FAQ       Top  >  Literary Structure of the Bible  >  Book of Exodus

Literary structure (chiasm, chiasmus) of Book of Exodus

Correspondence table of Pericopes and Literary Structure


The text can be divided in 49 (7 x 7) pericopes. This text includes, one 24 paired (49 pericopes) whole concentric structure, divided in two 12 paired concentric structures, divided in three 8 paired concentric structures, divided in four 6 paired concentric structures, divided in seven 3 paired concentric structures.
The themes of each structure are:
Whole : The salvation of the Lord.
Divided in two: People can escape from evil if they observe the command of the Lord.
Divided in three: The change of places (Egypt, Desert, and Mt. Sinai).
Divided in four: The Lord is merciful to those who keep the command of the Lord.
Divided in seven: divided by change of each small theme.

Pericope12347
1 Introduction (1:1-7) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-1
2 Construction of Cities (1:8-14) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-1
3 Command to Kill Boys (1:15-22) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-1
4 Birth and Youth of Moses (2:1-10) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-1
5 Moses flees to Midian (2:11-15) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-1
6 Marriage of Moses (2:16-22) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-1
7 The LORD's Mercy for Israel (2:23-25) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-1
8 Moses at the Burning Bush (3:1-4:17) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-2
9 Moses Returns to Egypt (4:18-31) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-2
10 Bricks without Straw (5:1-23) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-2
11 Israel's Deliverance Assured (6:1-12) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-2
12 The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron (6:13-27) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 7-2
13 Moses and Aaron obey Commands of God (6:28-7:7) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 4-2 7-2
14 Ten Miracles (7:8-10:29) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-2 7-2
15 Warning of the Final Plague (11:1-10) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-2 7-3
16 The First Passover Instituted (12:1-28) 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-2 7-3
17 The Tenth Plague (12:29-32) 1-1 2-1 3-1 3-2 4-2 7-3
18 The Exodus (12:33-41) 1-1 2-1 3-2 4-2 7-3
19 Directions for the Passover (12:42-51) 1-1 2-1 3-2 4-2 7-3
20 The Consecration of the First-born (13:1-2) 1-1 2-1 3-2 4-2 7-3
21 The Festival of Unleavened Bread (13:3-10) 1-1 2-1 3-2 4-2 7-3
22 The Consecration of the First-born (13:11-16) 1-1 2-1 3-2 4-2 7-4
23 The Pillars of Cloud and Fire (13:17-22) 1-1 2-1 3-2 4-2 7-4
24 Crossing the Red Sea (14:1-18) 1-1 2-1 3-2 4-2 7-4
25 The Pursuers Drowned (14:19-31) 1-1 2-1 2-2 3-2 4-2 4-3 7-4
26 The Song of Moses (15:1-19) 1-1 2-2 3-2 4-3 7-4
27 The Song of Miriam (15:20-21) 1-1 2-2 3-2 4-3 7-4
28 Bitter Water Made Sweet (15:22-27) 1-1 2-2 3-2 4-3 7-4
29 Bread from Heaven (16:1-36) 1-1 2-2 3-2 4-3 7-5
30 Water from the Rock (17:1-7) 1-1 2-2 3-2 4-3 7-5
31 Amalek Attacks Israel and Is Defeated (17:8-16) 1-1 2-2 3-2 4-3 7-5
32 Jethro's Advice (18:1-27) 1-1 2-2 3-2 4-3 7-5
33 The Israelites Reach Mount Sinai (19:1-9) 1-1 2-2 3-2 3-3 4-3 7-5
34 The LORD Comes Down upon Mount Sinai (19:10-19) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-3 7-5
35 Moses goes up to Mount Sinai (19:20-25) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-3 7-5
36 The Ten Commandments (20:1-21) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-3 7-6
37 The Book of the Covenant (20:22-23:33) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-3 4-4 7-6
38 The Blood of the Covenant (24:1-18) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-6
39 The Command to Make the Tabernacle (25:1-31:12) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-6
40 Sabbath Regulations (31:12-18) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-6
41 The Golden Calf (32:1-33:6) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-6
42 The Tent Outside the Camp (33:7-11) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-6
43 The LORD goes with Israelites (33:12-17) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-7
44 The Glory of God (33:18-23) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-7
45 The Covenant Renewed (34:1-28) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-7
46 The shining face of Moses (34:29-35) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-7
47 Preparation for Constructing the Tabernacle (35:1-39:43) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-7
48 Construction of the Tabernacle (40:1-33) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-7
49 The Cloud and the Glory (40:34-38) 1-1 2-2 3-3 4-4 7-7

Citations of the Bible are from New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible.

Creative Commons License
Literary Structure of the Bible by Hajime Murai is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Caution: The copyright of the cited Bible verses belongs to each translator and publisher.

Comments