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This page allows you to see all the commentary pages together for this Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine lesson. Click on the heading to go to a specific page. Click the edit links below to edit text on any pages.


2 Ne 11:1-8

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapter 11
Previous page: Chapter 10                      Next page: Chapters 12-30


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapter 11 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Story. This central chapter explains why Nephi quotes Isaiah at such length in the rest of Second Nephi. Chapter 11 consists of a chiasm:

a. Nephi quotes Isaiah, Jacob, and himself as witnesses who have seen Christ (11:2-3)
b. Nephi delights in proving that Christ will come (11:4)
c. Nephi delights in the Lord's (i) covenants to the fathers and (ii) plan of deliverance from death (11:5)
b. Nephi delights in proving that all would perish if Christ did not come (11:6-7)
a. Nephi quotes Isaiah so that all who read can rejoice for all men (11:8)

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapter 11 include:

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 11:4. The usage "for for", while awkward in English, is repeated several times in the Book of Mormon text (2 Ne 25:25; 2 Ne 26:10; 2 Ne 31:17; Jacob 4:4; Hel 14:11; and Moroni 8:6) as well as in the King James Bible (Romans 13:6; 1 Peter 4:6). Royal Skousen also shows that it is used in a grammatically consistent way.[1]
  • 2 Ne 11:5. Compare with the title page of the Book of Mormon and with Moroni's statement of the reasons for writing the book. See Morm 8:5,23; 1 Ne 13:20-26, title page; D&C 3 - compare purposes of Isaiah w purposes of Book of Mormon
  • 2 Ne 11:8. Nephi tells us that the reason he quotes Isaiah is so that we may lift up our hearts and rejoice for all men. Usually reading something would make us rejoice just for ourselves - our own circumstances and purposes. Here what we read is so wonderful that we will rejoice for the whole world!
  • 2 Ne 11:8: That whoso of my people shall see. The original published version of the Book of Mormon read "that whoso of my people which shall see".[2] Dr. Skousen recommends restoring the which for clarity. It does not seem to make much difference either way.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 11:6: Can we prove "that save Christ should come all men must perish" without preaching "fire and brimstone"?
  • 2 Ne 11:8: The last sentence of the verse reads: "Now these are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men." Does this imply that the words of Isaiah can be applied to us personally as well as to the global winding up of this life?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.

  1. Skousen, Royal. Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, p.652. Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies. 2005.
  2. Skousen, Royal. Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, p. 653. Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies. 2005.

Previous page: Chapter 10                      Next page: Chapters 12-30


2 Ne 12:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 12:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 12:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 12:16-22

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 13:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 13:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 13:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 13:16-20

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 13:21-26

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 14:1-6

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 15:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 15:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 15:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 15:16-20

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 15:21-25

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 15:26-30

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 16:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 16:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 16:11-13

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 17:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 17:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 17:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 17:16-20

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 17:21-25

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 18:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 18:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 18:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 18:16-22

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 19:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 19:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 19:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 19:16-21

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 20:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 20:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 20:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 20:16-20

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 20:21-25

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 20:26-30

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 20:31-34

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 21:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 21:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 21:11-16

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 22:1-6

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 23:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 23:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 23:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 23:16-22

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 24:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 24:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 24:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 24:16-20

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 24:21-25

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

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Prompts for further study[edit]

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Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 24:26-32

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 12-24
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Summary[edit]

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Scope of page. Second Nephi 12-24 contains Nephi's quotation of Isaiah 2-14. This wiki page is not intended, however, to address Isaiah. This page is intended only to address Nephi's use of Isaiah. Readers may want to consult the wiki pages that address Isaiah 2-14 before reading the portion of this wiki page that addresses Second Nephi 12-24. Contributors are likewise asked to respect this distinction. The idea is that discussion of a passage should be concentrated in a single place, and that the best place for a discussion of Isaiah is on the wiki pages that directly address Isaiah.

Relationship to Second Nephi. The relationship of Chapters 12-24 to the rest of Second Nephi is discussed at Second Nephi.

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 12:16: Comparison with MT and LXX. See "Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish": Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 by Dana M. Pike and David R. Seely in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, v. 14(2), 2005, pp. 12-25. Pike and Seely do not really come to any conclusion except that Sperry's conjecture that the LXX and MT each missed a different line in an original Hebrew text overlooks several other possibilities which are just as plausible. (The first two lines here in Nephi represent the LXX and the MT respectively, while the third line preserves the second line in the KJV, which newer translations dispute by changing "pleasant pictures" with something like "display of crafts" which is closer to the LXX.)
  • 2 Ne 18:16-17: Testimony. The word "testimony" (along with other words from the "court") is absolutely central to Nephi's understanding of his own record. If there is anything like a precedent for his usage—if there is any predecessor he might have looked to—it would be Isaiah, and in this passage, Nephi provides his readers with precisely the passage that might have been behind his thinking. It is necessary, then, to look at this passage in some detail if one would hope for an understanding of the role testimony plays in Nephi's writings.
On what is now perhaps a rather common reading, these verses articulate the foundation of the practice of writing up prophecy. Since Isaiah (along with Amos and Hosea) seem to have been the first "writing prophets" in the Old Testament tradition, there is reason to ask when and how the practice of writing up prophecy ever began in the first place. If these verses are taken in connection with Isa 6:9ff, they may provide an explanation of the phenomenon (one that is echoed again in Isa 29 and thus taken up by Nephi at great length in 2 Ne 26-27). In Isa 6, the Lord issues His specific call to Isaiah, and the prophet is told explicitly to harden the hearts of the people so that they will reject his message. Though the passage does not fall well on modern ears, the idea that the Lord would harden the hearts of people for His own purposes is certainly attested abundantly in the Old Testament. Whether that means that Isaiah simply inherited a particular worldview, or whether that means that the Lord is simply not modern (or whether that means that the Lord speaks to each people in their own language and according to their own cultural assumptions), Isaiah's call to harden hearts and so to be rejected turns out to be central to his message. It is echoed quite clearly here in verse 17: "the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob."
The context into which this characterization is set is vastly important: chapters 7-12 of Isaiah (17-22 of 2 Nephi) may be taken as one rather lengthy oracle against Assyria in the context of the Syro-Ephraimite war. The oracle, it would appear, was essentially rejected (according to the task given to Isaiah in his original call). And as a consequence of this rejection, Isaiah commands (is commanded?) to "bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." That is, because the oracle has been rejected in the present, Isaiah seals up the text to be delivered to another time: it will only be believed in retrospect, and so it is to be sealed up until the events have come to pass without question. If this is what is at work in this verse, it is quite clear that it is predicated upon the hardness of the hearts of the people: it is their rejection of the oracle that leads to its being written down and sealed up for a future generation. In other words, if it were not for the hardness of the hearts of the people, the oracle would not be written up at all, since its oral deliverance would have been sufficient for any real purpose. It is Isaiah's peculiar call to condemn that opens up the possibility of the written oracle.
The consequences of this shift in the nature of the prophetic office are enormous. By writing up a prophecy—as commanded by the Lord—its words suddenly must be understood to outstrip the event according to which they were spoken. In that the prophecy is to be read by a later people, it is, in the very act of its being written, made the foundation of typological reading: the past is suddenly meant to be recoverable by a future people. Not only this, but the prophet himself is thereby turned to the future: Isaiah is no longer focused only or even primarily on delivering the immediate commandments of God to the people, but he anticipates events that are still to happen, because he anticipates people that are not yet in his own time in existence. And it is in this context that Isaiah's use of the word "testimony" must be considered.
First things first, the Hebrew word in the Isaiah text for this passage is te'udah, a word that appears only three times in the Old Testament, two of which appearances are in this very chapter. It should be noted, at the same time, that the word is closely related to the very frequent 'eduth also translated "testimony." Given the relative dating of the Isaiah text (it was written at some point during the eighth century B.C.), most Hebrew scholars are unwilling to read this word as so closely related to what is now called the Law of Moses than would be suggested by a naive word study: many scholars do not believe that the Law came to be a Law in the sense it is often regarded until well after the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Thus, it is best not to read into the word "testimony," nor into the parallel "law," anything like a reference to the Law of Moses (the complete dearth of Mosaic material in Isaiah strengthens this historical reading). And yet, here in the Book of Mormon, it is not clear whether such comments would still hold: the Nephites might very easily have found a reference to the Law of Moses in this passage; that is, unless there is some far more obvious way to read the text. The question, then: is there some far more obvious way to read the text?
It turns out that there may be a far more obvious way to read the text, or at least that some important themes that appear in Nephi's record point to another way of reading the text. Nephi only uses the word "testimony" four times on his own (that is, besides in quoting this passage from Isaiah), but they are almost all taken up with the question of a text that is written and sealed up for a later day. In fact, usually, the word has reference to a text that is sealed up in a way that it will be brought to bear on some kind of judgment. This emphasis on the courtroom opens up a very possible other reading of the present passage: one immediately notices that both "testimony" and "law" are courtroom words, and might point specifically to judgment. In this regard, the importance of verse 20 begins to emerge (though it will have to be considered on its own below): there it is precisely the law and the testimony that become players in a vital judgment. A far more obvious way to read the text, then: in terms of the courtroom, and in terms of a sealed up record that is to play a part there.
What, then, is at play in these two verses?

