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Literary structure (chiasmus, chiasm) of Book of Zechariah

Chiasmus and Concentric Structure of whole text


1-1

1 Israel urged to repent (1:1-6)
  2 First vision (1:7-17)
    3 Second vision and third vision (2:1-6)
      4 An appeal to the exiles (2:7-17)
        5 Fourth vision (3:1-10)
          6 Fifth vision (4:1-14)
            7 Sixth and seventh vision (5:1-11)
              8 Eighth vision (6:1-8)
                9 The coronation of the branch (6:9-15)
                  10 Question of prophet (7:1-7)
                    11 Punishment for rejecting God's demands (7:8-14)
                      12 The promise about Zion (8:1-8)
                        13 The seed of peace (8:9-13)
                      14 Judgment for peace (8:14-17)
                    15 Joyful fasting (8:18-23)
                  16 Judgment on Israel's enemies (9:1-8)
                17 The coming ruler of God's people (9:9-11:3)
              18 Two kinds of shepherds (11:4-17)
            19 Jerusalem's victory (12:1-6)
          20 Mourning for the pierced one (12:7-14)
        21 Idolatry cut off (13:1-6)
      22 The shepherd struck, the flock scattered (13:7-9)
    23 The day of the LORD is coming (14:1-7)
  24 Fight in Jerusalem (14:8-19)
25 Final victory (14:20-21)
Former halfRelationLatter half
1 Israel urged to repent (1:1-6)
1:3 Return to me, says the LORD of hosts (1:3)
To return to the LORD25 Final victory (14:20-21)
14:21 And every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts (14:21)
2 First vision (1:7-17)
1:14 I am deeply moved for the sake of Jerusalem and Zion, 1:15 and I am exceedingly angry with the complacent nations; whereas I was but a little angry, they added to the harm. (1:14-15)
The LORD strikes nations24 Fight in Jerusalem (14:8-19)
And this shall be the plague with which the LORD shall strike all the nations that have fought against Jerusalem: (14:12)
3 Second vision and third vision (2:1-6)
These are the horns that scattered Judah and Israel and Jerusalem. (2:2)
Scattered people23 The day of the LORD is coming (14:1-7)
And I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle: the city shall be taken, houses plundered, women ravished; half of the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be removed from the city. (14:2)
4 An appeal to the exiles (2:7-17)
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you (2:15)
Becoming the people of God22 The shepherd struck, the flock scattered (13:7-9)
They shall call upon my name, and I will hear them. I will say, "They are my people," and they shall say, "The LORD is my God. (13:9)
4 An appeal to the exiles (2:7-17)
for I scatter you to the four winds of heaven, (2:10)
Scattered people22 The shepherd struck, the flock scattered (13:7-9)
Strike the shepherd that the sheep may be dispersed, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. (13:7)
5 Fourth vision (3:1-10)
I will take away the guilt of the land in one day (3:9)
Taking away the guilt of the land21 Idolatry cut off (13:1-6)
I will destroy the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be mentioned no more; I will also take away the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness from the land (13:2)
6 Fifth vision (4:1-14)
Not by an army, nor by might, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts. (4:6)
Spirit of the LORD20 Mourning for the pierced one (12:7-14)
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; (12:10)
7 Sixth and seventh vision (5:1-11)
This is their guilt in all the land. (5:6)
Eyes on earth (ain)19 Jerusalem's victory (12:1-6)
I will strike blind all the horses of the peoples, but upon the house of Judah I will open my eyes, (12:4)
8 Eighth vision (6:1-8)
The chariot with the black horses was turning toward the land of the north, the red and the white horses went after them, and the spotted ones went toward the land of the south. (6:6)
Three persons go out18 Two kinds of shepherds (11:4-17)
In a single month I did away with the three shepherds. (11:8)
9 The coronation of the branch (6:9-15)
Yes, he shall build the temple of the LORD, and taking up the royal insignia, he shall sit as ruler upon his throne. The priest shall be put at his right hand, and between the two of them there shall be friendly understanding. (6:13)
Arrival of a king17 The coming ruler of God's people (9:9-11:3)
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, Meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. (9:9)
9 The coronation of the branch (6:9-15)
Silver and gold you shall take, and make a crown; place it on the head of (Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest) Zerubbabel. (6:11)
A crown17 The coming ruler of God's people (9:9-11:3)
For they are the jewels in a crown raised aloft over his land. (9:16)
10 Question of prophet (7:1-7)
Must I mourn and abstain in the fifth month as I have been doing these many years? (7:3)
Temperance / greed16 Judgment on Israel's enemies (9:1-8)
9:3 Tyre built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the mire of the streets. 9:4 Lo, the LORD will strip her of her possessions, and smite her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire. (9:3-4)
11 Punishment for rejecting God's demands (7:8-14)
7:13 Then the LORD of hosts in his great anger said that, as they had not listened when he called, so he would not listen when they called, (7:13)
Calling / Response15 Joyful fasting (8:18-23)
8:22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to implore the favor of the LORD. (8:22)
12 The promise about Zion (8:1-8)
8:2 I am intensely jealous for Zion, stirred to jealous wrath for her. (8:2)
Wrath of the LORD14 Judgment for peace (8:14-17)
8:14 Thus says the LORD of hosts: As I determined to harm you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, says the LORD of hosts, and I did not relent, (8:14)

