It has long been recognized that biblical writers made use of a rhetorical pattern known as "chiasmus," a literary form consisting of two or more parallel lines structured about a central theme. Only recently has it become apparent that chiasmus is one of the most frequently occurring patterns in both the Old and NewTestaments, and that its detection and proper analysis open new and significant avenues toward understanding the author's message. The aim of this book is to introduce the reader to this pattern and to demonstrate its importance for the task of biblical interpretation. By learning the laws that govern chiasmus, virtually anyone with a minimal sense for the flow of language can read the Scriptures with new depths of pleasure and comprehension. For those who come to the text with faith, they can discover that in the rhetorical shape of biblical language, beauty and truth are mutually expressive.
- from page 1, The Shape of Biblical Language