Unanswered questions[edit]

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Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-30                      Next page: Verses 25:1-8

2 Ne 25:1-5

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapter 25a / Verses 25:1-8
Previous page: Chapters 12-24                      Next page: Chapters 25b-27


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Summary[edit]

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Discussion[edit]

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Verses 1-8: Regarding the "Keys" to Studying Isaiah[edit]

Verses 1-8 here are often said to contain the "keys" to the study of Isaiah—the idea being that what Nephi here says about his own understanding of Isaiah can inform those who struggle to make sense of Isaiah's writings. There are different ways of formulating these "keys," but most follow a pattern something like the following:

  • (1) One should seek to "know ... concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews" (verse 1), concerning "the things of the Jews" (verse 5), and concerning "the regions round about" Jerusalem (verse 6).
  • (2) One should seek to be "filled with the spirit of prophecy" (verse 4).
  • (3) One should recognize the benefit of living "in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah [are] fulfilled" (verse 7).

In a word, one should cultivate both appropriate secular knowledge and a deep spiritual capacity, as well as recognize that one might be living through the fulfillment of the prophecy.

The identification of these "keys" is not without merit, but many crucial questions remain unanswered: What is the manner of prophesying among the Jews, and how does one learn about it? What is meant by the things of the Jews, and where does one begin to study them? What is one supposed to learn about Jerusalem's environs, and how is such knowledge supposed to help in the work of interpretation? What does it mean to be filled with the spirit of prophecy, and how exactly does having this gift make it easier to make sense of Isaiah? What exactly does Nephi mean by the fulfillment of Isaianic prophecy, and how is one to identify events that fulfill prophecy when most prophecies appear rather vague?

But not only does this common approach to these verses fail to answer the basic questions that would allow one to use the identified "keys," it overlooks most of what Nephi says in this crucial passage, all of which sheds a good deal of light on the way Nephi understands Isaiah. Rather than extracting from these verses a few "keys" to making sense of Isaiah, then, it would be best to work systematically through the text with the following question: "What is Nephi saying here, and why is it important?" The commentary below exhibits such an approach.

Verses 1-8: Structure[edit]

Verses 1-8 collectively introduce Nephi's prophecy beginning in verse 9. This introduction is, however, immensely complex, weaving together passages in which Nephi addresses two distinct audiences. This double address is crucial for Nephi's larger project. A whole series of details in Nephi's record suggests that he only came in the course of writing it to recognize that his writings would eventually circulate among a people other than his own immediate descendants. Earlier parts of his record (in particular 1 Ne 6 and 9), as well as what seems to be the earliest word from the Lord concerning his task with the record (found in 2 Ne 5:30-33) suggest that he began his project with a rather limited audience in mind: only his own people. Beginning especially with 1 Ne 19:18-19—a passage that evidence suggests was written a good while later than 1 Ne 1-18—Nephi begins to recognize the possibility that his record will circulate among other parts of the house of Israel. Still later, in 2 Ne 25:21-22, Nephi explicitly states that he had received by that time a promise that other nations would eventually possess his record. Finally, by the time he wrote the last chapter of his record, Nephi not only writes to all the ends of the earth but clearly associates his own record with the promised book-to-come witnessed in his apocalyptic vision (of 1 Nephi 11-14): see especially 2 Ne 33:13. The present passage with its double address fits into this complex trajectory: Nephi seems in these verses to be trying to talk both to the audience he had always assumed in producing his record, as well as the other audience of whose existence he has only recently become aware.

Here one might wildly speculate about the redactional process through which the present text took shape. Warning: wild speculation follows! Or really: responsible exegesis, but exegesis asks the kinds of questions that Latter-day Saints call wildly speculative.

(1) In 2 Ne 5:30, Nephi records what he describes as the actual words of the divine commandment originally given to him to produce the small plates: "Make other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are good in my sight, for the profit of thy people." It might well be asked how correctly the actual, original communication is here recorded, but there is no particular reason to doubt that the words are accurately reported—and there may be, as will be seen, some actual evidence that they are accurate (the evidence is primarily of the following nature: if Nephi were here giving us a doctored account, he would likely say something different, given other details in the record).

In this earliest word concerning the project of the small plates, there are three emphases. First, the differentiation between the large and small plates is internal to this original commandment: these plates are other than the large plates by then already produced. Second, the contents of the record are described as "many things . . . which are good in my [the Lord's] sight," a rather humble description given what Nephi will go on to say of this record's makeup (in 1 Ne 19). Third, the only mentioned audience for the plates is "thy [Nephi's] people"; nothing is said about latter-day readers, about Lamanites, about other Israelites, etc.

(2) It is difficult to determine what constitutes the next datable statement about the nature of the record. The most likely . . . .

Signaling this in particular is the phrase "speak somewhat" in the first part of verse 1. This phrase is one Nephi uses elsewhere in his record with a very specific intention: it marks moments where Nephi steps back from his work in order to say something about his writing project. (See, for example, 1 Ne 10:1: "wherefore, to proceed with mine account, I must speak somewhat of the things of my father, and also of my brethren.")

From this it seems clear why Nephi says he speaks about what he has written: speaking, in this usage, means a short note given directly to the reader about his project.

This, though, leaves the interpreter with the following question: Whom is Nephi addressing in his editorial aside? The whole of his record, he usually claims, is addressed to his own people, but here he talks about his people in the third person, as if he were explaining something about his people to someone else. Interestingly, within chapters, Nephi will come to recognize clearly that his record will eventually end up in the hands of readers other than his own people. Is it that a kind of dawning recognition of this other audience is drawing Nephi's attention to the necessity of explaining his record to his non-Nephite readers?

Does he do this anywhere else?

At any rate, that this possible tangle between Lehite and non-Lehite readers is crucially focused here on Nephi's relationship to Isaiah. Indeed, it is almost as if it is precisely Nephi's attempt to tackle Isaiah that draws his attention to the strange relationship between his two audiences—one of which Nephi seems only just to have begun to recognize as existing at this point.

