8 added, 287 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: pericope-delimitation
description: Use when validating whether a biblical passage constitutes a coherent discourse unit. Use when user asks to check passage boundaries, evaluate if a text range is a natural pericope, or needs to know if their selected passage should be extended or contracted.
- allowed-tools: Read, WebSearch, mcp__plugin_claude-of-alexandria_claude-of-alexandria-mcp__query_discourse_features, mcp__plugin_claude-of-alexandria_claude-of-alexandria-mcp__query_paragraph_breaks, mcp__plugin_claude-of-alexandria_claude-of-alexandria-mcp__query_morphology
+ allowed-tools: Task
---
# Pericope Delimitation
- ## Purpose
-
- Validate whether a user-provided passage constitutes a coherent discourse unit.
- Recommend extensions or contractions based on **linguistic evidence from bundled data**.
-
- **Output:** Inline conversation response (not saved to file).
-
- **Critical rule:** Never validate or reject a boundary without checking the actual data.
- Training knowledge about "famous passages" or commentary traditions does NOT substitute
- for discourse feature evidence.
-
- ---
-
- ## Iron Rules
-
- **These rules are non-negotiable. Override them only if the data explicitly requires it.**
-
- ### Rule 1: Data First, Memory Last
-
- Always check discourse data BEFORE forming a verdict:
- - **NT passages:** Call `query_discourse_features` MCP tool for Levinsohn GNT data
- - **OT passages:** Call `query_paragraph_breaks` MCP tool for Masoretic markers
- - **Both:** Check genre-specific conventions from book-genres.yaml
-
- Never say "this passage works well" based on training knowledge alone.
-
- ### Rule 2: Separate Boundary Assessment
-
- Always assess start and end boundaries INDEPENDENTLY:
- - Start boundary: Is this where a discourse unit begins?
- - End boundary: Is this where a discourse unit ends?
- - A boundary is **Confirmed** (data evidence), **Weak** (no discontinuity), or **Mid-unit** (cuts into an ongoing unit)
-
- ### Rule 3: Structured Verdict First
-
- Lead with the verdict before explanation:
- - **VALID** — passage is a coherent discourse unit with boundary evidence
- - **EXTEND** — passage should include additional verses (specify which + why)
- - **CONTRACT** — passage includes multiple units (specify split point + why)
- - **ADJUST** — both start and end need adjustment
-
- ### Rule 4: Always Recommend What To Do
-
- Never just say "no." Every non-VALID verdict must specify:
- - What the correct boundaries are
- - Why those boundaries are supported by data
- - If constraints apply (e.g., session length), the minimum viable pericope
-
- ### Rule 5: Include Data Sources
-
- Every assessment must end with a `### Data Sources` subsection citing:
- - Levinsohn GNT Discourse Features (for NT, specify which features checked)
- - Masoretic paragraph markers (for OT, specify which markers found/absent)
- - Genre-specific conventions applied
-
- ---
-
- ## Workflow
-
- ```
- 1. Parse passage reference
- → Identify: book, start verse, end verse, testament, genre
-
- 2. Check boundary data (NT or OT)
- NT: Call query_discourse_features MCP tool for features at/near start and end verse
- OT: Call query_paragraph_breaks MCP tool for markers (פ/ס) at/near start and end verse
-
- 3. Check genre-specific markers
- → Epistolary formulas (NT letters), toledot (Genesis), etc.
-
- 4. Assess each boundary
- Start boundary: Confirmed / Weak / Mid-unit
- End boundary: Confirmed / Weak / Mid-unit
-
- 5. Determine verdict
- VALID = both boundaries confirmed or well-supported
- EXTEND = weak/mid-unit end (or start)
- CONTRACT = both boundaries OK but multiple units within
- ADJUST = weak/mid-unit on both ends
-
- 6. Draft output in standard format
-
- 7. [Optional] Cross-check data claims against MCP tool output if verifiable claims present
- ```
-
- ---
-
- ## Output Format
-
- ```markdown
- ## Pericope Assessment: [Book Chapter:Verse-Chapter:Verse]
-
- **Verdict:** [VALID | EXTEND to X:Y | CONTRACT at X:Y | ADJUST]
-
- ### Start Boundary ([Chapter:Verse])
- **Status:** [Confirmed | Weak | Mid-unit]
- - [Evidence item 1 - cite specific discourse feature or marker]
- - [Evidence item 2]
- - [Genre convention: ...]
