Genesis 6:10-9:19 – Noah’s Flood

 

From Gordon Wenham’s commentary on Genesis:

The Structure of the Flood Story

A    Noah (6:10a)

B    Shem, Ham, and Japheth (10b)

C    Ark to be built (14-16)

D    Flood announced (17)

E    Covenant with Noah (18-20)

F    Food in the ark (21)

G    Command to enter the ark (7:1-3)

H    7 days waiting for flood (4-5)

I     7 days waiting for flood (7-10)

J     Entry to ark (11-15)

K    YHWH shuts Noah in (16)

L    40 days flood (17a)

M   Waters increase (17b-18)

N    Mountains covered (19-20)

O    150 days water prevail (21-24)

P    God remembers Noah (8:1)

O’   150 days waters abate (3)

N’   Mountain tops visible (4-5)

M’   Waters abate (5)

L’   40 days (end of) (6a)

K’   Noah opens window of ark (6b)

J’    Raven and dove leave ark (7-9)

I’    7 days waiting for waters to subside (10-11)

H’   7 days waiting for waters to subside (12-13)

G’   Command to leave ark (15-17 [22])

F’   Food outside ark (9:1-4)

E’   Covenant with all flesh (8-10)

D’   No flood in the future (11-17)

C’   Ark (18a)

B’   Shem, Ham and Japheth (18b)

A’   Noah (19)

Comments:

I thought I would throw this one in just to show how some relatively famous texts are chiastic.  To tell you the truth I haven’t checked it out.  It does look pretty good though. 

The center is interesting here.  “God remembers Noah”.  It a turning point in the story.  After God ‘remembers’, the waters begin to go down.  The situation gets better. 

Good.

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