THE LITERARY STRUCTURE
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1-18:
six pericopes and their chiastic thematic relation.
The presentation of the structure of the remaining pericopes is now omitted – this problem may be supplemented in the future. Now, however, the totality of the structure of Exo 1-18 will be shown.
It is ascertained as a result of research with the theocentric method that the Book of Exodus 1-18 at the level of content:
- is composed of six pericopes:
1:1-6:1; 6:2-11:10; 12:1-13:16; 13:17-14:31; 15:1-21; 15:22-18:27, - each pericope separately communicates a strictly definite topic, which is different from topics of other pericopes,
- consecutive pericopes serve to exhibit consecutive stages of the plan of God liberating the People of Israel from Egypt,
- pairs of pericopes: 1st and 6th; 2nd and 5th; 3rd and 4th are linked by the relation “announcement – fulfillment,”
- the literary entirety, composed of six pericopes, has a concentric structure A B C C’ B’ A’.