Biblical Ground-Motive: The Bible's Big Story (a Repost from Nov. 2009)

The Bible’s Big Story

Without a firm grasp on the Bible’s Big Story, its grand meta-narrative, our understanding of the smaller stories and even the Gospel is hindered. Moreover, given how fast our culture is moving from the Christian heritage to crass secularization, those with whom we would share the Gospel haven’t the necessary historical context to make the Gospel meaningful. What follows is just one suggestion to help improve these conditions.

Systematic-Theologically Stated

In essence, the Bible’s Big Story can be summed up in God creating and redeeming a humanity to dwell among, so that throughout the Story we hear the promising refrain that is finally and fully realized in Rev 21:3, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

Systematically stated, this Big Story or meta-narrative is an organic unity that unfolds through four major divisions: (1) Creation, (2) rebellion, (3) redemption, and (4) consummation or new creation. Thus, (1) God creates the universe and man. Originally, the creation and humanity were “very good” in God’s evaluation, by virtue of the entire created order, especially man, who, as prophet, priest, and king over creation, is in a proper relationship with the Creator God, evil being the contrary of this “very good” relationship.

Soon, though, (2) this sweet, loving, sustaining relationship was ruined by man’s rebellion against God. Because God is infinitely just and cannot lie, he was true to his word and decree, and thus brought man and his world under the judgment and curse promised upon man’s disobedience. Thankfully, (3) God is also infinitely merciful, and with the punishment came the Promise—the first promise of redemption, the Gospel (Gen 3:15). The promised “Seed of the woman,” the Coming One, “in the fullness of time” (Gal 4:4), Jesus Christ, stepped into history and accomplished that redemption through his incarnation, life, sacrificial-substitutionary death, resurrection from the dead, his exaltation to the right hand of the Father, and the sending of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (henceforth, these historical-redemptive events of Jesus’ sojourn on earth during his first coming will be called the Christ Event for convenience). We now live in the daily expectation of Christ’s return, when he will bring his redemptive work to a completion with his second coming, bring about a general resurrection of believers and unbelievers alike, and executing the final judgment, once for all to destroy all his enemies, Death and Hades, and the Adversary himself, that old serpent, Satan in the lake of fire. Only then, after the curse, evil, and death that was ushered in by man’s fall is finally destroyed, having been “put under Christ’s feet,” will (4) the new creation—the new heaven and new earth—be realized.

In the present, therefore, the whole creation in general (Rom 8:18f) and humanity in particular is living in the tension between Christ accomplishing redemption (his first coming) and his breaking into history to wrap up all things and bring that redemption to its completion in judgment on the wicked and salvation on the elect (his second coming). So “according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet 3:13). This hope is our salvation.

Lest it seem that we have gotten ahead of ourselves in neatly systematizing all the complex data from Scripture in the four-fold framework above (i.e., creation, rebellion, redemption, consummation or new creation; henceforth, CRRC), we should observe that within the Bible itself there is a similar structuring of the Plan of God, which also bears witness to the beautiful coherence of the Big Story.

Biblical-Theologically Stated

A quick caveat is in order at this point. We need to make clear what we mean when we distinguish between systematic and biblical theology. First, it is not as though systematic theology is unbiblical over against the other, the biblical theology. Rather the two could be fairly understood better as: systematic theology is deductive in drawing its conclusions, whereas the other, biblical theology, is an inductive process. Both, however, are biblical in the sense that each methodology, if done with integrity and fidelity to Christ, will reach ‘biblical’ conclusions.

Therefore, when coming to the biblical data, that is, what Scripture diachronically and organically reveals concerning the major turning points in the Big Story, we find the same categories, only framed a little differently.

There is a literary device known as an inclusio. An inclusio acts as bookends for the content of a given literary passage or even the entire work. That is to say, an author will include his central theme or thrust of a block of material at the beginning and a corresponding piece of the same at the end, thus emphasizing that he intends the reader to bear this central point in the fore of their thoughts while journeying from one bookend to another. One explicit example of the use of an inclusio would be John’s prologue to his gospel (1:1—18).

