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Literary structure (chiasmus, chiasm) of Book of Zechariah

Chiasmus and Concentric Structure of divided by 5


5-1

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)
Former halfRelationLatter half
1 Israel urged to repent (1:1-6)
Thus says the LORD of hosts: Turn from your evil ways and from your wicked deeds. (1:4)
Evil ways / the way of the LORD5 Fourth vision (3:1-10)
If you walk in my ways and heed my charge, you shall judge my house and keep my courts, and I will give you access among these standing here. (3:7)
2 First vision (1:7-17)
My cities shall again overflow with prosperity; the LORD will again comfort Zion, and again choose Jerusalem. (1:17)
Selecting Jerusalem again4 An appeal to the exiles (2:7-17)
The LORD will possess Judah as his portion of the holy land, and he will again choose Jerusalem. (2:16)

5-1-1

1 Israel urged to repent (1:1-6)
  2 First vision (1:7-17)
3 Second vision and third vision (2:1-6)
Former halfRelationLatter half
1 Israel urged to repent (1:1-6)
The LORD of hosts has treated us according to our ways and deeds, just as he had determined he would. (1:6)
Measuring a deed of human3 Second vision and third vision (2:1-6)
"Where are you going?" I asked. "To measure Jerusalem," he answered; "to see how great is its width and how great its length." (2:6)

5-1-2

3 Second vision and third vision (2:1-6)
  4 An appeal to the exiles (2:7-17)
5 Fourth vision (3:1-10)
Former halfRelationLatter half
3 Second vision and third vision (2:1-6)
see 4-1
see 4-15 Fourth vision (3:1-10)
see 4-1

5-2

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)
Former halfRelationLatter half
6 Fifth vision (4:1-14)
For even they who were scornful on that day of small beginnings shall rejoice to see the select stone in the hands of Zerubbabel. (4:10)
Must rejoice / mourn10 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)
7 Sixth and seventh vision (5:1-11)
He replied, "To build a temple for it in the land of Shinar; when the temple is ready, they will deposit it there in its place." (5:11)
Building a temple9 The coronation of the branch (6:9-15)
he shall build the temple of the LORD. (6:12)
7 Sixth and seventh vision (5:1-11)
Then I raised my eyes and saw two women coming forth with a wind ruffling their wings, (5:9)
Two persons9 The coronation of the branch (6:9-15)
The priest shall be put at his right hand, and between the two of them there shall be friendly understanding. (6:13)

5-2-1

6 Fifth vision (4:1-14)
  7 Sixth and seventh vision (5:1-11)
8 Eighth vision (6:1-8)
Former halfRelationLatter half
6 Fifth vision (4:1-14)
see 1-1-1
see 1-1-18 Eighth vision (6:1-8)
see 1-1-1

5-2-2

8 Eighth vision (6:1-8)
  9 The coronation of the branch (6:9-15)
10 Question of prophet (7:1-7)
Former halfRelationLatter half
8 Eighth vision (6:1-8)
Again I raised my eyes and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains; (6:1)
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)

5-3

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)
Former halfRelationLatter half
11 Punishment for rejecting God's demands (7:8-14)
see 1-1
see 1-115 Joyful fasting (8:18-23)
see 1-1
12 The promise about Zion (8:1-8)
see 1-1
see 1-114 Judgment for peace (8:14-17)
see 1-1

5-3-1

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
11 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)
Scattered13 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; do not fear, but let your hands be strong. (8:13)

5-3-2

13 The seed of peace (8:9-13)
  14 Judgment for peace (8:14-17)
15 Joyful fasting (8:18-23)
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)
Judah becomes the blessing15 Joyful fasting (8:18-23)
8:23 Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men of every nationality, speaking different tongues, shall take hold, yes, take hold of every Jew by the edge of his garment and say, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."(8:23)

5-4

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)
Former halfRelationLatter half
16 Judgment on Israel's enemies (9:1-8)
He also shall become a remnant for our God, and shall be like a family in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites. (9:7)
Person of a family20 Mourning for the pierced one (12:7-14)
And the land shall mourn, each family apart: the family of the house of David, and their wives; the family of the house of Nathan, and their wives; (12:12)
17 The coming ruler of God's people (9:9-11:3)
9:10 He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem (9:10)
Invalidation of warhorses19 Jerusalem's victory (12:1-6)
12:4 I will strike every horse with fright, and its rider with madness (12:4)

5-4-1

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)
Former halfRelationLatter half
16 Judgment on Israel's enemies (9:1-8)
9:5 Ashkelon shall see it and be afraid; Gaza also: she shall be in great anguish; Ekron, too, for her hope shall come to nought. The king shall disappear from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited, 9:6 and the baseborn shall occupy Ashdod. I will destroy the pride of the Philistine (9:5-6)
Discord with other nations18 Two kinds of shepherds (11:4-17)
Then I took my staff "Favor" and snapped it asunder, breaking off the covenant which I had made with all peoples; (11:10)

5-4-2

18 Two kinds of shepherds (11:4-17)
  19 Jerusalem's victory (12:1-6)
20 Mourning for the pierced one (12:7-14)
Former halfRelationLatter half
18 Two kinds of shepherds (11:4-17)
see 1-1-2
see 1-1-220 Mourning for the pierced one (12:7-14)
see 1-1-2

5-5

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
21 Idolatry cut off (13:1-6)
On that day, says the LORD of hosts, 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)
Expelled uncleanness25 Final victory (14:20-21)
On that day there shall no longer be any merchant in the house of the LORD of hosts. (14:21)
22 The shepherd struck, the flock scattered (13:7-9)
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is my associate, says the LORD of hosts. Strike the shepherd that the sheep may be dispersed, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. (13:7)
Confused and scattered people24 Fight in Jerusalem (14:8-19)
On that day there shall be among them a great tumult from the LORD: every man shall seize the hand of his neighbor, and the hand of each shall be raised against that of his neighbor. (14:13)

5-5-1

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)
Former halfRelationLatter half
21 Idolatry cut off (13:1-6)
see 4-4
see 4-423 The day of the LORD is coming (14:1-7)
see 4-4

5-5-2

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
23 The day of the LORD is coming (14:1-7)
14:1 the spoils shall be divided in your midst.(14:1)
End of injustice25 Final victory (14:20-21)
14:21 there shall no longer be any merchant in the house of the LORD of hosts.(14:21)

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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