There are six things which the Lord hates,
yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil,
a false witness who utters lies,
and one who spreads strife among brothers.
Proverbs 6.16-19
Here is a possible chiastic structure for Proverbs 6.16-19:
A Haughty eyes
B
a lying tongue
C and hands that shed innocent blood
D
a heart that devises wicked plans
C1 feet that run rapidly to evil
B1 a false witness who utters lies
A1 and one who spreads strife among
brothers
Notes:
1.
A and
A1 are seemingly the
least connected. But if the
structure holds then A1 may
be informed by A. In other words, the strife among
brothers may be due to haughty eyes—pride produces strife.
2.
B and
B1 both concern lying and
lies.
3.
C and
C1 correlate hands with
feet and innocent blood with evil.
4.
At the center (D) of the structure is what is at the center of the person—the heart.