John’s prologue begins thus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1). This last phrase univocally states the deity of the Word, Jesus. Likewise, the prologue ends by restating the same point(s), “No one has ever seen God; the only God [“the Word was God,” 1:1c], who is at the Father’s side [“with God,” 1:1b, 2], he has made him known” (ESV 1:18). John therefore wants the reader to understand clearly from the start that the One who the entire rest of this gospel is about is none other than God himself. By means of the inclusio, then, John emphasizes the deity of Jesus, and his exclusive ability to reveal the Father (1:18c), which is exactly what the rest of John’s gospel is about.

Similarly, and closer to the context now under consideration, we also find an inclusio being used in Genesis 1:1 and 2:4. Genesis 1:1 reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Similarly, Genesis 2:4 says, “These are the generations of the heavens and earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.” These bookends are intended to stress that God, as Creator and Controller, is the absolute sovereign over everything that exists—everything. Such a concept would have stood in sharp contrast to every other prevailing pagan origins stories—whether they be in Moses’ day or our own! In addition, since Genesis 2:4 also serves as the introduction to the following section (2:4—24), they thus direct the reader toward harmonizing the two accounts. (It’s worth mentioning that these two examples are linked intentionally by John with the opening words: “In the beginning...” in a creational context [John 1:1—3]. To then discover that both introductions have a similar pattern with the rear bookend of the inclusio also preparing the reader for what follows is a literary jewel that shouldn’t be overlooked!)

Another strong feature in the Bible is known as chiasm. A chiasm begins and ends with the inclusio but also has more or less members between the bookends, which correspond respectively. For instance, it would follow a pattern similar to this: A-B-C-D-C’-B’-A’. Sometimes these members are comprised of single terms; sometimes they are constructed of larger concepts or thoughts.

With these illustrations of the inclusio and chiasm under our belt, we’re ready to move on and examine their function in the Big Story of creation, fall, redemption and consummation.

Granting, then, it’s overall unity, it should not surprise us that the Bible as a whole has this same features. The first three chapters (Gen 1 – 3) and the final three chapters (Rev 20 – 21) of the Bible have incredible correspondence to one another; so much so that there is sufficient reason to conclude that this pair of triplets form the inclusio that provides the bookends or framework for all the content between them; and the central thrust of the Big Story or meta-narrative, in terms of which all the little stories or micro-narratives make sense, not least the subject, object, and climax of the Big Story—the Christ Event. The Christ Event is the center or chi of the chiasm, making Jesus both the subject and object of all of history. As such, grasping the import of the centrality of the meanings of these member is essential for formulating a biblically robust doctrine of eschatology. This framework could be expressed as follows.


(A) Genesis 1:1—2:24 The Original “Very Good” Creation; God Dwelling with His People.

(A. 1) Gen 1:1—2:3 A general description of creation; God making all things from nothing

(A. 2. i) Gen 2:4—24 A particular description of creation; the dwelling place of God is with man contingently

(A. 2. ii) Gen 2:15—17 Life with God in the garden and access to the tree of life contingent upon trusting and obeying God, and thus keeping his Word.

(B) Genesis 3 The Fatal Fall of Man; God Judges Rebels; Death Enters

(B to X) Gen 3:15—Malachi The War Between the Two Seeds Begins (archetypically seen in Cain vs. Able in Gen 4)

(X) Matthew thru Acts 2; The Christ Event, Redemption Accomplished; the Inauguration of the Age to Come; the War Between the Seeds Settled in Principle; the Holy Spirit descends on the Church, God in flesh (Jn 1:14) and Spirit (Acts) dwelling with His People

(X to B′) Acts 2 – Rev 19 [actually to present] – The War Between the Two Seeds Continues (antitypically seen between those who are “born of God/or the Seed of the woman and those that are “of the evil one like Cain.” See esp. 1 John 3 and Revelation)

(B′) Revelation 20:7—15 The Final Fall of Man; General Resurrection; God Passes Final Judgment on Rebels; Death is Destroy

(A′) Revelation 21—22:5 The New Creation; God Eternally Dwelling with His People

(A′. 1) Rev 21:1—8 A general description of the new creation; Christ recreating all things anew

(A′. 2. i) Rev 21:9—22:5 A particular description of the new creation; God’s dwelling is with men eternally

(A′. 2. ii) Rev 22:6—21 Life with God and the Lamb in the garden and access to the tree of life are contingent upon trusting and obeying God and the Lamb, and thus keeping their Word.