Verses 1b-8 exhibit a structure that turns out to be crucial to the interpretation of the passage. Stated in broad terms, verses 1b-5a are—both in general content and in many isolated turns of phrase—repeated entirely in verses 5b-8. Set side by side, the two "halves" of verses 1b-8 look as follows (bolded words and phrases have either a strict or a rough parallel in the juxtaposed block of text; italicized words and phrases have an antithesis in the juxtaposed block of text):

  For behold, Isaiah spake many things              and there is none other people that
  which were hard for many of my people to          understand the things which were spoken
  understand; for they know not concerning          unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that
  the manner of prophesying among the               they are taught after the manner of the
  Jews.                                             things of the Jews.
  
  For I, Nephi, have not taught them many           But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my
  things concerning the manner of the Jews;         children after the manner of the Jews; but
  for their works were works of darkness, and       behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at
  their doings were doings of abomination.          Jerusalem, wherefore I know concerning the
                                                    regions round about;
  
  Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all       and I have made mention unto my children
  those that shall receive hereafter these          concerning the judgments of God, which
  things which I write, that they may know the      hath come to pass among the Jews, unto my
  judgments of God, that they come upon all         children, according to all that which
  nations, according to the word which he           Isaiah hath spoken, and I do not write
  hath spoken.                                      them.
  
  Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which            But behold, I proceed with mine own
  are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto     prophecy, according to my plainness; in
  my words; for because the words of Isaiah         the which I know that no man can err;
  are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are     nevertheless, in the days that the
  plain unto all those that are filled with the     prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men
  spirit of prophecy. But I give unto you a         shall know of a surety, at the times when
  prophecy, according to the spirit which is        they shall come to pass.
  in me; wherefore I shall prophesy
  according to the plainness which hath
  been with me from the time that I came out
  from Jerusalem with my father; for behold,
  my soul delighteth in plainness unto my
  people, that they may learn.
  
  Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words          Wherefore, they are of worth unto the
  of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem,         children of men, and he that supposeth that
  and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the       they are not, unto them will I speak
  Jews, and I know that the Jews do                 particularly, and confine the words unto
  understand the things of the prophets,            mine own people; for I know that they shall
                                                    be of great worth unto them in the last days;
                                                    for in that day shall they understand them;
                                                    wherefore, for their good have I written
                                                    them.

Verse 1[edit]

  • Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah.

With this first sentence (which is not a part of the structure outlined above), Nephi introduces what follows. For the most part, it is a straightforward introduction: Nephi wants to talk a little bit about the "Isaiah chapters" he has just inserted into his record. There are, though, some words which deserve some closer attention: "speak," "words," "written," and "spoken."

Here Nephi's point seems to be that he wants any future readers to know that many of his people had a hard time with Isaiah, and though he does not want to teach of the Jew's darkness, he will write to make sure the judgments of God are known.

Secondly, it should noted exactly when this "aside" ends and when he picks back up in his normal writing. Verses 1 and 2 are clearly an explanation directly to a reader interested in his editorial plans, what what of verse 3? Nephi does use the first person present indicative: "Wherefore, I write unto my people," but he is still referring to his people and "all those" who read his words in the third person. Only in verse 4 does Nephi return to call his people's attention: "Wherefore, hearken, O my people"). It thus seems that verse 3 is also an explanation of his plans, and so his "speaking somewhat" occupies verses 1-3.

If this reading is correct, and verses 1-3 are outside the general writings addressed to his people, then perhaps it calls for some questions regarding the strong parallel structure of verses 1b-3 with verses 5b-6. If verses 1b-3 are, so to speak, external to Nephi's actual discourse while verses 5b-6 are, so to speak, internal to his discourse, then perhaps this explains many of the differences that make them largely antithetical, despite the many similarities between them. Moreover, the fact that Nephi begins his address to his people in verse 4 may help to make sense of why the strong parallels between 1b-3 and 5b-6 are somewhat attenuated in the pairing of verses 4-5a and 7-8: Nephi is less concerned to produce parallels internal to his discourse than he is to produce parallels between his discourse and his editorial aside.

On the other hand, we may choose to look at verse 6 as another parenthetical aside. Perhaps by the end of verse 5, Nephi felt he needed to make it clear why he knew that the Jews understood the things of the prophets, but why his people did not. In Verses 5-6 Nephi situates himself between the world of the Jews and the world of the new Nephite people. It seemed in verse 4 that Nephi was about to begin his prophecy, but before he could begin he needed to rehearse his delight in Isaiah, his experience with the Jews and with his people, and his unusual place between them. Verse 6 very clearly rehearses the same goal that verse 3 stated: that his people may know about/concerning the "judgments of God." Verse 7 will go on to say "I proceed with mine own prophecy" - as if to say, "Okay, now I'm really going to start." Verse 7 will of course also parallel verse 4's discussion of plainness, as noted above. To begin a topic and follow out a tangent is not an unusual Book of Mormon pattern. See for example Alma 32, where verses 18, 21, and 26 each seem to start or restart a discussion of faith.

Reading verses 5-6 as another aside would only serve to strengthen, and perhaps largely explain, the parallels in verses 1b-3 and 5b-6.

Assuming all the foregoing to be a move in the right direction, it will be necessary to ask what Nephi is actually saying about the role of Isaiah in his record, but that will have to come in the commentary below.

Here, though, it is necessary to deal with one other point concerning all this written/spoken/words business. What should be read into Nephi's description of his writing so many words that were spoken by Isaiah? Why does he attribute to himself, but never to Isaiah, the act of writing, Isaiah being described only as speaking? (This question is especially poignant, given Isaiah's systematic exposition of the prophetic turn to writing in Isaiah 6-8 and Isaiah 29.) Further, what should be made of the use of the word "words" here? Note that in chapters 26-27, Nephi will use "words" to mean something like the "translatable intellectual content" of a text, opposing it to "book," by which he has reference to the actual physical medium in which the text was originally inscribed. Is something similar at work here?

  • For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand.

Here Nephi actually begins to describe his people's relationship to Isaiah, and here it is that the interpreter can begin to divine, from what Nephi says, how Nephi conceptualizes the other audience he seems here to be addressing. Interestingly, in verse 8, Nephi will describe the other audience's relationship to Isaiah to his Lehite audience. Consequently, there is a crucial connection between verses 1 and 8, the one describing the one audience to the other, and the other describing the other audience to the one. Thus verses 1b-8, as laid out in the structure above and clearly isolable as a pericope, begins and ends with this description of one people's relationship to Isaiah to another people.

Now, concerning what Nephi actually says here, it is usually assumed that Nephi's people in general could not understand Isaiah in general, but Nephi does not actually say that. Rather he says that "many" of his people had difficulty with "many things" written by Isaiah. It would seem that there were some who could make general sense of Isaiah, and that there were at least parts of Isaiah that most of his people could understand.

One might ask whether this limitation on misunderstanding implies that there were some among Nephi's people—perhaps those few who had spent time in Jerusalem?—who did know "the manner of prophesying among the Jews." Of course, it has to be asked—as it will be below—what exactly is meant by "the manner of prophesying among the Jews." And perhaps there simply were some Nephites who understood Isaiah's message without knowing this "manner."

What, in turn, might all this imply about what Nephi goes on to say? Does he show us a way to read Isaiah without being taught the "manner of the Jews," so that we will be like those among his people who could understand them? Or do we return to the first assumption, that these people who understood must have been those who were older and spent some time in Jerusalem or otherwise understood the manner of prophesying among the Jews?

  • for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews.

What is meant by "the manner of prophesying among the Jews"? Does Nephi himself provide any clues to its interpretation?

