A Boy and His Bible

An inclusio is “the literary technique of marking the beginning and end of a section by repeating vocabulary.”[1] An inclusio also cues the reader into the main theme or takeaway of the section. Fuhr and Köstenberger observe,

The prophets often use inclusio as a means of reinforcing the declaration of judgement or the proclamation of salvation…Also, inclusio is common in narrative as a means to surrounding the text with an opening or closing theme (often communicating the theological emphasis in the narrative).[2]

Let’s look at an example of how this might be used:

Are you ever just stunned at how wonderful a tall, cold glass of milk is with some freshly baked cookies? Let me tell you a story. It was a sunny, autumn day. The leaves had begun turning colors, but it wasn’t so far into the fall that it was exceptionally cold. It was crisp, but you could still enjoy the warmth of the sun on a clear day as it heated up your shirt when the wind was still. After a leisurely day of working in the yard, I came into the house, greeted by the sweet and enveloping aroma of chocolate chip cookies in the oven which my wife was baking. I breathed in deep and exhaled long and slowly, saying, “Ohhhhhhhh, yes.” After coming to my senses once again, I rushed to the fridge to make sure we had some milk so that the experience would not be wanting in any way. To my dismay, as I peered in, all I saw was a vacant spot on the shelf where the milk is accustomed to being. Despair settling in such that I began to forget the joy of the aroma I had just enjoyed, I searched frantically, moving other items out of the way to look behind them, opening the cheese drawer and the meat drawer on the off chance that someone had been playing a mean prank on me. Alas, there was no milk. Immediately, my thoughts turned to a possible solution: “How quickly can I get to the store and back? Will the cookies have been pulled out and cooled off too much to make a trip worth it?” Glancing at the timer on the oven and pulling out the abacus of my mind, I made my calculations. If everything went perfect, I would be back just in time. “I’ve got to try!” I told myself. Grabbing my keys, I rushed out the door and began speeding away to the store. I got there in record time and acquired the prized possession. On the way back, I looked at my watch with satisfaction. “I can make it. I can make it!” As my eyes returned to the road, I saw the piercing flashes of blue and red in my rear-view mirror. My heart turned black with dread. “What was the point of all my effort?” There was no more hope. I sank in my seat, waiting now with numbness of heart for the officer to arrive and ask his questions. He let me off with a warning, but I didn’t care anymore. Dejected, I returned home at the pace of a snail, knowing that the cookies would no longer be warm after this delay. I had a sigh in my heart and no light in my eyes as I entered the house. I came to the kitchen, and—to my bewilderment—I heard the familiar beep of the oven’s timer. Perplexed, I turned to my wife, who wore a knowing smile on her face. “I made another batch,” she said. Let me tell you, I have never enjoyed a tall, cold glass of milk with freshly baked cookies more than I did that day!

Despite the silliness of this little story, the inclusio helps the reader understand that the whole episode is about the delight of a culinary combination. The the twists and turns are all used to illustrate the lengths to which the protagonist will go for that experience. The pursuit of that delight is what drives the whole story. It is why he is in despair when that goal is threatened in various ways and why he relishes it so much once he obtains it.

Moving on, then, consider some biblical examples of inclusio. Genesis 39 presents an interesting test case to observe the significance of an inclusio. The inclusio can be seen in vv. 2–3 and 21–23:

2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands… 21But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed. (Gen 39:2–3, 21–23)

It is evident that Moses is emphasizing the Lord’s special and providential presence with Joseph to make him succeed in all that he does. This helps us to interpret everything that falls between these two bookends in light of the theme of the inclusio. This is especially significant in the case of Gen 39 because its contents might make you question God’s presence in Joseph’s life. In vv. 6–20, Joseph is falsely accused and unjustly imprisoned all because he chose to honor God and maintain his integrity. A temptation for the reader would be to think, “What good does it do to please God if this is what happens when you do?” The inclusio reminds us that God’s providential hand was in all of this and that he was still with Joseph, blessing him even in the difficult circumstances. Later in Genesis, we learn that this is all leading towards God’s plan to preserve and multiply his people, the descendants of Israel.

Psalm 8 is another example of an inclusio. It begins and ends with this statement: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Ps 8:1a, 9). By opening and closing the psalm with this refrain, the author intends for us to read everything that is spoken of in the middle as demonstrations of the Lord’s majesty. And the way he demonstrates this majesty is quite remarkable. The psalmist contrasts the greatness and glory of God and his creation with the surprising object of his plans and affections. Though his glory is above the heavens (v.1b), he establishes strength through infants (v. 2). Although he has set the sun, moon, and stars in their place (v. 3), he attends to lowly mankind (v. 4) and has even bestowed extravagant honor upon him (vv. 5–8). Thus, God in his grace has chosen to use the weak things of the world to get glory for himself. In doing so, he demonstrates his majesty.

Similarly, Psalm 113 begins and ends with the refrain “Praise the Lord!” (Ps 113:1a, 9b). The contents in the middle, then, describe why he should be praised. Especially pertinent are vv.4–9a, in which the psalmist describes the transcendence and holiness of God (vv. 4–6) as well as the tender immanence, or nearness, of God to his people (vv. 7–9a). Thus, because of his character, the Lord is to be praised.

At other times, an inclusio can include an entire book of the Bible. Ecclesiastes is bookended by two very similar statements: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity… Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity” (Ecc 1:2; 12:8). Thus, the book of Ecclesiastes is book about properly living according to the fear of God and wisdom in the midst of a vain (think, “fleeting” or possibly “incomprehensible”) world. A similar book-length inclusio can be found in Matthew (1:23; 28:20) and Romans (1:5; 16:26).

[1] Mark David Futato, Interpreting the Psalms: An Exegetical Handbook (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2007), 232.

[2] Richard Alan Jr. Fuhr and Andreas J. Köstenberger, Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application through the Lenses of History, Literature, and Theology (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2016), 163.