This is only one of many ways that the Big Story can be framed. However this is done, though, it must capture the four elements of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation, keeping them properly related to each other, in order to make sense of the Bible’s Big Story. And once this Big Story is clear in your mind, it will amaze you how much more some of the smaller stories make sense to you.

There’s an old axiom: “Nothing is meaningful without context.” Rapidly, our culture and even the Church is loosing the vision of the Big Story. And without the Big Story concretely in place, the climax of the Story, the Gospel of Jesus scarcely makes sense. As Paul said, to the Greeks, those without the Big Story, the “word of the cross is foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Therefore, for both our own understanding and our ability to make much of Jesus through sharing his Gospel with others, we need a thorough grasp of the Big Story of the Bible.

Are the Dispensationalists Right on Revelation 1:19?

Within the dispensational tradition of Revelation’s interpretation, 1:19 has been held as a sort of flagship verse; this verse is understood to present a summary (and chronological) outline of the entire book.  For instance, John Walvoord presents this verse’s threefold breakdown clearly, following Chafer and Criswell.[1]  My interest is particularly focused on the first two clauses of v. 19.[2] 

Regarding the first clause, “the things which thou hast seen,” Walvoord remarks, “the things referred to as having already been seen are those contained in chapter 1, where John had his preliminary vision.”[3]  However, “seen” in v. 19a is eidō, which is in the second aorist, active indicative in the second person.  In 1:2c this same verb is used, but only in the third person, thus St. John referring to himself, said, “of all things that he saw.”  Here, in v. 2, Walvoord recognizes that what the verb means is a “complete recital” of all the visions contained in the book.[4]  There does not seem to be, therefore, any exegetical ground for assuming that in 1:19 St. John means something as restrictive as the content of chapter one alone; rather, it is best to take the first clause of v. 19 as meaning the full content of all the visions of the book, as in v. 2.  Examining the second clause of v. 19 also points to this conclusion.

In strict conformity with the dispensational-chronological approach to v. 19, Walvoord suggests that v. 19b, “the second division, ‘the things which are,’ most naturally includes chapters 2 and 3 with the seven messages Christ delivered to the churches.”[5]  Ironically, what triggered my more careful analysis of this verse’s interpretive import was a remark made in The Companion Bible by Bullinger, who is well known for both his great scholarship and his classical dispensational treatment of Revelation.  Concerning the second clause of v. 19, Bullinger’s notes read: “the [things which] are = what they are, i.e. what they signify.”[6]  Accordingly, the first two clauses mean that John was to write down all the apocalyptic visions of the Revelation and also what they mean, or signify, or point toward.  A look at the language of the second clause certainly fleshes Bullinger’s hint out.

The verb used in v. 19b, “the things which are,” is eisi, the third person, plural present indicative of eimi.  When one traces its usage throughout the Revelation, it becomes clear that St. John intended this verb to serve as a flag for an interpretation of a particular visionary datum.  For instance, in its next use, 4:5, we learn that what St. John sees as the “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne…are the seven Spirits of God.”  Likewise, the seemingly strange anatomical features of the Lamb in 5:6, the “seven horns and seven eyes,” actually signify or “are” the “seven Spirits of God.”  The “golden vials full of odours…are the prayers of the saints” (v. 8).  Again, in 7:13, St. John asked the angel “what are these which are arrayed in white robes.”  The angel answered, “these are they which came out of great tribulation” (v. 14).  Moreover, the two witnesses “are the two olive trees…candlesticks” (11:3—4).  The frogs of 16:13 “are the spirits of devils” (v. 14); and the “seven heads…are seven kings” (17:9), just as the “waters…are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (v. 15).  Granted, apart from this interpretive usage paradigm of eisi, the verb is also used in simple predication (e.g., 4:11, etc.).  Nevertheless, the predicative use notwithstanding, the significance of the verb throughout the Revelation is that it flags a vision interpretation: picturesque datum à (eisi) à interpretation. 