There is a possibility that Nephi is providing an explanation of this phrase when he goes on to speak, in strikingly similar language, of "the manner of the Jews" (verse 2). However, since this "manner" is there explicitly connected with "works of darkness" and "doings of abomination," should such a connection not be ruled out? Another possibility is that Nephi is providing an explanation of the phrase "manner of prophesying" when he goes on to speak, still further along (verse 4), of being "filled with the spirit of prophecy." But since such a connection would imply that only those possessing the "spirit of prophecy" understand the prophets, and since the text (verse 5) goes on to claim that "the Jews do understand the things of the prophets," should this possible connection not in turn be ruled out simply because Nephi would certainly not want to assert that all the Jews have the spirit of prophecy?

Following out the first possibility, there may actually be reasons to connect the manner of prophesying in verse 1 with the works of darkness in verse 2. At least one commentator (Hugh Nibley) has directly suggested that "the manner of prophesying among the Jews" indeed refers to "works of darkness." He points to practices Israel borrowed from its neighbors: soothsaying, divination, and the like. On this interpretation, Nephi is not suggesting that "the manner of prophesying among the Jews" is a good one, but rather an apostate one. Isaiah would be read then as responding to those practices. If a reader is unfamiliar with those practices, then it will be hard to understand what Isaiah is condemning.

The strength of this first approach should not be overlooked. In the chapters Nephi quotes from Isaiah one can find many references to these kinds of practices: Judah is "replenished from the east, and hearken unto soothsayers like the Philistines" (2 Nephi 12:6); to be removed from Judah is "the [false] prophet" (13:2); "Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (15:20); the people of Judah counsel: "Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter—should not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead?" (18:19); to be cut off is "the prophet that teacheth lies" (19:15). (Note that Nephi will go on in chapter 26 to provide a creative reworking of another such reference, turning false prophecy into true prophecy.) There was certainly among the people of Jerusalem a "manner of prophesying," then, that could be categorized as a "work of darkness."

There are of course other possible approaches to this phrase in verse 1. Perhaps when Nephi says, "I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews" (verse 5), he means that the Jewish prophets, or the righteous Jews, understand the things of the prophets. There are those in Judah with this same spirit of prophecy, which is a gift given to this people when they are righteous. Thus, teaching someone "after the manner of the Jews" might mean to teach them of the covenants, join with them in worshiping God, and then receive the spirit as well.

However, Nephi goes on in verse 6 to explain that in part he can understand Isaiah because he knows the "regions round about," and perhaps this is one of the reasons the Jews understand the things of the prophets. In any case, there are connections between verse 5 and verse 6 that need to be further explored before a definitive connection between verse 1 and verse 5 could be established.

Verse 2[edit]

  • Works of darkness.

Nephi explains that the reason he has not taught his people too much about the Jews is because their works were "works of darkness, and their doings were doings of abominations."

This is similar to a later situation the Nephities would face. When Alma passes the sacred records to his son Helaman, he gives him these instructions:

"And now, my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths, and their covenants, and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall keep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed." (Verse 27)

Alma calls their works "darkness" and "abominations," which are the same words Nephi uses to describe the works and doings of the Jews. And in both cases, there is something kept back from the people being taught.

In Nephi's case, it seems he taught his people little or nothing concerning these works, while Alma actually instructs Helaman to teach about these works, just not their oaths:

"Therefore ye shall keep these secret plans of their oaths and their covenants from this people, and only their wickedness and their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them; and ye shall teach them to abhor such wickedness and abominations and murders; and ye shall also teach them that these people were destroyed on account of their wickedness and abominations and their murders." (Verse 29)

Interestingly, in both 2 Ne 25 and Alma 37, we find discussion of typology.

Verse 4[edit]

Nephi says that he prophecies "according to the plainness which hath been with [him] from the time [he] came out from Jerusalem." It is interesting that this plainness "has been with [him]" since Nephi left Jerusalem but not before. Compare Alma 13:23. There Alma identifies one of the reasons that glad tidings are declared by Angels to them "in plain terms" is because they are wanderers in a strange land. It seems that the Lord has chosen to give the people of the Book of Mormon plainness in a way he didn't choose to give it to those in Jerusalem.

Unanswered questions[edit]

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  • Verse 2: Works of darkness. Whose works were works of darkness, the Jews' or Nephi's people? If the Jews, why couldn't Nephi teach just the "manner of prophesying among the Jews" (v. 1) without teaching the works of darkness?

Resources[edit]

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  • 2 Ne 25:1: Why does Isaiah seem so difficult? See this comment by Jacob at the New Cool Thang blog asking about the contrast between this explicit explanation about the difficulty of Isaiah and the implicit explanation given in Isa 6:9-10.
  • 2 Ne 25:4: See this post for speculation that this view of Nephi's leads to less apocalyptic visions being included in the Book of Mormon.

Notes[edit]

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2 Ne 25:6-10

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapter 25a / Verses 25:1-8
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Verses 1-8: Regarding the "Keys" to Studying Isaiah[edit]

Verses 1-8 here are often said to contain the "keys" to the study of Isaiah—the idea being that what Nephi here says about his own understanding of Isaiah can inform those who struggle to make sense of Isaiah's writings. There are different ways of formulating these "keys," but most follow a pattern something like the following:

  • (1) One should seek to "know ... concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews" (verse 1), concerning "the things of the Jews" (verse 5), and concerning "the regions round about" Jerusalem (verse 6).
  • (2) One should seek to be "filled with the spirit of prophecy" (verse 4).
  • (3) One should recognize the benefit of living "in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah [are] fulfilled" (verse 7).

In a word, one should cultivate both appropriate secular knowledge and a deep spiritual capacity, as well as recognize that one might be living through the fulfillment of the prophecy.

The identification of these "keys" is not without merit, but many crucial questions remain unanswered: What is the manner of prophesying among the Jews, and how does one learn about it? What is meant by the things of the Jews, and where does one begin to study them? What is one supposed to learn about Jerusalem's environs, and how is such knowledge supposed to help in the work of interpretation? What does it mean to be filled with the spirit of prophecy, and how exactly does having this gift make it easier to make sense of Isaiah? What exactly does Nephi mean by the fulfillment of Isaianic prophecy, and how is one to identify events that fulfill prophecy when most prophecies appear rather vague?

But not only does this common approach to these verses fail to answer the basic questions that would allow one to use the identified "keys," it overlooks most of what Nephi says in this crucial passage, all of which sheds a good deal of light on the way Nephi understands Isaiah. Rather than extracting from these verses a few "keys" to making sense of Isaiah, then, it would be best to work systematically through the text with the following question: "What is Nephi saying here, and why is it important?" The commentary below exhibits such an approach.

Verses 1-8: Structure[edit]

Verses 1-8 collectively introduce Nephi's prophecy beginning in verse 9. This introduction is, however, immensely complex, weaving together passages in which Nephi addresses two distinct audiences. This double address is crucial for Nephi's larger project. A whole series of details in Nephi's record suggests that he only came in the course of writing it to recognize that his writings would eventually circulate among a people other than his own immediate descendants. Earlier parts of his record (in particular 1 Ne 6 and 9), as well as what seems to be the earliest word from the Lord concerning his task with the record (found in 2 Ne 5:30-33) suggest that he began his project with a rather limited audience in mind: only his own people. Beginning especially with 1 Ne 19:18-19—a passage that evidence suggests was written a good while later than 1 Ne 1-18—Nephi begins to recognize the possibility that his record will circulate among other parts of the house of Israel. Still later, in 2 Ne 25:21-22, Nephi explicitly states that he had received by that time a promise that other nations would eventually possess his record. Finally, by the time he wrote the last chapter of his record, Nephi not only writes to all the ends of the earth but clearly associates his own record with the promised book-to-come witnessed in his apocalyptic vision (of 1 Nephi 11-14): see especially 2 Ne 33:13. The present passage with its double address fits into this complex trajectory: Nephi seems in these verses to be trying to talk both to the audience he had always assumed in producing his record, as well as the other audience of whose existence he has only recently become aware.

