Pattern Analysis for Genesis 7:1-10

Pattern Analysis Methodology

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Rhetoric

This simple PARALLEL SYMMETRY shows that Noah did precisely everything that the Lord said he should do.

1) The LAST/LAST elements, C and C′, are the flood. If someone is asked about the main point of the Noah story, many would agree that it is the flood for forty days and forty nights, and the ensuing flood came after seven days.

2) The emphasis in the X CENTER POINT is a total destruction of life. The Lord confirmed His reason for bringing the forty days of rain and its associated flood: to blot out every living thing that He had created.

Structured Themes

PARALLEL SYMMETRY:

... Noah′s family and two of each animal entered the ark ...

a divine oracle

BEGINNING MARKER:  ____ ___ ____ ____ __ _____  (v1A) 

enter the ark

A 

______ ___ ____ ___ ___ ___ ____ __________ ___ ___ _____ _ ____ ____ __ __ _________ ______ __ __ ____ _____  (v1B)

all the animals and birds

B 

____ _____ ____ ____ ___ __ _____ _____ ______ __ _______ _ ____ ___ ___ _______ ___ __ ___ _______ ____ ___ ___ _____ ____ _ ____ ___ ___ _______ ____ __ ___ _____ __ ___ ____ __ _______ ____ ___ _______ __ ____ _________ _____ __ ___ ____ __ ___ ___ ______  (v2,3)

rain will start in seven days and will continue for forty

C 

____ _____ _____ ____ _____ _ ____ ____ ____ __ ___ _____ _____ ____ ___ _____ _______  (v4A)

purpose of the flood: blot out everything He made

X 

___ _ ____ ____ ___ ____ ___ ____ __ ___ ____ _____ ______ _____ ____ _ ____ ______ ____ ___ _________ __ ___ ____ ___ ____ ___ _________ ____  (v4B,5)

a genealogy marker

SUB-UNIT MARKER:  ___ ____ ___ ___ _______ _____ ___ ____ ___ _____ __ _____ ____ ____ ___ ______  (v6) 

they entered the ark

A′ 

____ ____ ___ ___ ____ ___ ___ ____ ___ ___ _____ _____ ____ ___ _______ ___ ___ _______ __ ___ _____ __ ___ ______  (v7)

all the animals and birds entered the ark

B′ 

__ _____ _______ ___ _______ ____ ___ ___ _____ ___ _____ ___ __________ ____ ______ __ ___ _______ _____ ____ ____ ___ ___ __ ____ __ _____ ____ ___ _______ __ ___ ___ _________ _____  (v8,9)

the rain started after seven days

C′ 

__ ____ _____ _____ ___ _____ _____ ____ ___ _____ __ ___ _____ ____ ____ ___ ______  (v10)