See a passage's God-intended shape
Chiasms
A chiasm is the author's own pointing finger. When a passage is framed as a mirror — A-B-C-B'-A' — the writer is telling you where to look: not at the edges, but at the center, the hinge the whole structure turns on. To find a chiasm's center is to find what the passage is really about — and again and again, that turning-point opens onto Christ. This lens teaches a single move: read for the middle.
How to read oneTrace the matched pairs inward from the outside until they meet; the verse where they meet is the climax the author wants you to dwell on.
Start here — five centers
The Flood (Genesis 6–9)Its mirror turns on "God remembered Noah" — mercy at the center of judgment.
Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)The center is the LORD coming down to the proud tower.
The Abraham Cycle (Genesis 11–22)The long mirror folds around the offering of Isaac.
Passover (Exodus 11–12)The structure centers on the blood that turns death aside.
Psalm 23The whole psalm pivots on "for You are with me."
Browse all 1,765, by book
Tip: Click any book name to jump to its chiasms.
Quick Navigation
| Testament | Books with Chiasms |
|---|---|
| Old Testament | 36 books |
| New Testament | 27 books |
| Total Chiasms | 1,765 |
Old Testament
Genesis100
Exodus43
Leviticus24
Numbers47
Deuteronomy30
Joshua24
Judges16
Ruth7
1 Samuel46
2 Samuel29
1 Kings25
2 Kings17
1 Chronicles5
2 Chronicles22
Ezra12
Nehemiah12
Psalms181
Proverbs36
Ecclesiastes21
Song of Solomon9
Isaiah89
Jeremiah52
Lamentations9
Ezekiel69
Daniel21
Hosea21
Joel8
Amos11
Obadiah1
Micah12
Habakkuk7
Zephaniah9
Zechariah30
Malachi10
New Testament
Matthew97
Mark62
Luke92
John80
Acts85
Romans34
1 Corinthians28
2 Corinthians21
Galatians14
Ephesians17
Philippians10
Colossians13
1 Thessalonians10
2 Thessalonians4
1 Timothy5
2 Timothy7
Philemon1
Hebrews31
James16
1 Peter14
2 Peter6
1 John16
2 John1
3 John1
Jude1
Revelation32
Want the same passage read straight through? See also → Scripture Index
Linked Mentions 1