Here one might wildly speculate about the redactional process through which the present text took shape. Warning: wild speculation follows! Or really: responsible exegesis, but exegesis asks the kinds of questions that Latter-day Saints call wildly speculative.

(1) In 2 Ne 5:30, Nephi records what he describes as the actual words of the divine commandment originally given to him to produce the small plates: "Make other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are good in my sight, for the profit of thy people." It might well be asked how correctly the actual, original communication is here recorded, but there is no particular reason to doubt that the words are accurately reported—and there may be, as will be seen, some actual evidence that they are accurate (the evidence is primarily of the following nature: if Nephi were here giving us a doctored account, he would likely say something different, given other details in the record).

In this earliest word concerning the project of the small plates, there are three emphases. First, the differentiation between the large and small plates is internal to this original commandment: these plates are other than the large plates by then already produced. Second, the contents of the record are described as "many things . . . which are good in my [the Lord's] sight," a rather humble description given what Nephi will go on to say of this record's makeup (in 1 Ne 19). Third, the only mentioned audience for the plates is "thy [Nephi's] people"; nothing is said about latter-day readers, about Lamanites, about other Israelites, etc.

(2) It is difficult to determine what constitutes the next datable statement about the nature of the record. The most likely . . . .

Signaling this in particular is the phrase "speak somewhat" in the first part of verse 1. This phrase is one Nephi uses elsewhere in his record with a very specific intention: it marks moments where Nephi steps back from his work in order to say something about his writing project. (See, for example, 1 Ne 10:1: "wherefore, to proceed with mine account, I must speak somewhat of the things of my father, and also of my brethren.")

From this it seems clear why Nephi says he speaks about what he has written: speaking, in this usage, means a short note given directly to the reader about his project.

This, though, leaves the interpreter with the following question: Whom is Nephi addressing in his editorial aside? The whole of his record, he usually claims, is addressed to his own people, but here he talks about his people in the third person, as if he were explaining something about his people to someone else. Interestingly, within chapters, Nephi will come to recognize clearly that his record will eventually end up in the hands of readers other than his own people. Is it that a kind of dawning recognition of this other audience is drawing Nephi's attention to the necessity of explaining his record to his non-Nephite readers?

Does he do this anywhere else?

At any rate, that this possible tangle between Lehite and non-Lehite readers is crucially focused here on Nephi's relationship to Isaiah. Indeed, it is almost as if it is precisely Nephi's attempt to tackle Isaiah that draws his attention to the strange relationship between his two audiences—one of which Nephi seems only just to have begun to recognize as existing at this point.

Verses 1b-8 exhibit a structure that turns out to be crucial to the interpretation of the passage. Stated in broad terms, verses 1b-5a are—both in general content and in many isolated turns of phrase—repeated entirely in verses 5b-8. Set side by side, the two "halves" of verses 1b-8 look as follows (bolded words and phrases have either a strict or a rough parallel in the juxtaposed block of text; italicized words and phrases have an antithesis in the juxtaposed block of text):

  For behold, Isaiah spake many things              and there is none other people that
  which were hard for many of my people to          understand the things which were spoken
  understand; for they know not concerning          unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that
  the manner of prophesying among the               they are taught after the manner of the
  Jews.                                             things of the Jews.
  
  For I, Nephi, have not taught them many           But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my
  things concerning the manner of the Jews;         children after the manner of the Jews; but
  for their works were works of darkness, and       behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at
  their doings were doings of abomination.          Jerusalem, wherefore I know concerning the
                                                    regions round about;
  
  Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all       and I have made mention unto my children
  those that shall receive hereafter these          concerning the judgments of God, which
  things which I write, that they may know the      hath come to pass among the Jews, unto my
  judgments of God, that they come upon all         children, according to all that which
  nations, according to the word which he           Isaiah hath spoken, and I do not write
  hath spoken.                                      them.
  
  Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which            But behold, I proceed with mine own
  are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto     prophecy, according to my plainness; in
  my words; for because the words of Isaiah         the which I know that no man can err;
  are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are     nevertheless, in the days that the
  plain unto all those that are filled with the     prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men
  spirit of prophecy. But I give unto you a         shall know of a surety, at the times when
  prophecy, according to the spirit which is        they shall come to pass.
  in me; wherefore I shall prophesy
  according to the plainness which hath
  been with me from the time that I came out
  from Jerusalem with my father; for behold,
  my soul delighteth in plainness unto my
  people, that they may learn.
  
  Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words          Wherefore, they are of worth unto the
  of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem,         children of men, and he that supposeth that
  and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the       they are not, unto them will I speak
  Jews, and I know that the Jews do                 particularly, and confine the words unto
  understand the things of the prophets,            mine own people; for I know that they shall
                                                    be of great worth unto them in the last days;
                                                    for in that day shall they understand them;
                                                    wherefore, for their good have I written
                                                    them.

Verse 1[edit]

  • Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah.

With this first sentence (which is not a part of the structure outlined above), Nephi introduces what follows. For the most part, it is a straightforward introduction: Nephi wants to talk a little bit about the "Isaiah chapters" he has just inserted into his record. There are, though, some words which deserve some closer attention: "speak," "words," "written," and "spoken."

Here Nephi's point seems to be that he wants any future readers to know that many of his people had a hard time with Isaiah, and though he does not want to teach of the Jew's darkness, he will write to make sure the judgments of God are known.

Secondly, it should noted exactly when this "aside" ends and when he picks back up in his normal writing. Verses 1 and 2 are clearly an explanation directly to a reader interested in his editorial plans, what what of verse 3? Nephi does use the first person present indicative: "Wherefore, I write unto my people," but he is still referring to his people and "all those" who read his words in the third person. Only in verse 4 does Nephi return to call his people's attention: "Wherefore, hearken, O my people"). It thus seems that verse 3 is also an explanation of his plans, and so his "speaking somewhat" occupies verses 1-3.

If this reading is correct, and verses 1-3 are outside the general writings addressed to his people, then perhaps it calls for some questions regarding the strong parallel structure of verses 1b-3 with verses 5b-6. If verses 1b-3 are, so to speak, external to Nephi's actual discourse while verses 5b-6 are, so to speak, internal to his discourse, then perhaps this explains many of the differences that make them largely antithetical, despite the many similarities between them. Moreover, the fact that Nephi begins his address to his people in verse 4 may help to make sense of why the strong parallels between 1b-3 and 5b-6 are somewhat attenuated in the pairing of verses 4-5a and 7-8: Nephi is less concerned to produce parallels internal to his discourse than he is to produce parallels between his discourse and his editorial aside.

On the other hand, we may choose to look at verse 6 as another parenthetical aside. Perhaps by the end of verse 5, Nephi felt he needed to make it clear why he knew that the Jews understood the things of the prophets, but why his people did not. In Verses 5-6 Nephi situates himself between the world of the Jews and the world of the new Nephite people. It seemed in verse 4 that Nephi was about to begin his prophecy, but before he could begin he needed to rehearse his delight in Isaiah, his experience with the Jews and with his people, and his unusual place between them. Verse 6 very clearly rehearses the same goal that verse 3 stated: that his people may know about/concerning the "judgments of God." Verse 7 will go on to say "I proceed with mine own prophecy" - as if to say, "Okay, now I'm really going to start." Verse 7 will of course also parallel verse 4's discussion of plainness, as noted above. To begin a topic and follow out a tangent is not an unusual Book of Mormon pattern. See for example Alma 32, where verses 18, 21, and 26 each seem to start or restart a discussion of faith.

