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Literary structure (chiasm, chiasmus) of Book of Ezra and Nehemiah

Correspondence table of Pericopes and Literary Structure


Ezra and Nehemiah were not separated in original Hebrew version.
The text can be divided in 25 (5 x 5) pericopes. This text includes, one 12 paired (25 pericopes) whole concentric structure, divided in three 4 paired concentric structures, divided in four 3 paired concentric structures, divided in five 2 paired concentric structures.

Pericope1345
1 End of the Babylonian captivity (Ezr1:1-11) 1-1 3-1 4-1 5-1
2 List of the returned exiles (Ezr2:1-70) 1-1 3-1 4-1 5-1
3 Worship restored at Jerusalem (Ezr3:1-7) 1-1 3-1 4-1 5-1
4 Resistance to rebuilding the Temple (Ezr4:1-24) 1-1 3-1 4-1 5-1
5 Restoration of the Temple resumed (Ezr5:1-Ezr6:14) 1-1 3-1 4-1 5-1
6 Completion of the temple (Ezr6:14-18) 1-1 3-1 4-1 5-2
7 Passover (Ezr6:19-22) 1-1 3-1 4-1 4-2 5-2
8 Heads of families who returned with Ezra (Ezr7:1-Ezr8:14) 1-1 3-1 4-2 5-2
9 The return to Jerusalem (Ezr8:15-36) 1-1 3-1 3-2 4-2 5-2
10 Denunciation of mixed marriages (Ezr9:1-Ezr10:4) 1-1 3-2 4-2 5-2
11 Foreign wives and their children rejected (Ezr10:5-17) 1-1 3-2 4-2 5-3
12 List of the sinned people (Ezr10:18-44) 1-1 3-2 4-2 5-3
13 Nehemiah prays for his people (Ne1:1-Ne2:20) 1-1 3-2 4-2 4-3 5-3
14 Organization of the work (Ne3:1-32) 1-1 3-2 4-3 5-3
15 Hostile plots thwarted (Ne4:1-23) 1-1 3-2 4-3 5-3
16 Nehemiah deals with oppression (Ne5:1-19) 1-1 3-2 4-3 5-4
17 Intrigues of enemies foiled (Ne6:1-19) 1-1 3-2 3-3 4-3 5-4
18 List of the returned exiles (Ne7:1-72a) 1-1 3-3 4-3 5-4
19 Ezra summons the people to obey the law (Ne7:72b-Ne8:18) 1-1 3-3 4-3 4-4 5-4
20 National confession (Ne9:1-37) 1-1 3-3 4-4 5-4
21 List of covenant (Ne10:1-30) 1-1 3-3 4-4 5-5
22 Covenant (Ne10:31-40) 1-1 3-3 4-4 5-5
23 People live inside and outside Jerusalem (Ne11:1-36) 1-1 3-3 4-4 5-5
24 Dedication of the city wall (Ne12:1-47) 1-1 3-3 4-4 5-5
25 The reforms of Nehemiah (Ne13:1-31) 1-1 3-3 4-4 5-5

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

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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.

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