Therefore, according to 1:19 in the context of Revelation and St. John’s vocabulary and usage, it seems that the standard dispensational-chronological outline understanding of v. 19, as expressed by Walvoord et al., is a bit forced at best.  Instead, Jesus is here commanding St. John to write the visions and also report what they signify or mean.  Thoughts anyone? 

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[1] John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 48.

[2] Interestingly, the NIV seems to follow this tradition relatively hard with its highly interpretive take on 1:19: “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later” (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), ad loc.  Granted, the NIV is admittedly in the dynamic equivalent translation tradition.  However, that the translators decided to put “now” for the Greek verb eisi (i.e., ‘are,’ ‘be,’ ‘were’) is telling of their commitment to the dispensational interpretive tradition.  It reduces this verse of the text to an inaccurate paraphrase.   

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid., 36.

[5] Ibid., 48.

[6] The Companion Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1990), ad loc.

Chiastic Structure of Heb 9:11-24

Here is an interesting chiasm that Fanny found in Hebrews, her favorite epistle.  Its chi or center is the death of Jesus, which was necessary for the ratification of the new covenant.  It is certainly an interesting way to seeing the author's argument, which we usually try to cipher through linear reasoning.     

A. (11)...appeared as high priest

   B. (11)...tabernacle not made with hands...

      C. (11)...not of this (building, KJV) creation...

     

         D. (12)...his own blood...eternal redemption.

            E. (13—14)...sprinkling...purification...blood of Christ...purity...

           

               F. (15)...new covenant...death has taken place...

  

                  X . (16)...where a (last will and testament) covenant is...the death of                                          one who made it...

               F’. (18)...first covenant...not without blood (death)...

 

            E’. (21—22)...sprinkled with blood...purified with blood...

         D’. (22)...without the shedding of blood no forgiveness/redemption.

      C’. (24)...into heaven itself...

   B’. (24)...not a holy place made with hands...

A’. (24)...now to appear in the presence of God...

The Use of Parallelisms and Figures in Psalm 35

I. The uses and purposes of parallelisms in Psalm 35

A. Parallelism defined

Parallelism in Hebrew poetry “is that phenomenon whereby two or more successive poetic lines dynamically strengthen, reinforce, and develop each other’s thought.  As a kind of emphatic additional thought, the follow-up lines further define, specify, expand, intensify, or contrast the first.”[1]  Berlin adds this insightful expansion.

Parallelism focuses the message on itself but its vision is binocular.  Like human vision it superimposes two slightly different views of the same object and from their convergence it produces a sense of depth.[2]

1. Parallelism of intensification

                        a                                             b

α.         Contend, O LORD,                with those who contend with me;

a                                              b          

β.         fight [O LORD]                      against those who fight against me!” (v 1)[3]

a. Intensification defined

A parallelism of intensification…occurs when the second stich of a couplet restates the first in a more pointed, extreme, or forceful way…we might way the second develops the first by saying, ‘Not only that but more so.’”[4]  It is one of four variations of the (α < β) distich pattern.

b. Author’s use of intensification in 35:1

In the first stich (α) the David uses the term “contend,” first as a verb (rı̂yb) with reference to Yahweh’s advocacy and second (β) as a noun (yârı̂yb), speaking of the “contender” who is striving against the psalmist.  This term carries connotations of a legal setting, which is alluded to again in v 11 (cf. Ps 43:1).  With this, David is seeking Yahweh’s advocacy; or, in NT terms, David is seeking Yahweh as his paraklētos (used of Jesus’ heavenly session ministry in 1 Jn 2:1, and the Holy Spirit in Jn 14:16; 15:26, and 16:7; cf. Is 49:25).  Thus, the α stich is a judicial petition, asking Yahweh to step into the situation David is facing and vindicate him.  “Vindicate me, O LORD, my God” (v 24a).  David is seeking Yahweh’s judgment in the sense of judicial acquittal before God’s bar of righteousness, and that against the wicked, who are seeking David doom.