Reading verses 5-6 as another aside would only serve to strengthen, and perhaps largely explain, the parallels in verses 1b-3 and 5b-6.

Assuming all the foregoing to be a move in the right direction, it will be necessary to ask what Nephi is actually saying about the role of Isaiah in his record, but that will have to come in the commentary below.

Here, though, it is necessary to deal with one other point concerning all this written/spoken/words business. What should be read into Nephi's description of his writing so many words that were spoken by Isaiah? Why does he attribute to himself, but never to Isaiah, the act of writing, Isaiah being described only as speaking? (This question is especially poignant, given Isaiah's systematic exposition of the prophetic turn to writing in Isaiah 6-8 and Isaiah 29.) Further, what should be made of the use of the word "words" here? Note that in chapters 26-27, Nephi will use "words" to mean something like the "translatable intellectual content" of a text, opposing it to "book," by which he has reference to the actual physical medium in which the text was originally inscribed. Is something similar at work here?

  • For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand.

Here Nephi actually begins to describe his people's relationship to Isaiah, and here it is that the interpreter can begin to divine, from what Nephi says, how Nephi conceptualizes the other audience he seems here to be addressing. Interestingly, in verse 8, Nephi will describe the other audience's relationship to Isaiah to his Lehite audience. Consequently, there is a crucial connection between verses 1 and 8, the one describing the one audience to the other, and the other describing the other audience to the one. Thus verses 1b-8, as laid out in the structure above and clearly isolable as a pericope, begins and ends with this description of one people's relationship to Isaiah to another people.

Now, concerning what Nephi actually says here, it is usually assumed that Nephi's people in general could not understand Isaiah in general, but Nephi does not actually say that. Rather he says that "many" of his people had difficulty with "many things" written by Isaiah. It would seem that there were some who could make general sense of Isaiah, and that there were at least parts of Isaiah that most of his people could understand.

One might ask whether this limitation on misunderstanding implies that there were some among Nephi's people—perhaps those few who had spent time in Jerusalem?—who did know "the manner of prophesying among the Jews." Of course, it has to be asked—as it will be below—what exactly is meant by "the manner of prophesying among the Jews." And perhaps there simply were some Nephites who understood Isaiah's message without knowing this "manner."

What, in turn, might all this imply about what Nephi goes on to say? Does he show us a way to read Isaiah without being taught the "manner of the Jews," so that we will be like those among his people who could understand them? Or do we return to the first assumption, that these people who understood must have been those who were older and spent some time in Jerusalem or otherwise understood the manner of prophesying among the Jews?

  • for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews.

What is meant by "the manner of prophesying among the Jews"? Does Nephi himself provide any clues to its interpretation?

There is a possibility that Nephi is providing an explanation of this phrase when he goes on to speak, in strikingly similar language, of "the manner of the Jews" (verse 2). However, since this "manner" is there explicitly connected with "works of darkness" and "doings of abomination," should such a connection not be ruled out? Another possibility is that Nephi is providing an explanation of the phrase "manner of prophesying" when he goes on to speak, still further along (verse 4), of being "filled with the spirit of prophecy." But since such a connection would imply that only those possessing the "spirit of prophecy" understand the prophets, and since the text (verse 5) goes on to claim that "the Jews do understand the things of the prophets," should this possible connection not in turn be ruled out simply because Nephi would certainly not want to assert that all the Jews have the spirit of prophecy?

Following out the first possibility, there may actually be reasons to connect the manner of prophesying in verse 1 with the works of darkness in verse 2. At least one commentator (Hugh Nibley) has directly suggested that "the manner of prophesying among the Jews" indeed refers to "works of darkness." He points to practices Israel borrowed from its neighbors: soothsaying, divination, and the like. On this interpretation, Nephi is not suggesting that "the manner of prophesying among the Jews" is a good one, but rather an apostate one. Isaiah would be read then as responding to those practices. If a reader is unfamiliar with those practices, then it will be hard to understand what Isaiah is condemning.

The strength of this first approach should not be overlooked. In the chapters Nephi quotes from Isaiah one can find many references to these kinds of practices: Judah is "replenished from the east, and hearken unto soothsayers like the Philistines" (2 Nephi 12:6); to be removed from Judah is "the [false] prophet" (13:2); "Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (15:20); the people of Judah counsel: "Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter—should not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead?" (18:19); to be cut off is "the prophet that teacheth lies" (19:15). (Note that Nephi will go on in chapter 26 to provide a creative reworking of another such reference, turning false prophecy into true prophecy.) There was certainly among the people of Jerusalem a "manner of prophesying," then, that could be categorized as a "work of darkness."

There are of course other possible approaches to this phrase in verse 1. Perhaps when Nephi says, "I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews" (verse 5), he means that the Jewish prophets, or the righteous Jews, understand the things of the prophets. There are those in Judah with this same spirit of prophecy, which is a gift given to this people when they are righteous. Thus, teaching someone "after the manner of the Jews" might mean to teach them of the covenants, join with them in worshiping God, and then receive the spirit as well.

However, Nephi goes on in verse 6 to explain that in part he can understand Isaiah because he knows the "regions round about," and perhaps this is one of the reasons the Jews understand the things of the prophets. In any case, there are connections between verse 5 and verse 6 that need to be further explored before a definitive connection between verse 1 and verse 5 could be established.

Verse 2[edit]

  • Works of darkness.

Nephi explains that the reason he has not taught his people too much about the Jews is because their works were "works of darkness, and their doings were doings of abominations."

This is similar to a later situation the Nephities would face. When Alma passes the sacred records to his son Helaman, he gives him these instructions:

"And now, my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths, and their covenants, and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall keep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed." (Verse 27)

Alma calls their works "darkness" and "abominations," which are the same words Nephi uses to describe the works and doings of the Jews. And in both cases, there is something kept back from the people being taught.

In Nephi's case, it seems he taught his people little or nothing concerning these works, while Alma actually instructs Helaman to teach about these works, just not their oaths:

"Therefore ye shall keep these secret plans of their oaths and their covenants from this people, and only their wickedness and their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them; and ye shall teach them to abhor such wickedness and abominations and murders; and ye shall also teach them that these people were destroyed on account of their wickedness and abominations and their murders." (Verse 29)

Interestingly, in both 2 Ne 25 and Alma 37, we find discussion of typology.

Verse 4[edit]

Nephi says that he prophecies "according to the plainness which hath been with [him] from the time [he] came out from Jerusalem." It is interesting that this plainness "has been with [him]" since Nephi left Jerusalem but not before. Compare Alma 13:23. There Alma identifies one of the reasons that glad tidings are declared by Angels to them "in plain terms" is because they are wanderers in a strange land. It seems that the Lord has chosen to give the people of the Book of Mormon plainness in a way he didn't choose to give it to those in Jerusalem.

Unanswered questions[edit]

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Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • Verse 2: Works of darkness. Whose works were works of darkness, the Jews' or Nephi's people? If the Jews, why couldn't Nephi teach just the "manner of prophesying among the Jews" (v. 1) without teaching the works of darkness?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:1: Why does Isaiah seem so difficult? See this comment by Jacob at the New Cool Thang blog asking about the contrast between this explicit explanation about the difficulty of Isaiah and the implicit explanation given in Isa 6:9-10.
  • 2 Ne 25:4: See this post for speculation that this view of Nephi's leads to less apocalyptic visions being included in the Book of Mormon.

