Overview of Pattern Analysis

Webpage adjusted for smaller screen width

Grasp greater meaning and glean the Holy Spirit’s emphasis in the Bible

Pattern Analysis is a toolbox of methods to help see, hear, and understand the voice of God from Genesis to Revelation

“Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed.”
(Isaiah 6:10 NASB)

Pattern analysis is a set of tools to help give better Biblical insight
Background of pattern analysis
Three models
Four structural organizations
Findings of pattern analysis
An example
Benefits of pattern analysis

Return to title page

A set of tools to help …

Find emphatic statements in the Bible
Clarify the meaning for a particular verse or verses
Discover a fresh depth in God’s profound Bible

Pattern analysis organizes Bible passages so that the Holy Spirit’s voice can be more easily discerned. A common type of organization is a chiasm.

CHIASM:

hearts

“Render the hearts of this people insensitive, (v10A)

ears

Their ears dull, (v10B)

eyes

And their eyes dim, (v10C)

eyes

C′

Otherwise they might see with their eyes, (v10D)

ears

B′

Hear with their ears, (v10E)

hearts

A′

Understand with their hearts, (v10F)

CLOSING SUMMARY: return to the LORD

SUM

And return and be healed.” (v10G)
(Isaiah 6:10 NASB)

The above chiasm is a repetition of similar ideas in the reverse sequence. In this brief example, there are two emphatic points:

The A-B-C sequence is a CONTRAST with the C'-B'-A' sequence—partially versus fully grasp.
The CLOSING SUMMARY is an urge to return to the LORD so that their hearts, ears and eyes (A, B and C) may be healed.

Step by step

Background

Pattern Analysis was inspired by teachings about literary structure from various scholars over the last 200 years such as:
Style and Structure in Biblical Hebrew Narrative by Dr. Jerome Walsh was by far the most influential. He provided many intriguing extensions to the study of literary structure. +
In 2016, I challenged myself to see if Walsh's teachings could be applied to every verse in the NASB 95 translation. Modifications to Walsh's approach would be incorporated as necessary. +
My problem statement reads, “Does Jerome Walsh's methodology apply to every verse in the Bible, or are modifications necessary? In particular, can his statements about emphatic locations be verified?” +
Seven years later, I have analyzed at least 25% of every book. The NT and minor prophets have been completed, and half of the remaining. Overall that is 65% of the Bible. See Books Analyzed. +
I found it was necessary to extend the works of Walsh in certain areas. The result is a consistent methodology that students may use to study literary units from Genesis to Revelation. +

Models

The entire Bible can be broken into literary units, also known as pericopes. The story of Jesus’s three temptations in Matthew is an example of a literary unit. Pattern analysis examines each literary unit based on three models as assisted by a software analytical tool:

The Demarcation Model: this first step separates each literary unit from others and locates internal markers. More

In most literary units, a beginning marker is identified at the start. Internal markers named sub-unit markers and ending markers may also be present. They are based on certain identifiers such as a change of location or a change of time. In some instances, a frame such as in Psalm 146 encloses the unit instead. Demarcations appear throughout the Bible. Less

The Structural Model: Each literary unit in pattern analysis is arranged in one of four organizations: chiasm, parallel symmetry, immediate repetition, and list. More

Chiasm: an a-b-c-x-c-b-a type of sequence
Parallel symmetry: an a-b-c-a-b-c type of sequence
Immediate repetition: an a-a-b-b-c-c type of sequence
List: an a-b-c-d-e type of sequence

These organizations appear throughout the Bible as ten (10) lettered devices: basic structures and substructures. In addition, there are seventeen (17) other structural devices which appear throughout the Bible. Less

The Rhetorical model: The end result of pattern analysis is not the structural, it is an understanding of the rhetoric. More

Pattern analysis suggests that the Holy Spirit organized these structured themes so we could determine His persuasion and emphasis. That is called the rhetoric. The pattern analysis software identifies which of the twenty-four (24) rhetorical devices appear in each structure. Based on that, the student is instructed to document those locations that are personally persuasive. Less

Pattern Analysis Software: While the software used to create pattern analysis is not essential, it is much more than the icing on a cake. More

Currently the pattern analysis software resides on a personal computer, developed as a prototype of software that could be used by large numbers of people. This software interfaces with the NASB 95 translation of the Bible. It includes a language called Pattern Analysis Research Language (PARL) to enter the demarcation, structural, and rhetorical components of this methodology. The software checks for certain mistakes in the analysis, produces dynamic webpages for each literary unit, categorizes the resulting analyses, and more. Less

Chiasm: an a-b-c-c-b-a type of sequence

Of the four basic patterns, chiasms occur the most in the Bible. The FIRST/LAST elements, A and A′, and the middle elements, which are called the CENTER POINT elements, are the most common forms emphasis in a chiasm.

CHIASM:

a change of characters

BEGINNING MARKER: Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, (v15)

you have obeyed on this thing

and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, (v16)

you shall be blessed

indeed I will greatly bless you, (v17A)

greatly multiply your seed

and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; (v17B)

effect of the seed′s multiplication

C′

and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. (v17C)

nations shall be blessed

B′

“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, (v18A)

obeyed My voice

A′

because you have obeyed My voice.” (v18B)
(Genesis 22:15-18 NASB)

There are two emphatic parts to this example:
a) the FIRST/LAST rule applies to the two A elements, and
b) the CENTER POINT which is the two C elements. There is no X element.

