with chiasmus is not corruption of the concept but ignorance of it. Most modern readers — including many pastors — read the Bible as if it were written in modern Western prose. They look for the main point at the beginning or end of a passage, missing the chiastic center entirely. Sermons preached on the Flood narrative focus on the beginning (judgment) or the end (rainbow) while skipping the center: "God remembered Noah" — which is the theological heart of the entire passage. On the other hand, some scholars have become so enthusiastic about discovering chiasmus that they impose it on passages where it does not exist, finding elaborate symmetrical patterns that the original author never intended. Both errors — ignoring chiasmus and inventing it — obscure the text. The discipline of identifying genuine chiastic structures requires careful attention to the text as the inspired authors actually wrote it.