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 12-24                      Next page: Chapters 25b-27

2 Ne 25:11-15

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 25b-27 / Verses 25:9-27:35
Previous page: Verses 25:1-8                      Next page: Chapters 28-30


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:23: After and prevenient grace. At the time this was translated, the most common meaning of "after" (verse 23) was, as it is now, "subsequent in time to." However, that is not its only meaning. The 1828 Webster's dictionary notes that "to follow after, in scripture, is to pursue, or imitate; to serve, or worship" and gives two scriptural examples (Romans 8:5 and Isaiah 11:3) of where "after" means "according to" or "according to the direction and influence of." See also meaning #5 at dictionary.com: "Subsequent to and because of or regardless of: They are still friends after all their differences." The emphasis of the verse becomes quite different than it is usually interpreted if we interpret "after" as meaning something like "despite."
If the word after here is taken in the temporal sense, this verse suggests a view that would contradict the doctrine of prevenient grace (that grace is offered prior to any act of human will; this is taking "prevenient" in its most literal sense—it could be that the only act required to trigger grace is the acceptance of God's love but this would not be a strict notion of prevenient grace).
Alternate meanings of after (see lexical note above and related links below), albeit less common, might allow for an interpretation that does not contradict a strict notion of prevenient grace. For example, consider the following rendering: "for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, in accordance with all we can do." If this rendering is considered equivalent to verse 23, then one could argue that grace precedes our works and that our works derive from grace. Also, if after is taken to mean something like "regardless of" or "despite," one could maintain that this verse is consistent with a strict notion of prevenient grace.
Another reading consistent with a strict notion of prevenient grace can be based on the notion that agency itself is a gift of grace. On this view, we are saved by grace because only through grace are we able to do anything (cf. 2 Ne 2:26, "because they are redeemed [notice the past tense] from the fall they have become free forever"). So on this view, first we receive agency-enabling grace, then we do what God asks, then we are saved.
Another possible interpretation can be that "all we can do" is to repent. This is justifiable by comparing this passage with Alma 24:10-15.
And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son. And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do, (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain— Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren. Behold, I say unto you, Nay, let us retain our swords that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren; for perhaps, if we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright through the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the atonement of our sins. And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations. Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.
  • 2 Ne 25:24. The "And" with which this verse begins is perhaps quite important to any interpretation of verse 23, because it suggests that there is some kind of continuity at work here. To make the most sense of this, it is best simply to drop the almost parenthetical "notwithstanding we believe in Christ." If one does this, one has (in verses 23-24): "for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. And we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled." Reading the two verses this way is ultimately quite helpful. It highlights several points. First, it becomes quite clear that whatever might be meant by verse 23, it is to be read in terms of keeping the Law and believing in Christ. Second, it appears that verse 24 is a kind of "application" of verse 23 ("And we keep the law," that is, we do all we can). Third, the lengthier and more complicated content of verse 24 provides an alternate way of thinking the relation between "grace" and what "we can do," which reinterprets what is being said in the apparently more straightforward verse 23. All of this calls for a careful look at verse 24, and then at how this in turn reworks what is said in verse 23.
Structurally, verse 24 sets up a kind of opposition precisely by defusing it (all of this is accomplished by the careful word "notwithstanding"). In a sense, it suggests that it would be common to recognize an opposition between two things this verse does not see as being in opposition. The two things: on the one hand, "we believe in Christ"; on the other hand, "we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled." This defused opposition is, it should be noticed, not equally balanced: it is the latter of the two "things" that does not withstand the former. This little detail is important, because it shows that Nephi is placing one of the two at the foundation: "we believe in Christ." In other words, Nephi seems to place the greatest emphasis on what might be called the parenthetical statement of the verse, the unnecessary part of the verse: it is that belief that matters most. In fact, it is precisely the importance of belief that makes it somewhat unnecessary in the structure of the verse: it is an unquestionable presupposition, while the longer question of "we keep the law of Moses," etc., needs to be stated emphatically. In short, it is quite clear that it is belief that matters most to Nephi here.
What emerges in the course of the foregoing, then, is the fact that Nephi expects his readers to see some kind of difficulty inherent in combining belief in Christ with keeping the Law of Moses. Actually, this may be a rather simplistic reading of the verse. In the end, it may not be the keeping that specifically stands against the belief, but the deferral of any real relationship with Christ: "notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we ... look forward with steadfastness unto Christ." The "unto" combines with the "until" of the final phrase of the verse to suggest a kind of postponement, one that would appear to cancel faith, to render it meaningless. But it is precisely this opposition that the verse calls into question. That is, faith/belief does not preclude the possibility of keeping the Law of Moses in a kind of postponement of Christian fulfillment (in a double sense). But this calls for further comment.
Perhaps what emerges here, then, is a picture of faith as it must be had by those who lived before the coming of Christ but with an understanding of His (historical, that is, covenantal) "plan," a plan Nephi seems to understand primarily in terms of Isaiah's prophecies. This last point is perhaps vital, since in the parallel passage (2 Ne 11:4), Nephi discusses typology and its relation to the Law of Moses precisely in terms of interpreting Isaiah. In fact, this detail may be taken to suggest that it is within the boundaries of Isaiah's writings specifically that one is to detect this kind of forward-looking, faithful obedience. In light of these comments, it is certainly worth asking how one should regard Nephi's usage of terms like "fulfilled." Of course, any detailed commentary on such a point would have be appended to a full exploration of Nephi's Christology. At the very least, then, there seems to be pictured here a kind of regard for the Law that recognizes in it the possibility of coming before Christ in faith.
This spirit of these comments perhaps provides for two different readings of verse 23. On the one hand, one might suggest that "we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" means that "all we can do" refers specifically to keeping the Law of Moses, and that the saying must be limited to a pre-Christian faith-relation (those under the Law recognize that grace itself is only to be manifested after all has been done with regard to the Law). On the other hand, one might suggest that the phrase be interpreted in light of the intertwining faith-and-obedience relation that is apparently to be read in Isaiah. That is, perhaps "all we can do" is come before Christ in a confession of faith, in a covenant of obedience, and then His grace is sufficient.
  • 2 Ne 25:25 If the previous verse begins to hint at a kind of intertwining of faith and obedience to the Law, this verse begins to probe that picture profoundly. But it begins with a rather vague phrase: "For, for this end was the law given." The primary difficulty here is the ambiguous reference in "this end": is "this end" what has just been described, or what is about to be described, or what? If "this end" points backwards, does it point to "believe in Christ," "keep the law of Moses," "look forward with steadfastness unto Christ," "the law shall be fulfilled," or some combination of some or all of these? If "this end" points forward, to what does it point, and how can one think through the grammar of such a pointing? In the end, one must make a decision as regards this question.
  • 2 Ne 27:1 Following up on the universalism of the preceding verse, which culminates in a statement about the relation between "Jew and Gentile," the opening of chapter 27 pictures in the last days a world politically polarized by the relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:20: Why does Nephi use the term "the nations"? After all, it was individuals who were bitten by the serpents, not really nations.
  • 2 Ne 25:21: Is Nephi conflating the preservation of the plates with the survival of the seed?
  • 2 Ne 25:22: How does the Book of Mormon continue to be transformed and transmitted from generation to generation in the dispensation of the fullness of times?
  • 2 Ne 25:29: In verse 29 it says '...bow down before him (Jesus) and worship him..." Might not nonLDS use this statement to suggest that we should Pray to Jesus, as they do? And how do I as believer, who prays unto the Father, as the Savior taught and showed me, also follow this admonition, to bow down and worship, without inappropriately "praying" unto Jesus?
  • 2 Ne 26:11: In this context it seems like Nephi is saying that even though one chooses wrong the Spirit of the Lord may continue to strive with one, but at some point the Spirit has had enough and leaves. I am thinking of here of D&C 20:30-32. Is this a reasonable reading?
  • 2 Ne 27:22: Will the coming forth of the sealed portions of the Book of Mormon be accompanied by, or principally constitute, the revealing of all things?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:23. See this post at the BCC blog by J. Nelson-Seawright (Jan 15, 2008) for a summary of traditional and "revisionist" readings of this verse followed by a "3rd way" admonition to tread this verse as an exhortation rather than a systematic theological claim.
  • See Eph 2:8-10 for discussion of faith, grace, and works.
  • See User:RobertC/Grace for discussion of prevenient grace in LDS thought and scriptures.
  • Ostler's view. See p. 222 in Blake Ostler's Exploring Mormon Thought: The Problem's of Theism and the Love of God (ISBN 1589580958). Ostler argues that the Mormon view is consistent with prevenient grace and that after in verse 23 should be be taken in atemporal, non-causal sense. See also his Dialogue articles referenced here.
"It's easy to know what to teach. The scriptures and our prophets are clear about what to teach our children... How do we do it? Begin by following the counsel of our prophets and making time in our homes for family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Have we heard that counsel so often that it seems too simple? Or are we so busy that adding one more thing feels too complex? I testify that... obedience alone invites the blessings of the Lord."
  • 2 Ne 26:16: Familiar spirit. See this post by Kevin Barney for more some linguistic notes on this phrase.

