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Osborne, Grant R. The Hermeneutical Sph·al. A
Comprehensive introduction to Biblical
interpretation. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1991, pp 29-32.
I prefer the simpler block diagram (figure 1.6) to word or phrase diagrams (figures 1.4
and 1.5), for it functions at the clause level and provides a better overview. The other
two methods diagram every word or phrase, while the block diagram charts only major
and minor clauses (or lengthy phrases). These are larger building blocks of speech, and
so the three charts function at increasingly broader levels-word, phrase or clause. The
block method does have some disadvantages; for instance, it does not demonstrate as
many details as the other two. However, three advantages outweigh this weakness: (I)
it is simpler and takes less time, thus encouraging the busy pastor or layperson to continue using it; 7 (2) most of the other relationships (such as adjectives, modifying nouns,
adverbs or prepositional phrases modifying verbs) are fairly self-evident from the clause
structure; (3) the purpose of the sentence diagram is to visualize as simply as possible
the thought-flow of a paragraph rather than to decide grammatical details. The other two
methods introduce too many visual complexities to do this well. Grammatical details
become more evident during the exegetical study (chaps. 2-5), but at this early stage such
details may hurt more than help. Grammar is best left for a later stage in the process.
Moreover, at the later exegetical stage diagramming is not as important because we want
to clarify details within the sentence rather than to visualize thought-flow. Therefore, the
sentence diagram will serve our purpose better than the detailed grammatical diagram.
The first thing to do in the sentence diagram is to distinguish between major ;md minor
clauses. It is amazing how little of this is done in our educational system. I normally ask
my Greek classes when they last had grammar or diagramming, and the majority have
had nothing since junior high; several English majors have had nothing in their university
courses! Therefore, it is not surprising when we admit that we know little about such
things.
Clauses are those portions of the sentence which contain a subject and a predicate, for
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'
instance, "I saw the boy" (main clause) or "because I saw the boy" (subordinate or minor
clause). The difference between the two is that the first can stand alone as a sentence while
the second cannot. When reading through a biblic:al sentence for the first time, I find the
best way to distinguish is to read each clause out loud to myself to see which ones form
incomplete sentences and which can indeed stand by themselves.
For instance, let us consider Philippians 2:6 (diagrammed below). Again I prefer a
literal version like the New American Standard, since it is closer to the original Greek
and Hebrew and so is a better study Bible (of course, those who know Greek or Hebrew
will use them). Philippians 2:6 reads, "who, although He existed in the form of God, did
not regard equality with G«:>d a thing to be grasped." Here the "who" introduces the
marvelous incarnational hymn of 2:6-11 and so should be considered a noun ("Christ
Jesus" in v. S). When we read the verse orally, it becomes evident that "although He
existed in the form of God" cannot exist by itself as a sentence and so is subordinate to
the main clause, "He ... did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped." For
the diagram, we indent minor clauses one-half inch or so and indicate the clause they
modify with an arrow.
~ although He existed in the form of God
who ... did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.
Many like to indent each clause under the term it modifies. While this provides a good
visual aid, I find it unwieldy. Many subordinate clauses will modify the last word in a
clause, and this takes an inordinate amount of space. Moreover, Paul is famous for his
convoluted sentences. For instance, Ephesians 1:3-14 is a single, impossibly complex
sentence. To diagram it in this fashion would taJ...c a horizontal scroll eight feet wide
rather than a sheet of paper! I find it better to indent a half inch and place the arrow
under the clause that it modifies.
