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Literary structure (chiasm, chiasmus) of Book of Jonah

Chiastic Structure and Concentric Structure and Parallel of each pericope

[1]Jonah tries to run away from God  (Jon 1:1-3)
 
  A(1:1-2)  The command of the LORD
  A'(1:3)  Rejection of the command
 
   A: The command of the LORD.

[2]Jonah's disaster  (Jon 1:4-16)
 
  A(1:4-5)  1:4 in the furious tempest that arose the ship was on the point of breaking up. (1:4)
    B(1:6-8)    1:8 Tell us why this calamity has come upon us (1:8)
      C(1:9)      Words of Jonah
        D(1:10a)        Words of the people
          E(1:10b)          1:10 They knew that he was fleeing from the LORD (1:10)
        D(1:11)        Words of the people
      C'(1:12)      Words of Jonah
    B'(1:13-14)    1:14 let us not perish for taking this man's life (1:14)
  A'(1:15-16)  1:15 the sea's raging abated. (1:15)
 
   A: The tempest. B: Responsibility of the tempest. C: Words of Jonah. D: Words of the people. E: Jonah was fleeing from the LORD.

[3]A psalm of thanksgiving  (Jon 2:1-11)
 
  A(2:1)  
"2:1 the LORD sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah (2:1)"   
(דג)
    B(2:2-3)    2:3 From the midst of the nether world I cried for help, and you heard my voice. (2:3)
      C(2:4-7)      2:6 you brought up my life from the Pit, O LORD my God (2:6)
    B'(2:8-10)    2:8 My prayer reached you in your holy temple. (2:8)
  A'(2:11)  
2:11 Then the LORD commanded the fish to spew Jonah upon the shore.(2:11)   
(דג)
 
   A: The commands of the LORD. B: Calling for salvation. C: Salvation of the LORD.

[4]Conversion of Nineveh  (Jon 3:1-10)
 
  A(3:1-4)  3:4 Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed (3:4)
    B(3:5-9)    3:5 they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. (3:5)
  A'(3:10)  3:10 he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them (3:10)
 
   A: The disaster. B: Conversion.

[5]Jonah is reproved  (Jon 4:1-11)
 
  A(4:1-3)  Dissatisfaction of Jonah
    B(4:4)    4:4 Have you reason to be angry? (4:4)
      C(4:5-6)      The LORD saved Jonah
  A'(4:7-8)  Dissatisfaction of Jonah
    B'(4:9)    4:9 Have you reason to be angry over the plant? (4:9)
      C'(4:10-11)      The LORD saved Nineveh
 
   A: Dissatisfaction of Jonah. B: Have you reason to be angry? C: The LORD saved.


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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