1-1-1

1 Israel urged to repent (1:1-6)
  2 First vision (1:7-17)
    3 Second vision and third vision (2:1-6)
      4 An appeal to the exiles (2:7-17)
        5 Fourth vision (3:1-10)
          6 Fifth vision (4:1-14)
            7 Sixth and seventh vision (5:1-11)
          8 Eighth vision (6:1-8)
        9 The coronation of the branch (6:9-15)
      10 Question of prophet (7:1-7)
    11 Punishment for rejecting God's demands (7:8-14)
  12 The promise about Zion (8:1-8)
13 The seed of peace (8:9-13)
Former halfRelationLatter half
1 Israel urged to repent (1:1-6)
Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. (1:3)
The LORD returns13 The seed of peace (8:9-13)
8:11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in former days, says the LORD of hosts, (8:11)
2 First vision (1:7-17)
1:15 and I am exceedingly angry with the complacent nations; whereas I was but a little angry, they added to the harm.(1:15)
Wrath of the LORD12 The promise about Zion (8:1-8)
8:2 I am intensely jealous for Zion, stirred to jealous wrath for her. (8:2)
3 Second vision and third vision (2:1-6)
Here are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no man raised his head any more; (2:4)
Scattered11 Punishment for rejecting God's demands (7:8-14)
7:14 but would scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they did not know. (7:14)
4 An appeal to the exiles (2:7-17)
for I scatter you to the four winds of heaven, says the LORD. (2:10)
Four10 Question of prophet (7:1-7)
In the fourth year of Darius the king (the word of the LORD came to Zechariah), on the fourth day of Chislev, the ninth month, (7:1)
5 Fourth vision (3:1-10)
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, while Satan stood at his right hand to accuse him. (3:1)
Joshua the high priest9 The coronation of the branch (6:9-15)
Silver and gold you shall take, and make a crown; place it on the head of (Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest) Zerubbabel. (6:11)
5 Fourth vision (3:1-10)
Yes, I will bring my servant the Shoot. (3:8)
Branch9 The coronation of the branch (6:9-15)
Here is a man whose name is Shoot, (6:12)
6 Fifth vision (4:1-14)
Not by an army, nor by might, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts. (4:6)
Spirit / winds8 Eighth vision (6:1-8)
These are the four winds of the heavens, which are coming forth after being reviewed by the LORD of all the earth." (6:5)

1-1-2

13 The seed of peace (8:9-13)
  14 Judgment for peace (8:14-17)
    15 Joyful fasting (8:18-23)
      16 Judgment on Israel's enemies (9:1-8)
        17 The coming ruler of God's people (9:9-11:3)
          18 Two kinds of shepherds (11:4-17)
            19 Jerusalem's victory (12:1-6)
          20 Mourning for the pierced one (12:7-14)
        21 Idolatry cut off (13:1-6)
      22 The shepherd struck, the flock scattered (13:7-9)
    23 The day of the LORD is coming (14:1-7)
  24 Fight in Jerusalem (14:8-19)
25 Final victory (14:20-21)
Former halfRelationLatter half
13 The seed of peace (8:9-13)
8:13 Just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you that you may be a blessing; (8:13)
Blessed people25 Final victory (14:20-21)
14:21 And every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts; and all who come to sacrifice shall take them and cook in them. (14:21)
14 Judgment for peace (8:14-17)
so again in these days I have determined to favor Jerusalem and the house of Judah; do not fear! (8:15)
Favor to Judah and Jerusalem24 Fight in Jerusalem (14:8-19)
Judah also shall fight against Jerusalem. The riches of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together, gold, silver, and garments, in great abundance. (14:14)
15 Joyful fasting (8:18-23)
Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to implore the favor of the LORD. (8:22)
People of nations gather to Jerusalem23 The day of the LORD is coming (14:1-7)
And I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle: (14:2)
16 Judgment on Israel's enemies (9:1-8)
9:3 Tyre built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the mire of the streets. 9:4 Lo, the LORD will strip her of her possessions, and smite her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire. (9:3-4)
Gold, silver and fire22 The shepherd struck, the flock scattered (13:7-9)
I will bring the one third through fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and I will test them as gold is tested. (13:9)
17 The coming ruler of God's people (9:9-11:3)
For the teraphim speak nonsense, the diviners have false visions: Deceitful dreams they tell, empty comfort they offer. (10:2)
False vision21 Idolatry cut off (13:1-6)
13:4 On that day, every prophet shall be ashamed to prophesy his vision, neither shall he assume the hairy mantle to mislead, 13:5but he shall say, "I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the soil, for I have owned land since my youth." (13:4-5)
18 Two kinds of shepherds (11:4-17)
But the LORD said to me, "Throw it in the treasury, the handsome price at which they valued me." So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury in the house of the LORD. (11:13)
Compensation / sacrifice20 Mourning for the pierced one (12:7-14)
they shall look on him whom they have thrust through, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a first-born. (12:10)

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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