Seder 6: Chiastic Structure of Gen 6-9

One way to increase our understanding of biblical passages is to recognize their underlying literary structure.  One kind of structure that appears often in Scripture is the chiasm, where the first literary unit in a passage connects with the last one, the second to the next-to-last, etc..  In such a structure, there is often a unit in the middle whose message is emphasized.

Jewish biblical scholar Joshua Berman, a Bible-defending scholar whose work is always worth reading, has recognized a chiastic structure in the flood narrative in Gen 6-9.  Here it is below.  Notice that the center is in Gen 8:1.

HT:   Doug Dudis

A. Elokim pledges to Noah to destroy all flesh (6:13)

B. Flood to destroy all flesh (6:17)

C. Covenant to sustain Noah and his animals (6:18–20)

D. Command to gather food while world is destroyed (6:21)

E. Command to enter the ark + fulfillment (7:1–5)

F. Year 600 – beginning of the flood (7:6)

G. Birds enter the ark (7:8)

H. Seven days waiting for Flood (7:10)

I. Rain on the earth (7:12)

J. Birds enter the ark (7:14)

K. Hashem shuts Noah in (7:16)

L. Forty days of Flood (7:17a)

M. Waters increase (7:17b–18)

N. Mountains covered (7:19–20)

O. 150 days when waters prevail (7:24)

God remembers Noah (8:1)

O’. 150 days when waters abate (8:3)

N’. Mountaintops visible (8:4–5)

M’. Waters abate (8:5)

L’. Forty days of receding waters (8:6a)

K’. Noah opens window of ark (8:6b)

J’. Raven and dove leave ark (8:7–8)

I’. Water on the earth (8:9)

H’. Seven days waiting for water to subside (8:10)

G’. Dove leaves the ark (8:10b–12)

F’. Year 601 – the earth dries (8:13)

E’. Command to leave the ark + fulfillment (8:15–19)

D’. Commands regarding food in the new order (9:1–5)

C’. Covenant to sustain all flesh (9:8–10)

B’. No flood will destroy flesh (9:15)

A’. Elokim pledges to Noah to preserve all flesh (9:17)