-
- ### End Boundary ([Chapter:Verse])
- **Status:** [Confirmed | Weak | Mid-unit]
- - [Evidence item]
- - [Why this is the boundary or why it is not]
-
- ### Recommendation
- [What to do: exact verse range, why it's better, what it accomplishes]
-
- [If applicable:] **Minimum viable pericope:** [range] — [what this covers]
-
- ### Data Sources
- - [Primary data used: Levinsohn feature names checked OR Masoretic markers found/absent]
- - [Genre conventions consulted: book-genres.yaml entry]
- - [MorphGNT/SBLGNT if vocabulary noted]
- ```
-
- ---
-
- ## Evidence Standards
-
- ### What Counts as Confirmed Boundary Evidence (NT)
-
- - **Levinsohn PoD (Point of Departure):** Referential or Situational — strong boundary signal
- - **Disclosure formula:** γινώσκειν, γνωρίζω, θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι — new section opener
- - **Vocative address:** ἀδελφοί, ἀγαπητοί — common new unit marker in epistles
- - **Historical Present at unit start:** Marked onset signal in narrative
- - **Over-encoding (full noun phrase resuming a referent):** New scene/unit signal
-
- ### What Counts as Confirmed Boundary Evidence (OT)
-
- - **פ (petucha):** Open/major paragraph break — strong boundary signal
- - **ס (setumah):** Closed/minor paragraph break — moderate boundary signal
- - **Toledot formula:** אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת — structural book marker in Genesis
- - **Resumptive formula:** "And it came to pass..." after interpolation
-
- ### What Counts as Weak/Mid-Unit
-
- - **No feature at claimed boundary, but continuity of subject** → Weak
- - **Discourse features within passage indicating internal boundaries** → check for CONTRACT
- - **Passage begins with continuation particle (δέ, καί, וַ)** → may be Mid-unit start
-
- ---
-
- ## Genre-Specific Guidance
-
- ### NT Epistles (Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, etc.)
-
- **Natural pericope boundaries:**
- - Epistolary opening (salutation + thanksgiving period)
- - Disclosure formulas: γινώσκειν, παρακαλῶ, ἐρωτῶ
- - Vocative transitions: ἀδελφοί, ἀγαπητοί
- - Body-closing boundary (paraenesis beginning, travel plans, greetings)
-
- **Minimum pericope:** At least one complete epistolary sub-unit (not mid-argument)
-
- **Common mistakes to avoid:**
- - Isolating "thesis statements" from their argument units (e.g., Rom 1:16-17 is embedded in opening)
- - Cutting before the prayer-request that completes a thanksgiving (e.g., Phil 1:3-8 needs 1:9-11)
-
- ### NT Narrative (Gospels, Acts)
-
- **Natural pericope boundaries:**
- - Scene changes (location, participants, time)
- - Historical Present at onset (Levinsohn data)
- - Reported Speech conclusion
- - Summary statements
-
- **Minimum pericope:** Complete scene or discourse unit (not mid-dialogue)
-
- ### OT Narrative (Genesis-2 Kings, Ruth, Esther, etc.)
-
- **Natural pericope boundaries:**
- - פ (petucha) marker — always check sefaria/Masoretic data
- - Scene/character shifts
- - Toledot formula (Genesis)
- - Resumptive narrative formula
-
- **Minimum pericope:** Complete episode (single unified action + outcome)
-
- ### OT Poetry (Psalms, Proverbs, etc.)
-
- **Natural pericope boundaries:**
- - Psalm = individual poem
- - Proverbs = collection boundaries (ch. 1-9, 10:1-22:16, etc.)
