Chiasm: Daniel 1-5

A: Vessels from the House of God placed in treasury of the gods of Babylon (1:2)

  B: God is sovereign over the human mind (1:3-21)

      - God endowed Daniel and friends with wisdom and knowledge for obedience

      - Daniel and friends eat vegetables

    C: King Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: The Great Statue destroyed by the Mountain (2:1-46)

      D: Nebuchadnezzar's praise of the Most High God (2:47)

        E: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego promoted (2:49) 

          F: Nebuchadnezzar commands that everyone who doesn't bow will be killed (3:1-6)

            G: Everyone bows to the gold statue (3:7) 

              H: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego denounced to Nebuchadnezzar for disobeying (3:8-12)

                I: Nebuchadnezzar summons Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (3:13)

                  J: Nebuchadnezzar questions the power of their "god" (3:14-15)

                   K: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ask to be used as a test of God's power (3:16-18)

                     L: Command for furnace to be overheated (3:19)

                       M: Order to bind and throw them in the furnace (3:20)

                       M': Bound and thrown into the furnace (3:21)

                     L': Overheated furnace kills guards (3:22)

                   K': The Test: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thrown into the furnace (3:23)

                  J': Nebuchadnezzar witnesses God delivering them in the furnace (3:24-25)

                I': Nebuchadnezzar summons Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (3:26)

              H': Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego praised by Nebuchadnezzar for disobeying (3:27-28)

            G': Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow (3:28b)  

          F': Nebuchadnezzar commands that everyone who doesn't honor God will be killed (3:29)

        E': Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego promoted (3:30)

      D': Nebuchadnezzar's praise of the Most High God (4:2-3)
    C': King Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: The Great Tree that was cut down (4:4-27)

  B': God is sovereign over the human mind (4:28-37)

       - God removes reason and sanity from Nebuchadnezzar for disobedience

       - Nebuchadnezzar eats grass
A': Vessels from the House of God used while praising the gods of Babylon (5:2-4)

I think there are some quite strong parallels in this possible chiasm, but there are a few weak points. Namely, B-B' (which is a long section) as well as K-K' (which is a short section and a long section). A few sections have more parallels that I listed such as C-C' as well as others, but are difficult to show in this form. Is there a different way of breaking this chiasm down that I am not seeing? Feedback anyone?

I had heard that there was a chiasm in Daniel. I thought I caught a hint of one and explored that possibility above. However, others accept another structure from Daniel 1-7, and some go on to suggest a second chiasm for the rest of the book. 

Does this chiasm help us interpret this passage? The pivot point M-M' doesn't ordinarily stick out to me as a reader. But maybe the author wants the reader to meditate more deeply on what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did in their faith - allowing themselves to be thrown into a furnace to show God's power to the world. I wonder if there is another chiasm with the pivot around Daniel being thrown into the lion's den? Hmmm... I will have to look into that. 

We can't get away from the main idea of Daniel: God is sovereign over all! We see repeated themes in this chiasm of His sovereignty and power over the human mind (B-B'), governments and political powers (C-C'), position and authority (E-E'), life and death (FM-F'M').