There are several aspects to note in a block diagram (figure 7). First, the arrows should
point to the term modified, while the subordinate clauses or phrases are indented a half
inch past the clause they modify. Second, there is often a series of indented clauses, as
minor clauses modify other minor clauses. This is ouc of the major values of a sentence
diagram, for it will visualize such complicated relationships and simplify greatly our
understanding of the thought-flow. Third, parallel clauses or phrases are linked together
either by an arrow (if they are subordinate like the two prepositional phrases of Eph l :56 above) or by a bar (if they are not subordinate like the two nouns of v. 7). What we
find in Ephesians 1:5-7 is a flow of four successive subordinate relationships. If we were
to string these out, it would take a great deal of space. It is simpler and more efficient
to employ arrows to do the work for us. Arrows also enable us to follow the order of
the text and therefore to avoid confusion.• Minor clauses that come first have arrows
pointing down (sec diagram of Phil 2:6 below) and those which come after have arrows
pointing up (such as Eph 1:5-7 above).
Perhaps the best means for detecting clauses in the biblical text is to study the connecting words. This is especially true for biblical study because of the frequent employment of conjunctions in both Hebrew and Greek. We must ask whether it is a coordi113ting ~nJ1.m~tio_Il (!_nd,_ bl!l, ~t,_both-and, not only-but also, either-or, therefore,
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for, so)9 that indicates a parallel or main clause, or a subordinating conjunction (unless,
before, after, while, when, since, because, that, if, although, though, so that, in order that,
except, as, then, where) that indicates a modifying clause.
We can also state the basic type of subordinating relationship by developing a series
of codes for the various syntactical relationships (such as T for temporal, Ca for causal,
Cn for concessive, Cd for conditional, R for result, Rel for relative, P for purpose, Me
for means, Ma for manner, I for instrumental). These codes can be written beside the
arrow so that a glance can show the pattern of subordinate clauses in the paragraph. Let
me demonstrate by diagramming the entire incarnational hymn of Philippians 2:6-11 (see
figure I. 7).
Although He existed in the form of God
c+
who ... did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped
(but) emptied Himself
Md
taking the form of a bond-servant
1 and being made in the likeness of men
Me I
+and being found in appearance as a man
He humbled Himself
Met by becoming obedient to the point to death,
even death on a cross.
Therefore also God 1 highly exalted Him
and bestowed on Him the name
t Rel
which is above every name
~
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow
I those who are in heaven
I and on earth, and
Pi
I under the earth 10
I
and that every tongue should confess ... to the glory of God the Father
I
I
that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Fig. 1.7. Diagram of Philippians 2:6-11 with Syntactical Codes.
This shows at a glance that the two major sections are Jesus' actions and God's actions.
Under the former fall three basic ideas: Jesus' subordination, his emptying and his humility. Under the latter there is one major idea-God's act of exaltation-~nd tw? subordinate ideas-an knees bowing and all tongues confessing. As we can note immediately,
this is the sermon outline in a nutshell. In fact, the block diagram leads. directly to a
preliminary sermon or Bible study outline. When we look at the pattern of clauses in the
major and minor points suggest themselves immediately (as we saw in Phil 2:6-
dia~ram,
11 ).
However, there are two caveats: first, the outline, like the diagram, must remain preliminary, subject to revision as the detailed exegesis unfolds. Second, while the syntactical
relationships help greatly to determine major segments of thought, they do not determine
them automatically. Often, the clauses are parallel (emptying and humbling in vv. 7-8 or
bowing and confessing in vv. 10-11) and should be combined into a single point. Just
as important, what is subordinate grammatically at times can have equal or greater stress
than the main clause in the writer's actual thought development. Paul is especially known
for this. If the subordinate idea is given extensive clarification, it is a sign that the writer
considers it to be a major stress. For example, Philippians 2:2 says, "Make my joy
complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent
on one purpose." Obviously, the primary emphasis is not the completion of Paul's joy
but the harmony of the Philippian church, developed in four successive subordinate
phrases telling the means for bringing Paul greater joy. In the sermon outline the point
would be harmony, not joy. Likewise, in the Philippians hymn the fact that Paul uses
two subordinate clauses to modify emptying (v. 7) and humbling (v. 8) shows that Paul
actually is emphasizing the incarnationa! aspects ("made in the likeness of man'l