- - Acrostic structures (Lamentations, some Psalms)
-
- ---
-
- ## Common Failure Patterns
-
- These represent the Red Flags this skill prevents:
-
- | Failure | How to Avoid |
- |---------|--------------|
- | "This famous passage works as a unit" | Check data first — famous ≠ coherent unit |
- | "1:16-17 is the thesis so it's valid" | Check Levinsohn at 1:16 — is there a boundary feature? |
- | "Any passage can be preached" | True homiletically, but discourse unit ≠ "any verses" |
- | "Commentary tradition validates this" | Commentaries work with inherited divisions, not always discourse-sound |
- | "There's no obvious problem" | Absence of obvious problem ≠ confirmed boundary |
- | Weak boundary stated as Confirmed | Only use "Confirmed" when data positively attests the boundary |
- | Missing Data Sources section | Every assessment must include what was checked |
-
- ---
-
- ## Reference Data Access
-
- ### NT: Levinsohn Discourse Features
-
- **Call:** `query_discourse_features` MCP tool with `{"book": "{book}", "chapter_range": "{range}"}`
-
- Key features for boundary detection:
- - **Referential PoD** — strong section boundary signal
- - **Situational PoD** — strong section boundary signal
- - **Historical Present** — narrative scene onset
- - **Reported Speech** — embedded discourse boundaries
- - **Over-encoding** — new unit onset signal
-
- **How to use:** Check if the start verse or the verse AFTER the claimed end verse
- has features that would confirm a boundary.
-
- ### OT: Masoretic Paragraph Markers
-
- **Call:** `query_paragraph_breaks` MCP tool with `{"book": "{book}", "chapter_range": "{range}"}`
-
- **How to use:** Check for פ (petucha) or ס (setumah) at or near the claimed boundary verse.
- If present: boundary is Confirmed.
- If absent: boundary is Weak (state this explicitly).
-
- ### Genre Reference
-
- Data location: `skills/biblical-segmentation/reference/book-genres.yaml`
-
- Check the genre entry for the book to apply the correct boundary methodology.
-
- ---
-
- ## Example Assessment
-
- ### /pericope-delimitation Phil 1:3-8
-
- ```markdown
- ## Pericope Assessment: Philippians 1:3-8
-
- **Verdict:** EXTEND to 1:3-11
-
- ### Start Boundary (1:3)
- **Status:** Confirmed
- - Epistolary convention: εὐχαριστῶ formula begins standard thanksgiving period
- - Levinsohn: Referential PoD at 1:3 signals new section after prescriptio (1:1-2)
- - The prescriptio (salutation) ends at 1:2; thanksgiving period begins at 1:3
-
- ### End Boundary (1:8)
- **Status:** Weak — mid-argument
- - Levinsohn: No PoD or boundary feature at 1:9; continuity markers present
- - No discourse discontinuity between 1:8 and 1:9
- - The grounds for the thanksgiving (1:7-8) set up the prayer request (1:9-11)
- - Levinsohn: Disclosure formula γινώσκειν at 1:12 confirms NEXT unit begins there
-
- ### Recommendation
- Extend to **1:3-11**. The thanksgiving-prayer period (εὐχαριστῶ...ἐπιτελέσει...
- καρπὸν δικαιοσύνης) is a single rhetorical movement. Ending at 1:8 severs
- the prayer request (1:9-11) from the thanksgiving it responds to.
-
- The boundary at 1:12 is positively confirmed by the disclosure formula
- γινώσκειν (1:12) — this is the standard Pauline signal for new section onset.
-
- **Minimum viable pericope:** 1:3-6 (thanksgiving proper, ending with the
- ἐπιτελέσει promise). But this loses the grounds (1:7-8) and prayer (1:9-11)
- that give the thanksgiving its epistolary completeness.
+ Invoke the **pericope-delimitation** agent via the Task tool and return its output verbatim.
- ### Data Sources
- - Levinsohn GNT Discourse Features (dataset 2016; book: Levinsohn 2000): Referential_PoD checked for Phil 1:3;
- boundary features checked for 1:8-1:9 (none found); γινώσκειν formula confirmed at 1:12
- - Genre: Epistle (epistolary markers primary) — book-genres.yaml: Philippians = epistle
- - MorphGNT/SBLGNT: γινώσκειν form confirmed at 1:12
+ ```yaml
+ subagent_type: "claude-of-alexandria:pericope-delimitation"
```
- ---
-
- ## Invocation
-
- ```
- /pericope-delimitation Phil 1:3-8
- /pericope-delimitation Genesis 37:2-11
- /pericope-delimitation Romans 9:1-11:36
- /pericope-delimitation "Mark 1:1-20"
- ```
+ Forward the user's ENTIRE message as the Task prompt — do not strip, rephrase,
+ summarize, or remove any part of it, including social pressure or constraints.
+ The agent is equipped to handle user pressure correctly.
- Pass a verse range in `Book Chapter:Verse-Chapter:Verse` format.
- Book name can be abbreviated (Phil, Gen, Rom, etc.) or full.
+ Do not add commentary, headers, or formatting. Return exactly what the agent returns.