Jim Parker
Member
DISCLAIMER: I had to use a "screen shot." to the Chiasm illustrations in.
Bible 101 Lesson 2F
These two stories are wonderfully and skillfully woven together by an expert.
Some literature stuff:
The Greek letter X is called a Chi.
A story that builds to the point (like where the two lines of the Chi cross) and then settles back down is called a “Chiasm.” (KAI az um) [ also: “chiastic” - {kai-ASS-stick}]
For example: (The indentations for the “left side of the “X”.)
And here’s Noah’s Flood Chiasmus with both the Elohist and Yawhist traditions woven together in a big Chiasmus.
Italics indicate the Yahwist (Priestly) tradition.
Normal script indicates Elohist tradition
Both versions of the flood story end with a genealogy that introduces us to Abram and Sarai.
But, before their story begins, we are told why there are so many languages on the earth. (Why doesn’t everyone just speak English like on Star Trek? But I digress.))
After the flood, the descendants of Noah’s sons begin to increase in number. But, instead of spreading out across the earth (God’s 1st command again) they decide to build a city, a tower, and a name for themselves.
Gen 11:4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
These projects are in direct violation of God’s will.
1. “let us build ourselves a city” Cities make God’s command to be fruitful a problem.
2. “and a tower whose top is in the heavens” Your work is NOT the way to get to heaven.
3. “let us make a name for ourselves” The name that is appropriate for all of mankind is God’s name. In the ANE, people identified themselves by who their ancestor was. So, the priests of Israel identified themselves by the name “Levi.” They were Levites.
Here the proper name for mankind is “Shem” which is THE NAME above all names. (“Ha Shem”, literally “the name” is used to refer to God.) What these people wanted to do is the same thing that the devil tempted Adam and Eve with; to be gods in their own name. (“You shall be like God…”)
Notice that the devil uses the same trick over and over? That’s because, people have a tendency to refuse to learn and his old tricks still work even up to today.
So God, not wanting them to repeat the same error for which He just wiped mankind off the face of the earth, confused their language making it impossible for them to work together. So they each went their separate ways and scattered over the face of the earth. (11:8)
Here follows a rather large genealogy that lists the 70 nations of the earth. The number 7 is used to indicate completion. Here it is 70 which would indicate, “every last one of them.”
And that is the story of all mankind.
Next lesson begins with the story of God’s chosen people beginning with Abram and Sarai then the sons of Abraham, the sons of Isaac, and the sons of Jacob who is called, “Israel.”
Bible 101 Lesson 2F
These two stories are wonderfully and skillfully woven together by an expert.
Some literature stuff:
The Greek letter X is called a Chi.
A story that builds to the point (like where the two lines of the Chi cross) and then settles back down is called a “Chiasm.” (KAI az um) [ also: “chiastic” - {kai-ASS-stick}]
For example: (The indentations for the “left side of the “X”.)
And here’s Noah’s Flood Chiasmus with both the Elohist and Yawhist traditions woven together in a big Chiasmus.
Italics indicate the Yahwist (Priestly) tradition.
Normal script indicates Elohist tradition
Both versions of the flood story end with a genealogy that introduces us to Abram and Sarai.
But, before their story begins, we are told why there are so many languages on the earth. (Why doesn’t everyone just speak English like on Star Trek? But I digress.))
After the flood, the descendants of Noah’s sons begin to increase in number. But, instead of spreading out across the earth (God’s 1st command again) they decide to build a city, a tower, and a name for themselves.
Gen 11:4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
These projects are in direct violation of God’s will.
1. “let us build ourselves a city” Cities make God’s command to be fruitful a problem.
2. “and a tower whose top is in the heavens” Your work is NOT the way to get to heaven.
3. “let us make a name for ourselves” The name that is appropriate for all of mankind is God’s name. In the ANE, people identified themselves by who their ancestor was. So, the priests of Israel identified themselves by the name “Levi.” They were Levites.
Here the proper name for mankind is “Shem” which is THE NAME above all names. (“Ha Shem”, literally “the name” is used to refer to God.) What these people wanted to do is the same thing that the devil tempted Adam and Eve with; to be gods in their own name. (“You shall be like God…”)
Notice that the devil uses the same trick over and over? That’s because, people have a tendency to refuse to learn and his old tricks still work even up to today.
So God, not wanting them to repeat the same error for which He just wiped mankind off the face of the earth, confused their language making it impossible for them to work together. So they each went their separate ways and scattered over the face of the earth. (11:8)
Here follows a rather large genealogy that lists the 70 nations of the earth. The number 7 is used to indicate completion. Here it is 70 which would indicate, “every last one of them.”
And that is the story of all mankind.
Next lesson begins with the story of God’s chosen people beginning with Abram and Sarai then the sons of Abraham, the sons of Isaac, and the sons of Jacob who is called, “Israel.”
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