The couplet is intensified by the verb “fight” (lâcham) in the second stich, which parallels “contend” in the first.  By invoking Yahweh to “fight,” David has escalated the petition from a legal plea to one of warfare.  The term “fight” means to do battle, make war, etc.  Here, then, David’s anxiety is expressed by the rapid shift of the petition, from a court-like setting to one of the battlefield, where Yahweh will utterly destroy David’s enemies. 

I believe the historical background for this psalm is 1 Sam 24, the climax of Saul’s rabid hunt after David’s life.  Specifically, 1 Sam 24:15 has David finishing his speech to Saul with these words, “May the LORD therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead (rı̂yb) my cause and deliver me from your hand” (on “deliver me,” shâphaṭ, cf. Ps 35:24).    

2. Parallelism of specification

            α          Malicious witnesses rise up;

            β          they ask me of things that I do not know.  (v 11)

a. Specification defined

“In the parallelism of specification, each succeeding stich makes more specific what the opening stich states in general.  In other words, the movement is from general to specific.”[5]  There are various types of specification, e.g., spatial or geographical.  The example I have chosen represents the explanatory type. 

b. The author’s use of specification in 35:11

In Ps 35:11 the first stich (α) tells what the malicious witnesses did, they did “rise up” against David; the second stich (β) tells how they did it, by means of spurious, groundless interrogation.  This is one of many places where David is demonstrating his own relative “righteousness” in the circumstances (v 27a).  Whatever the charges of these violent accusers were, David had no consciousness of any wrong done by him, especially with respect to the particular allegations.  Thus, the second stich specifically explains the generality of the first in qualifying the “maliciousness” as bringing perfectly baseless allegations against David.  

In 1 Sam 24:9 we read, “And David said to Saul, ‘Why do you listen to the words of men who say, 'Behold, David seeks your harm'?”  This is reflected in both Ps 35:11 and 15.  This appears to be another solid allusion to the historical context of Saul’s pursuing David, especially the climax in 1 Sam 24. 

II. The uses and purposes of figures in Psalm 35

Let me say at once that parallelism, the verse form in which virtually all biblical poetry is written, is not the most essential thing that a reader needs to know about biblical poetry.  Much more crucial to the reading of biblical poetry is the ability to identify and interpret the devises of poetic language.

—Leland Ryken[6]

A. Simile  

I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother:

I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother. (v. 14 KJV, italics added)

1. Simile defined

“The use of simile and metaphor is the most pervasive element of biblical poetry.  The essential feature of both is comparison.  A simile draws correspondence between two things by using the explicit formula ‘like’ or ‘as’…They both secure an effect on one level and then transfer that meaning to another level,” which “work(s) by indirection.”[7]

2. The author’s use of simile in 35:14

David highlights his pathos in the situation as emphatically as possible.  Few could deny that they bereave the calamity or death of their own kin more than they do that of others.  In this distich, David is prompting the reader to vicariously transfer their deepest feelings associated with  losing a close friend or family member to the same for a hotly-pursuing enemy, so that the word picture painfully illustrates David’s extension of true loving kindness for his enemies.  In this, David is incarnating the heart of his Greater Son’s teaching on the topic of loving one’s enemies (cf. Matt 5:43—48). 

Although not likely an allusion, 2 Sam 1:11ff provides a wonderful illustration of this situation. 

Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.  And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.  (vv 11—12)

In connection with the first section above (I.A.1, intensification), the parallelism is worth noting.  We also see in this distich the parallelism of intensification.  That is, David heightens the intensity of the pathos in the second stich by mention the grief of losing a mother.  Friends and brothers may be many in number and sort, but every person has only one mother.  Some crass family dysfunction notwithstanding, the is no closer earthly bond than that between mother and child (cf. Gen 24:67, “So Isaac was comforted after the death of his mother.”). 

B. Chiastic figure

Bullinger discerns an interesting chiastic structure with an extended alteration that frames the entire psalm.[8]  He proposes the following. 

A   a | vv 1—3. Appeal for help.

         b | vv 4—8, Imprecation.

            c | vv 9, 10, Praise.

               B | v 11, Evildoers.  Words.

                   C | v 12, Their evil for good.

                       D | v 13, His good for evil.

                       D | v 14, His good for evil.

                   C | v 15, Their evil for good.

               B | v 16, Evildoers.  Words.