Parallel Symmetry: an a-b-c-a-b-c type of sequence

A consistent place to look for emphasis in a parallel symmetry is in the last element of each sequence. I refer to these as the LAST/LAST elements. Also the FIRST/FIRST elements can be emphatic.

PARALLEL SYMMETRY:

a question

BEGINNING MARKER: “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (v46)

hears and obeys

Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: (v47)

a house on a rock foundation

he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; (v48A)

storms could not shake that house

and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, (v48B)

a well built house

because it had been well built. (v48C)

heard but has not obeyed

A′

“But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, (v49A)

a house without any foundation

B′

is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; (v49B)

storms collapsed that house

C′

and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, (v49C)

house was destroyed

D′

and the ruin of that house was great.” (v49D)
(Luke 6:46-49 NASB)

In this example, the FIRST/FIRST emphasis, A and A', focuses on being one who does what he hears. The LAST/LAST, D and D' elements, reveal the effect of doing or not doing.

Immediate Repetition: an a-a-b-b-c-c type of sequence

Sometimes the immediate repetition has an emphatic X center point. More often, the second element of a pair substantially augments the understanding that was stated in the first.

IMMEDIATE REPETITION:

a change of flow

BEGINNING MARKER: While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, (v46A)

biological family

His mother and brothers were standing outside, to speak to Him. (v46B)

behold your biological family

A′

Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.” (v47)

who is My family?

But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” (v48)

behold My spiritual family

And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! (v49)

spiritual family

B′

“For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” (v18B)
(Matthew 12:46-50 NASB)

In the example above, the X CENTER POINT adds emphasis and the B′ element augments the meaning of B by describing why the disciples are His family.

List: an a-b-c-d-e type of sequence

Lists are easily detected in the Bible, being similar to a grocery list. Unless the Bible tells us differently, none of the individual items in the list are more important than another. That stated, sometimes there is an emphatic X CENTER POINT, and more often there is an OPENING or CLOSING SUMMARY.

LIST:

a beginning phrase

BEGINNING MARKER: For the word of God (v12A)

alive

is living (v12B)

moving everywhere

and active (v12C)

capable of cutting

and sharper than any two-edged sword, (v12D)

capable of piercing

and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, (v12E)

knowing the hearts of everyone

and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (v12F)

CLOSING SUMMARY: everyone and everything is seen

SUM

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (v13)
(Hebrews 4:12,13 NASB)

In this example, the emphasis is in the CLOSING SUMMARY for God sees everything.

Step by step

Findings

Pattern analysis is my name for this comprehensive method. As of July 2023, 20,400 of the 31,100 verses in the Bible (65%) have been analyzed. All verses conform to this methodology but nine (9) might be questioned if they were in the original text.

Two manuscripts have been started which teach more about pattern analysis – neither is complete.

A review copy of the Pattern Analysis Methodology has been completed and awaiting review by a small set of scholars. It contains a detailed description of three models: demarcation, structure, and rhetoric.
Pattern Analysis Handbook is intended for a broader audience.

I suggest that pattern analysis: +

Can be used by students for consistent analysis of the entire Bible. +
Applies to all books of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The Jew and the Gentile have one book inspired by the same spirit. +
Provides strong evidence that the same consistent yet complex thought process is seen from beginning to end: “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). +
Helps understand how men such as Moses, Isaiah, Matthew, John and all the others were inspired using themes as they penned the Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic using their own dialect, background and vocabulary. +
Pattern analysis should work with all nearly-literal translations of the Bible.

An example

Each of the basic and other literary devices contribute to the presentation and understanding of a literary unit. Using Acts 2:1-13 as an example, there are five analytical steps:

Download verses from an external source to a notepad-style editor such as Sample download.
Prepare the structural analysis such as Structured PARL code. The PARL (Pattern Analysis Research Language) is a computer-based analytical tool.
Validate the structure to catch integrity problems with the PARL. The validation does not check to see if the analysis makes sense. The output of the validation is a Dynamic webpage.
Perform the rhetorical analysis to see how the literary unit persuades and emphasizes certain portions. See Rhetorical analysis.
Validate the rhetoric to catch integrity problems with the rhetorical analysis. This validation also does not check to see if the analysis makes sense. The output is a Completed analysis.

Step by step

Benefits of Pattern Analysis

For those who have not been exposed to literary structures, pattern analysis can be an eye-opening experience. Those already familiar with literary structures should see that pattern analysis extends this discipline by adding greater sophistication. Therefore pattern analysis: +

Allows students to learn one method for finding the location of emphasis in the same consistent manner and in predictable ways throughout the Bible. +
Focuses on each element by causing the student to document a brief paraphrase after each line. In this way, the student learns much more about the literary unit by determining how the conjugate pairs are related. +
Enhances the analysis of a passage by revealing an understanding that may have been otherwise missed. By looking at related themes, passages are less likely to be taken out of context. +
Helps discern and documents the emphatic portions of literary structures. The end result of pattern analysis is not the structure, it is the rhetoric. When discerned in this way, they open the opportunity to see the Holy Spirit’s emphasis and oftentimes gain fresh insight. +
Offers the opportunity to re-think the creation of the Word of God. By asking the question, “How is it possible there is seemingly one consistent thought process which is seen from Genesis to Revelation?”, some will understand that the themes of a literary unit are not just the words of various men over the years. This question points to the relevance and reliability of the text as we have it today. +

Pattern Analysis Overview

A tool to discern more about the Bible