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Literary structure (chiasm, chiasmus) of Book of Daniel

Chiastic Structure and Concentric Structure and Parallel of each pericope

[1]Four young Israelites at the Babylonian court  (Dan 1:1-21)
 
  A(1:1-7)  
"1:4 young men without any defect, handsome, intelligent and wise, quick to learn, and prudent in judgment (1:4)"   
(חכמה)
    B(1:8-10)    1:9 Though God had given Daniel the favor and sympathy of the chief chamberlain, (1:9)
      C(1:11-13)      1:12 "Please test your servants for ten days. Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. (1:12)
    B'(1:14-16)    1:14 He acceded to this request, and tested them for ten days; (1:14)
  A'(1:17-21)  
1:17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency in all literature and science (1:17)   
(וחכמה)
 
   A: Four boys. B: Favor of Gentiles. C: Vegetarian diet.

[2]Nebuchadnezzar's dream  (Dan 2:1-49)
 
  A(2:1-13)  2:2 So he ordered that the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans be summoned to interpret the dream for him (2:2)
    B(2:14-16)    2:14 Then Daniel prudently took counsel with Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had set out to kill the wise men of Babylon: (2:14)
      C(2:17-24)      2:19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he blessed the God of heaven: (2:19)
    B'(2:25)    2:24 So Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon (2:24)
  A'(2:26-49)  2:27 The mystery about which the king has inquired, the wise men, enchanters, magicians, and astrologers could not explain to the king (2:27)
 
   A: Interpretation of the dream. B: Correspondence of Daniel. C: Daniel knew the mystery.

[3]The fiery furnace  (Dan 3:1-30)
 
  A(3:1-12)  Command of the king
    B(3:13-18)    Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage (3:13)
      C(3:19-23)      3:20 and had some of the strongest men in his army bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the white-hot furnace. (3:20)
    B'(3:24-27)    King Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles (3:24)
  A'(3:28-30)  Command of the king
 
   A: Commands of the king. B: Changes of feeling of the king. C: To cast them into the white-hot furnace.

[4]Nebuchadnezzar's second dream  (Dan 3:31-4:25)
 
P(3:31-33)4:2 I had a terrifying dream as I lay in bed (4:2)
  A(4:1-9)  4:7 I saw a tree of great height at the center of the world. (4:7)
    B(4:10-15)    4:10 In the vision I saw while in bed, a holy sentinel came down from heaven,(4:10)
  A'(4:16-19)  4:17 The large, strong tree that you saw (4:17)
    B'(4:20-25)    4:20 As for the king's vision of a holy sentinel that came down from heaven and proclaimed (4:20)
 
   A: A tree. B: An angel.

[5]Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation  (Dan 4:26-34)
 
  A(4:26-27)  
"4:27 the king said, "Babylon the great! Was it not I, with my great strength, who built it as a royal residence for my splendor and majesty?"(4:27)"   
(הדרי)
    B(4:28-29)    
"4:29 You shall be cast out from among men, and shall dwell with wild beasts; you shall be given grass to eat like an ox, and seven years shall pass over you (4:29)"   
(טרדין)
    B'(4:30)    
"4:30 Nebuchadnezzar was cast out from among men, he ate grass like an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven (4:30)"   
(טריד)
  A'(4:31-34)  
"4:33 for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and my splendor returned to me (4:33)"   
(והדרת)
 
   A: Majesty. B: To be cast out.

[6]The writing on the wall  (Dan 5:1-30)
 
  A(5:1-9)  Request of the king
    B(5:10-12)    He knew and understood how to interpret dreams, explain enigmas, and solve difficulties (5:12)
  A'(5:13-16)  Request of the king
    B'(5:17-30)    5:17 the writing I will read for you, O king, and tell you what it means. (5:17)
 
   A: Request of the king. B: Interpretation of Daniel.

[7]Daniel in the Lion's den  (Dan 6:1-29)
 
  A(6:1-6)  6:5 the supervisors and satraps tried to find grounds for accusation against Daniel (6:5)
    B(6:7-11)    6:8 no one is to address any petition to god or man for thirty days, except to you (6:8)
    B'(6:12-16)    6:13 no one is to address a petition to god or man for thirty days, except to you (6:13)
  A'(6:17-29)  6:25 The king then ordered the men who had accused Daniel, along with their children and their wives, to be cast into the lions' den (6:25)
 
   A: Accusation. B: No one is to address any petition to god or man for thirty days, except to you.

[8]The visions of four beasts  (Dan 7:1-8)
 
P(7:1)7:1 Daniel had a dream as he lay in bed (7:1)
  A(7:2-4)  
"7:4 it was raised from the ground to stand on two feet like a man, and given a human mind.(7:4)"   
(כאנשׁ)
    B(7:5)    
"7:5 It was given the order, "Up, devour much flesh."(7:5)"   
(אכלי)
      C(7:6)      7:6 To this beast dominion was given.(7:6)
    B'(7:7)    
7:7 it had great iron teeth with which it devoured and crushed (7:7)   
(אכלה)
  A'(7:8)  
"7:8 This horn had eyes like a man, and a mouth that spoke arrogantly. (7:8)"   
(אנשׁא)
 
   A: Like a man. B: To eat. C: Dominion.

[9]Judgment before the ancient one  (Dan 7:9-14)
 
  A(7:9-10)  
7:9 the Ancient One took his throne (7:9)   
(ועתיקיומין)
    B(7:11-12)    7:11 the beast was slain and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up. (7:11)
  A'(7:13-14)  
7:13 he reached the Ancient One (7:13)   
(עתיקיומיא)
 
   A: The Ancient One. B: Death of the beast.