A   a | vv 17, 18, Appeal for help.

        b | vv 19—26, Deprecation. 

           c | vv 27, 28, Praise. 

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[1] William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, Robert L. Hubbard contributors, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation.  Thomas Nelson: Nashville, Tennessee (2004), p. 284.

[2] Ibid.  

[3] All Scripture is taken from the English Standard Version.

[4] Klein, et al., p. 295, op cit.

[5] Ibid., p. 293.

[6] How to Read the Bible as Literature.  Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan (1984), p. 90. 

[7] Ibid., pp. 91—92. 

[8] The Companion Bible.  Kregel Publications: Grand Rapids, Michigan (1990), p. 751.

FIGURES IN PSALM 24

In addition to the chiastic structure illustrated below under parallelisms, there are several figures that are significant to Ps 24. 

A. Metonymy

            First, there are at least two instances of metonymy in Ps 24.  Metonymy is a figure by which one name or noun is used instead of another, to which it stands in a certain relation.[1] 

1. Mountain of YHWH (v 3a).  A clear reference to Jerusalem, “the city of the great King” (Ps 48:1—2; cf. Matt 5:35), is made here by metonymy.  The mount footing of the city is put for the city itself.  This may serve as a poetic play on “founded” and “established” in v 1, as the sure foundation of the temple mount concretely illustrates the rock solid founding of Jerusalem and the Davidic throne, which are being commemorated in this psalm. 

2. Innocent hands…clean heart (v 4a).  These two terms are put for a holistic character that pleases YHWH, the whole person is to be innocent and clean.  Innocent hands refer to one’s practical life, while “clean heart” speaks into the inward attitude and motive of the worshipper.  Together they forcefully emphasize the singularity of absolute devotion and holiness required of the worshipper, and that by metonymy. 

B. Anthropopatheia

            This figure is used of the ascription of human passions, actions, or attributes to God.[2]  Interestingly, “the Hebrews had a name for this figure, and called it…Derech Benai Adam, the way of the sons of man.”[3]  This figure is less-than explicitly used in vv 7—10, which present YHWH as actually entering Jerusalem by means of the city wall gates. 

C. Personification

            Poetically, in vv 7 and 9, the “gates…eternal doors” are given the command to open.  In vv 8 and 10, the gates, seemingly, respond to the procession, seeking the identification of the King entering the city.  Jerusalem is often spoken of in feminine pronouns (see e.g., “God, in her palaces, has made Himself known…” Ps 48:3 NAS).  The notion of her, Jerusalem, even having “daughters” (Zech 9:9) and “children” (Matt 23:37) is commonplace in both the Old and New Testaments.  This concrete, organic portrayal of places and things was a convention of the Hebraic worldview.  It strikes the modern Western reader’s ears as odd; having been steeped in the language of abstractions inherited from the influence Greco-Roman thought has had on the development of the Western societies. 

D. Epistrophe

             There is a fine example of epistrophe in v 10a and c of Ps 24.  Epistrophe “is a figure in which the same word or words are repeated as the end of successive sentences or clauses, instead of (as in anaphora) at the beginning.”[4]

                        Who is this King of glory?

            YHWH of Hosts,              |

                            He is the King of glory. (v 10)

This figure brilliantly highlights YHWH as the King of glory, he who enters and dwells in Jerusalem.

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[1] Bullinger, p. 538, op cit.

[2] Ibid., p. 872.

[3] Ibid. 

[4] Ibid., p. 241. 

PARALLELISM IN PSALM 24

A. Parallelisms of specification

1. Specification defined

“In the parallelism of specification, each succeeding stich makes more specific what the opening stich states in general.  In other words, the movement is from general to specific.”^[1]

 

2. Examples of parallelisms of specification in Ps 24

a.         α          The whole earth is YHWH’s,                           and the fullness of it;                                      

β          the habitable world [is YHWH’s],                  and they that inhabit it. (v 1)

