Pattern Analysis of Scripture

Files Related to Pattern Analysis Methodology

Thomas B. Clarke

Pattern Analysis is a new tool for students who hope to gain a greater understanding of the Bible without prior knowledge of the original languages, Greek and Hebrew. Now in its tenth year of Bible research, it is the study of pericopesChrist's three temptations is an example of a pericope (pronounced pur-ic'-o-pee). Pericopes are otherwise known as literary units: they normally appear as a paragraph or so in most modern Bibles. Unlike other approaches to literary structure, Pattern Analysis searches for how the pericopes persuade us based on their organization.

Those who apply this methodology should grasp a deeper meaning from the text. Their search for related themes and documentation of their findings should expose nuances that might otherwise be overlooked. The goal is to hear what the Holy Spirit is emphasizing within the text.

Pattern Analysis presents a consistent method to discern the structural and rhetorical emphasis in each pericope. Strong consistency between genres gives Pattern Analysis compelling evidence of the Holy Spirit's inspiration from Genesis to Revelation.

To date, 29,200 of the 31,100 verses of the Bible have been analyzed (that is, 94%), and every verse fits the model. See Pattern Analysis: February 9, 2026 Update.

Methodology: Version 1.71A of the manuscript Pattern Analysis Methodology is available for downloading, updated 1/17/2026.

Frequency Analyses: Analyses of the nine major genres show surprisingly good coherence to the mean. In the seventh year of Pattern Analysis development, some frequency analyses were prepared to see if these features were consistent. That analysis has expanded—forty metrics, Absence to Variation, are presented for each genre. When viewing the following charts, compare each of the nine genres with the Mean: All Genres. Considering the many so-called authors of the Bible, how is this possible without the Holy Spirit?

Frequencies for All Literary Devices — updated 02/09/2026

Frequencies for Basic Chiasms — updated 03/01/2026
Frequencies for Basic Parallel Symmetries — updated 03/01/2026
Frequencies for Basic Immediate Repetitions — updated 03/01/2026

Frequencies for Chiasm Substructures — updated 03/01/2026
Frequencies for Immediate Repetition Substructures — updated 03/03/2026
Frequencies for List Substructures — updated 03/03/2026
Frequencies for Parallel Symmetry Substructures — updated 03/03/2026

Supporting files: Supplemental materials are available for this methodology. An analytical methodology is employed using three models: a demarcation model that identifies the beginning of a literary unit and certain prominent locations within the literary unit; a structural model examines the organization of the literary unit; and a rhetorical model documents how the literary unit persuades the student.

Pattern Analysis Summary — updated 02-09-2026
Books Analyzed with Pattern Analysis — updated 02/09/2026
Literary Units in Pattern Analysis Methodology — updated 11/21/2024
Glossary of Pattern Analysis Terms — updated 10/26/2024
Examples from Pattern Analysis Methodology — updated 4/11/2025
Twenty (20) Demarcation Markers — updated 02/09/2026
Twenty-five (25) Literary Devices for the Structural Model — updated 8/6/2025
Twenty-four (24) Literary Devices for the Rhetorical Model — updated 8/6/2025