[10]Daniel's visions interpreted  (Dan 7:15-28)
 
  A(7:15)  
"7:15 I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its sheath of flesh, and I was terrified by the visions of my mind. (7:15)"   
(יבהלנני)
    B(7:16-18)    7:16 he made known to me the meaning of the things: (7:16)
      C(7:19-22)      7:22 until the Ancient One arrived; judgment was pronounced in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, and the time came when the holy ones possessed the kingdom. (7:22)
    B'(7:23-27)    7:23 He answered me thus (7:23)
  A'(7:28)  
"7:28 I, Daniel, was greatly terrified by my thoughts, and my face blanched (7:28)"   
(יבהלנני)
 
   A: To be terrified. B: Interpretation. C: Judgement.

[11]Vision of a ram and a goat  (Dan 8:1-14)
 
  A(8:1-2)  
"8:1 After this first vision, I, Daniel, had another (8:1)"   
(חזון)
    B(8:3-4)    8:3 a ram with two great horns, the one larger and newer than the other. (8:3)
      C(8:5-7)      8:6 It approached the two-horned ram I had seen standing by the river, and rushed toward it with savage force. (8:6)
    B'(8:8-12)    8:9 Out of one of them came a little horn (8:9)
  A'(8:13-14)  
8:13 How long shall the events of this vision last (8:13)   
(החזון)
 
   A: The visions. B: Horns. C: Attack of the he-goat.

[12]Gabriel interprets the vision  (Dan 8:15-27)
 
  A(8:15)  8:15 I, Daniel, sought the meaning of the vision I had seen (8:15)
    B(8:16-17)    8:17 the vision refers to the end time (8:17)
      C(8:18-25)      Interpretation of the vision
    B'(8:26)    8:26 the days are to be many (8:26)
  A'(8:27)  8:27I was appalled at the vision, which I could not understand.(8:27)
 
   A: To understand the vision. B: The end time. C: Interpretation of the vision.

[13]Daniel's prayer for the people  (Dan 9:1-20)
 
  A(9:1-3)  9:3 I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. (9:3)
    B(9:4-10)    
"yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness (9:9)"   
(הרחמים)
      C(9:11-15)      9:12 bringing upon us in Jerusalem the greatest calamity that has ever occurred under heaven. (9:12)
    B'(9:16-19)    
"we rely not on our just deeds, but on your great mercy (9:18)"   
(רחמיך)
  A'(9:20)  presenting my petition to the LORD (9:20)
 
   A: Petitions. B: Mercy. C: The greatest calamity.

[14]The seventy weeks  (Dan 9:21-27)
 
  A(9:21)  
9:21 came to me in rapid flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.(9:21)   
(מנחת)
    B(9:22-24)    9:24 "Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and for your holy city (9:24)
    B'(9:25-26)    9:25 there shall be seven weeks. During sixty-two weeks it shall be rebuilt (9:25)
  A'(9:27)  
9:27 Half the week he shall abolish sacrifice and oblation (9:27)   
(ומנחה)
 
   A: Sacrifices. B: Periods.

[15]Vision about the time of the end  (Dan 10:1-21)
 
  A(10:1-10)  
"10:9 When I heard the sound of his voice, I fell face forward in a faint. (10:9)"   
(ופניארצה)
    B(10:11-14)    10:13 until finally Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me (10:13)
  A'(10:15-19)  
"10:15 While he was speaking thus to me, I fell forward and kept silent. (10:15)"   
(פניארצה)
    B'(10:20-21)    10:21No one supports me against all these except Michael, your prince,(10:21)
 
   A: To fall forward. B: Michael.

[16]Angel's prophecy  (Dan 11:1-45)
 
  A(11:1-8)  11:7 a descendant of her line shall succeed to his rank, and shall come against the rampart and enter the stronghold of the king of the north, and conquer them (11:7)
    B(11:9-12)    11:12 and be carried off. In the pride of his heart, he shall lay low tens of thousands, but he shall not triumph. (11:12)
      C(11:13-19)      11:13 For the king of the north shall raise another army, greater than before; after some years he shall attack with this large army and great resources. (11:13)
        D(11:20-24)        11:23 After allying with him (11:23)
        D'(11:25-28)        11:27 The two kings, resolved on evil, shall sit at table together and exchange lies (11:27)
      C'(11:29-35)      11:29 At the time appointed he shall come again to the south, but this time it shall not be as before. (11:29)
    B'(11:36-39)    11:36 The king shall do as he pleases, exalting himself and making himself greater than any god (11:36)
  A'(11:40-45)  11:40 At the appointed time the king of the south shall come to grips with him (11:40)
 
   A: Attacks of the south. B: Arrogance. C: Attacks of the north. D: Alliances.

[17]The resurrection of the dead  (Dan 12:1-13)
 
  A(12:1-3)  
12:3 But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament (12:3)   
(והמשׂכלים)
    B(12:4)    
"12:4 As for you, Daniel, keep secret the message and seal the book until the end time (12:4)"   
(וחתם)
      C(12:5-6)      12:6 How long shall it be to the end of these appalling things? (12:6)
        D(12:7)        12:7 when the power of the destroyer of the holy people was brought to an end, all these things should end.(12:7)
      C'(12:8)      12:8My lord, what follows this? (12:8)
    B'(12:9)    
"12:9 "Go, Daniel," he said, "because the words are to be kept secret and sealed until the end time. (12:9)"   
(וחתמים)
  A'(12:10-13)  
"12:10 none of them shall have understanding, but the wise shall have it. (12:10)"   
(והמשׂכלים)
 
   A: The wise. B: To keep secret. C: Questions of Daniel. D: When the power of the destroyer of the holy people was brought to an end, all these things should end.


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.
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