The first stich of this couplet first presents the cosmos and its contents in the most general sense, the entire earth and all that in it is; the second stich uses the more specific term “world” (têbêl), which connotes the habitable terrain of the earth, as well as “they that inhabit it.”  This general à specific move, especially in this creational sense, is not unlike what we see in Gen 1 and 2, where the author give the panoramic scenes of Creator God bringing the cosmos into existence in chapter 1, and focusing in on YHWH creating and culturing Eden with a garden nook for to tabernacle with his people.  Psalm 24:1 likely carries the same sense; YHWH is Creator and Owner of all, even all of the inhabitants of the hospitable domains.  In other words, all domains, even those of Israel’s enemies, are under YHWH supreme Kingship and rule.  Moreover, if the foregoing observations on the background are correct, then there may be a ring in this distich of YHWH’s universal Kingship, and especially Israel and Jerusalem. 

b.         α          Who shall go up into the mountain of YHWH?          

            β          Who shall stand up in his holy place? (v 3)

This parallelism also moves from the general, the mountain or hill of YHWH, or Jerusalem, the City of God, to the specific, YHWH’s mediated presence in the tent/tabernacle/temple via the Ark of the Covenant.  The purpose of this was to prepare the pilgrims for the gravity of the worship to which they were going.  It is one thing to go up to Jerusalem, but once there, the worshipper would find themselves in the presence of YHWH, the Most Holy God of Israel!

c.         α          Such is the generation of them that seek him,

             β         that seek his presence—[even] Jacob.  Selah. (v 6)

Granted, the translation is this couplet is a source of disagreement among scholars.  However, if this translation is correct, then here lies another specification parallel.  It may also be arranged in a chiastic structure to highlight the specification.

            i. Such is the generation (α-)

                        ii. of them that seek him, (-α)

                        ii. that seek his presence/face (β-)

            i. [even] Jacob (-β)

The answers to the question regarding who can stand in the holy place in v 3 where answered in terms of the individual in vv 4—5.  In v 6, there is a shift to the corporate community and their desire to seek YHWH.  The general “generation” (or class or group) is used in the first stich, as is the general “seek him.”  The second stich specifies what they seek YHWH for, namely his presence/face and who exactly it is that does seek his presence, “[even] Jacob”!  Like the parallelism of  v 3 above, here too the worshipper is awakened to what lies before them, specifically. 

B. Parallelism of alteration with intensification[2]

1. Alteration defined

            An alteration is when there are series of members that have a particular correspondence, in which the first stich of one series corresponds to the first stich in the next series of member, the second with the second and so on.  For example, the pattern looks something like this.

            A.

               B.

                  C.

            A.

               B.

                  C…etc.

2. Parallelism of intensification defined

“A parallelism of intensification…occurs when the second stich of a couplet restates the first in a more pointed, extreme, or forceful way…we might way the second develops the first by saying, ‘Not only that but more so.’”[3]              

3. Example of parallelism of alteration with intensification in Ps 24

            A1. YHWH’s Right to the City | Lift up…that the King of glory might come in (v 7)

               B1. The Gates Seek Identification | Who is this King of glory? (v 8a)

                  C1. The Coming King Identified | YHWH, strong and mighty;

                                                                                    YHWH, mighty in battle. (v 8b, c)

            A2. YHWH’s Right to the City | Lift up…that the King of glory might come in (v 9)

               B2. The Gates Seek Identification | Who is this King of glory? (v 10a)

                  C2. The Coming King Identified | YHWH of Hosts,

                                                                                    he is the King of glory. (v 10b, c)

                                                                         

            Members A and B are synonymous in both series; the change, the intensification occurs in the C members.  C1 identifies the coming King in terms of what he does, he is “mighty in battle” (v 8c), for example.  In C2, however, the unconditioned title of the God of the armies of Israel is stated without qualification; “YHWH of Hosts, he is the King of glory!”  This key term, this technical title for YHWH is connected with the Ark and the establishment of Jerusalem and her king, David.  C2, therefore, identifies the coming King as the rightful owner of King of the city; it identifies him in terms of Who he is rather than what he does, which intensifies the C member. 

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[1] William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, Robert L. Hubbard contributors, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation.  Thomas Nelson: Nashville, Tennessee (2004), p. 293.

[2] The alteration structure of the parallel is indebted to E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible: Explained and Illustrated.  Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, Michigan (1968), p. 373.

[3] Klein, et al., p. 295.