Reading… and Thinking

There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
    haughty eyes,
        a lying tongue,
            hands that shed innocent blood,
                a heart that devises wicked schemes,
            feet that are quick to rush into evil,
        a false witness who pours out lies
    and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

– Proverbs 6:16-19 (NIV)

What are the worst sins you can think of? Does it match the list given here? Did you include stirring up strife as one of the foulest abominations in God's eyes?

What is the worst sin of all? Well, in this list the only item that appears twice is lying. That should tell us something about our God's insistence upon truthfulness! When you lie, you become detestable. If your lie includes something false about someone else, then you are doubly detestable.

Hebrew poetic structure often includes a device called chiasmus. That is, the first and last elements are related, the second and the next to last are related, and so on. The structure can be diagrammed A-B-C-C-B-A, or if there are an odd number of elements, A-B-C-B-A. (There can be any number of elements.)

When this device is used, especially if there is an odd number of elements, the emphasis is frequently on the central element. I believe that we have a chiasm here, in the structure A-B-C-D-C-B-A. The B elements are both lying, as we've mentioned. Let's look at the rest.

The central element (D) is “a heart that devises wicked schemes”. It is fitting that this is the point of emphasis: Jesus says the heart is the source of all wrongdoing. (Mark 7:20-23) “Blessed are the pure in heart,” Jesus said. (Matthew 5:8) They won't have any trouble with the other items in the list, because they will never seriously consider engaging in them.

The C elements are “hands that shed innocent blood” and “feet that are quick to rush into evil”. These aren't identical, but are related. What use do you make of your body? What do your hands do, where do your feet take you?

Finally, the A elements are “haughty eyes” and “a man who stirs up dissension among brothers”. At first these don't look like they're related. But what is the cause of most strife? Isn't a large dose of pride nearly always involved?

Whatever the structure, it's impossible to mistake the clear language. These are things God hates, and they have no place in the life of the child of God. He will not grant eternal life to those who practice them!

(Side note: Chiasmus is also found in the New Testament. Remember, almost all the NT writers were Jews, and were familiar with this structure from their Hebrew Scriptures. Keep an eye out for this structure!)