The Seventh Abomination

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The Seventh Abomination

“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

At first glance, this proverb written by King Solomon seems confusing. First, there are six things the Lord (Yahweh) hates, then seven. Which is it? Then he lists seven, but which ones does the Lord hate and which one is an abomination?

The answer is hidden in the linear Anglo-Saxon style of writing for which we are familiar with, but it is revealed if it’s written in the original Hebrew style of writing called a “chiasm.” This style of literature is used extensively in the Old Testament and some in the New Testament. It was a common way of writing to communicate the main idea the author was trying to impress upon his audience. There are verses, chapters, and even entire books (e.g. most of Isaiah) written in this style. It was an extremely powerful method of driving a point home and most Hebrews would recognize its use.

So, what exactly is this chiasm and how does it solve the riddle in Proverbs 6? In a chiasm, a sequence of ideas is presented and then repeated in reverse order resulting in a “mirror” effect. The structure of a chiasm can be expressed through a series of letters, each letter representing a new idea. For example, the structure ABB’A’ refers to two ideas (A and B) “reflected” in reverse order (B’ and A’). When a chiasm includes another idea in the middle of the repetition such as ABCB’A’, the two ideas (A and B) are repeated in reverse order, but a third idea is inserted before the repetition (C) to emphasize it.

So let’s evaluate the passage above using this structure:

There are six things which the Lord hates.  Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:

A —– Haughty eyes,

B ———— A lying tongue,

C —————– and hands that shed innocent blood,

D ———————- a heart that devises wicked plans,

C’ —————- feet that run rapidly to evil,

B’ ———– a false witness who utters lies,

A’ —– and one who spreads strife among brothers.

Looking closely at the verse like this we can see that:

A & A’ have to do with pride (haughty eyes spread strife – spiritual evil intentions)

B & B’ have to do with lying (a lying tongue is a false witness – foul soul)

C & C’ have to do with hands and feet (hands kill, feet run to evil – physical maliciousness)

Low and behold, all three stem from “a heart that devises wicked plans” (D -the main point)! The seventh (which is the Hebrew number for complete) abomination is the source for the other six. Moses was right when he wrote “… for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth…” (Genesis 8:21).

Can you see the “seventh” abomination now? It’s easy when it’s laid out this way, isn’t it? The heart is the source of all our evil for it is truly wicked. We all need heart surgery. And there’s only one heart surgeon in the universe who can fix us … guess who that is?

Jesus Christ …. Calling Dr. Jesus!!!!!

Serving Christ together,

Dave

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About the Author

David has a master’s degree in Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has worked on the Space Shuttle program at Kennedy Space Center, owned a full-service travel store, started multiple church plants and been a lead pastor. He currently teaches an adult Sunday School class and various evening Bible studies. David enjoys reading and studying God's Word and sharing its application with others. His passion is speaking at various churches and civic organizations, sharing the message of hope, joy and peace that comes from living your life for Christ.

3 comments

  1. Theresa Breckel - Reply

    Thank you for your clear explanation of Proverbs 6:16-19 and the chiastic structure. Theresa

  2. Betsy V. - Reply

    God bless you for helping others understand His word. Very helpful.

  3. Fred Mbapuun - Reply

    I have never ready the Bible and understand it before but Dey I ready from the Bible and ask google questions and I understand from the truth that inspires. David the author. Thank for throwing light to me and lean something about lies and bad heart. Truly the heart is evil, we do need surgery and now I know my only doctor is Dr Jesus.
    Thanks a lot king David

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