Sometimes the structure of a biblical passage helps us to better understand it. An interesting structure leads us to grasp that there is design and beauty behind the transmission of the account. The account of Noah and the flood in Genesis 6-8 is an example of a passage that has more design behind it than we might realize.
The flood narrative is in the form of a chiasm. This structure is a common ancient pattern in which items repeat in reverse order—think 1-2-3-4-3-2-1 or a-b-b-a. It is called a chiasm after the Greek letter chi, which looks like our letter x. Readers often find chiasms in the Psalms, as this device was often used in biblical poetry. See the verses below with my notations added:
Psalm 95:4-5 (ESV)
A 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
B the heights of the mountains are his also.
B’ 5 The sea is his, for he made it,
A’ and his hands formed the dry land.
Notice in the A lines, the psalmist is repeating thoughts about the hands of God and the land. In the B lines, we see reference to the mountains and sea, clearly creations of God that are not the typical land. Thus, the 1st and 4th lines parallel each other while the 2nd and 3rd lines parallel one another.
While it is interesting to find these structures in the texts of Hebrew poetry, it is also interesting to find them in a more major text. Scholars have claimed for years that such a structure is to be found in the narrative of the flood in Genesis 6-8. Not all scholars define the chiasm in exactly the same way, but the presence of the structure is clear. See the following examples:
From: R. Kent Hughes, Genesis: Beginning and Blessing in Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), Genesis 6:9.
Title: “These are the generations of Noah.”
Introduction: Noah’s righteousness and Noah’s sons (6:9-10).
A God resolves to destroy the corrupt race (6:11-13).
B Noah builds an ark according to God’s instructions (6:14-22).
C The Lord commands the remnant to enter the ark (7:1-9).
D The flood begins (7:10-16).
E The flood prevails 150 days, and the mountains are covered (7:17-24).
F God remembers Noah (8:1a)
E 1 The flood recedes 150 days, and the mountains are visible (8:1b-5).
D 1 The earth dries (8:6-14).
C 1 God commands the remnant to leave the ark (8:15-19).
B 1 Noah builds an altar (8:20).
A 1 The Lord resolves not to destroy humankind (8:21-22).
From: Lee Anderson Jr., “A Deeper Understanding of the Flood—Making the Most of the Message,” (Answers in Genesis, April 1, 2014); Accessed 25 May 2016, available from https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/making-the-most-of-the-message/; Internet.
A. Transitional Introduction: Noah and His Sons (6:9–10)
B. The Corruption of All Flesh (6:11–12)
C. God’s Resolution to Destroy the Earth by Flood (6:13–22)
D. God’s Command and Noah’s Response: The Entrance into the Ark (7:1–10)
E. The Beginning of the Flood: The Inundating of the Earth (7:11–16)
F. The Rising of the Waters (7:17–24)
G. God’s Remembrance of Noah (8:1a)—central theme of the account of Noah’s Flood
F’. The Recession of the Waters (8:1b–5)
E’. The End of the Flood: The Drying of the Earth (8:6–14)
D’. God’s Command and Noah’s Response: The Exodus from the Ark (8:15–19)
C’. God’s Resolution Never Again to Destroy the Earth by Flood (8:20–22)
B’. The Covenant
A’. Transitional Conclusion: Noah and His Sons (9:18–19)
Besides the way that these authors see the events as parallel, readers can catch clues of the structure in the repetition of numbers. Noah gets 7 days warning before entering the ark. The rains come for 40 days. The waters prevail for 150 days. The waters recede for 150 days. The land dries for 40 days. Noah sends out the dove for 7 days at a time. The pattern is certainly there.
Now, why would we care about the presence of such a structure? Is this all just for Bible nerds who like to see things others don’t? On the one hand, this is not necessary for someone to see on their own in order to gain the truth of God from the flood narrative. At the same time, seeing the chiastic structure of the flood account shows us at least two things.
First, the chiasm shows us the hand of God and the wisdom of Moses in the composition of this event. Moses was reporting history to us. Yet, as he wrote the account, he also chose to structure the telling in such a way as to make the passage stand out, especially to those who were accustomed to this kind of poetic device. There is a sweet and subtle beauty to what is written here, a hint of the artistry of God in the pages of holy Scripture.
Also, in many chiastic structures, the central point or central two points are the keys to understanding the passage. IN this instance, the statement that God remembered Noah is the very center, the turning point of the passage. God did not leave Noah to the flood. God was faithful to his promises. The reason humanity exists and that God’s promises did not fail is because God remembered Noah. The mystery of the flood narrative is not the question of why God would flood the world, but rather why would God allow anyone to survive. The center of the chiasm shows us that the reason that God allowed the survival of humanity is that God has remembered, been faithful to, his promises.
Pastor Travis Peterson 