Definition of Pattern Analysis

Many have noticed the repetitiveness within the Bible. Why are they there? Scholars have attempted to answer that question through the study of literary structure. Pattern Analysis is an innovative approach to that study by presenting a toolbox of literary devices within literary units. The result is the ability to discern the persuasive voice of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. It is one complex but consistent method that brings a rich understanding of the text from Genesis to Revelation.

There are different ways these repetitions appear but all point to locations where His persuasion appears. Pattern analysis teaches how these repetitions and other literary devices are organized—a typical literary unit has eighteen (18) verses. A chiasm is one of the more common literary devices but even that is just beginning to be known today. The fun is in the identification of these literary devices, seeing how they interplay with one another, and then discovering their emphatic portions.

Most people were trained to approach the Bible linearly, from top to bottom—very few people learned how to read the Bible based on patterns. The consistent evidence points to the Holy Spirit and His inspiration; that should lead more to pay attention to this methodology.

The Evidence

I am a mathematician that has studied this approach for nearly twenty years. The name Pattern Analysis is mine, a collection of thirty (30) literary devices. Some of the techniques in pattern analysis have been known by scholars for many years — some are new. In recent years, some of these literary devices have gained some exposure outside the walls of academia.

It is so intriguing! A literary unit is similar to a paragraph. These literary units appear everywhere throughout the Bible. One literary unit ends and another begins. Within each literary unit, a variety of literary devices add richness and beauty to the text.

Of the 31,100 verses in the Bible, 22,700 have undergone this Pattern Analysis methodology. Certainly not all but 73% is a pretty big sample. The New Testament and Minor Prophets have been completed—at least 50% of most other books have been analyzed—every verse conforms to this methodology. The narrative books of the Bible, the poetic and prophetic portions, the parables, the epistles, everything seems to fit into this Pattern Analysis approach!

Why Pattern Analysis?

The important question one might ask is, Why is this important? Four good reasons are:

  • Grasp greater meaning from the Bible
  • Glean the Holy Spirit’s emphasis in passages
  • Understand the context for a particular verse(s)
  • Simplify the exegetical process

Pattern analysis can clarify the meaning of metaphors, reveal the sequence of events in a new light, and discern what is emphatic. These emphatic portions can be one's personal manna for the day or longer.

For more information, see Files Related to Pattern Analysis Methodology