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 25:1-8                      Next page: Chapters 28-30

2 Ne 25:16-20

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 25b-27 / Verses 25:9-27:35
Previous page: Verses 25:1-8                      Next page: Chapters 28-30


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:23: After and prevenient grace. At the time this was translated, the most common meaning of "after" (verse 23) was, as it is now, "subsequent in time to." However, that is not its only meaning. The 1828 Webster's dictionary notes that "to follow after, in scripture, is to pursue, or imitate; to serve, or worship" and gives two scriptural examples (Romans 8:5 and Isaiah 11:3) of where "after" means "according to" or "according to the direction and influence of." See also meaning #5 at dictionary.com: "Subsequent to and because of or regardless of: They are still friends after all their differences." The emphasis of the verse becomes quite different than it is usually interpreted if we interpret "after" as meaning something like "despite."
If the word after here is taken in the temporal sense, this verse suggests a view that would contradict the doctrine of prevenient grace (that grace is offered prior to any act of human will; this is taking "prevenient" in its most literal sense—it could be that the only act required to trigger grace is the acceptance of God's love but this would not be a strict notion of prevenient grace).
Alternate meanings of after (see lexical note above and related links below), albeit less common, might allow for an interpretation that does not contradict a strict notion of prevenient grace. For example, consider the following rendering: "for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, in accordance with all we can do." If this rendering is considered equivalent to verse 23, then one could argue that grace precedes our works and that our works derive from grace. Also, if after is taken to mean something like "regardless of" or "despite," one could maintain that this verse is consistent with a strict notion of prevenient grace.
Another reading consistent with a strict notion of prevenient grace can be based on the notion that agency itself is a gift of grace. On this view, we are saved by grace because only through grace are we able to do anything (cf. 2 Ne 2:26, "because they are redeemed [notice the past tense] from the fall they have become free forever"). So on this view, first we receive agency-enabling grace, then we do what God asks, then we are saved.
Another possible interpretation can be that "all we can do" is to repent. This is justifiable by comparing this passage with Alma 24:10-15.
And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son. And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do, (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain— Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren. Behold, I say unto you, Nay, let us retain our swords that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren; for perhaps, if we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright through the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the atonement of our sins. And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations. Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.
  • 2 Ne 25:24. The "And" with which this verse begins is perhaps quite important to any interpretation of verse 23, because it suggests that there is some kind of continuity at work here. To make the most sense of this, it is best simply to drop the almost parenthetical "notwithstanding we believe in Christ." If one does this, one has (in verses 23-24): "for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. And we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled." Reading the two verses this way is ultimately quite helpful. It highlights several points. First, it becomes quite clear that whatever might be meant by verse 23, it is to be read in terms of keeping the Law and believing in Christ. Second, it appears that verse 24 is a kind of "application" of verse 23 ("And we keep the law," that is, we do all we can). Third, the lengthier and more complicated content of verse 24 provides an alternate way of thinking the relation between "grace" and what "we can do," which reinterprets what is being said in the apparently more straightforward verse 23. All of this calls for a careful look at verse 24, and then at how this in turn reworks what is said in verse 23.
Structurally, verse 24 sets up a kind of opposition precisely by defusing it (all of this is accomplished by the careful word "notwithstanding"). In a sense, it suggests that it would be common to recognize an opposition between two things this verse does not see as being in opposition. The two things: on the one hand, "we believe in Christ"; on the other hand, "we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled." This defused opposition is, it should be noticed, not equally balanced: it is the latter of the two "things" that does not withstand the former. This little detail is important, because it shows that Nephi is placing one of the two at the foundation: "we believe in Christ." In other words, Nephi seems to place the greatest emphasis on what might be called the parenthetical statement of the verse, the unnecessary part of the verse: it is that belief that matters most. In fact, it is precisely the importance of belief that makes it somewhat unnecessary in the structure of the verse: it is an unquestionable presupposition, while the longer question of "we keep the law of Moses," etc., needs to be stated emphatically. In short, it is quite clear that it is belief that matters most to Nephi here.
What emerges in the course of the foregoing, then, is the fact that Nephi expects his readers to see some kind of difficulty inherent in combining belief in Christ with keeping the Law of Moses. Actually, this may be a rather simplistic reading of the verse. In the end, it may not be the keeping that specifically stands against the belief, but the deferral of any real relationship with Christ: "notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we ... look forward with steadfastness unto Christ." The "unto" combines with the "until" of the final phrase of the verse to suggest a kind of postponement, one that would appear to cancel faith, to render it meaningless. But it is precisely this opposition that the verse calls into question. That is, faith/belief does not preclude the possibility of keeping the Law of Moses in a kind of postponement of Christian fulfillment (in a double sense). But this calls for further comment.
Perhaps what emerges here, then, is a picture of faith as it must be had by those who lived before the coming of Christ but with an understanding of His (historical, that is, covenantal) "plan," a plan Nephi seems to understand primarily in terms of Isaiah's prophecies. This last point is perhaps vital, since in the parallel passage (2 Ne 11:4), Nephi discusses typology and its relation to the Law of Moses precisely in terms of interpreting Isaiah. In fact, this detail may be taken to suggest that it is within the boundaries of Isaiah's writings specifically that one is to detect this kind of forward-looking, faithful obedience. In light of these comments, it is certainly worth asking how one should regard Nephi's usage of terms like "fulfilled." Of course, any detailed commentary on such a point would have be appended to a full exploration of Nephi's Christology. At the very least, then, there seems to be pictured here a kind of regard for the Law that recognizes in it the possibility of coming before Christ in faith.
This spirit of these comments perhaps provides for two different readings of verse 23. On the one hand, one might suggest that "we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" means that "all we can do" refers specifically to keeping the Law of Moses, and that the saying must be limited to a pre-Christian faith-relation (those under the Law recognize that grace itself is only to be manifested after all has been done with regard to the Law). On the other hand, one might suggest that the phrase be interpreted in light of the intertwining faith-and-obedience relation that is apparently to be read in Isaiah. That is, perhaps "all we can do" is come before Christ in a confession of faith, in a covenant of obedience, and then His grace is sufficient.
  • 2 Ne 25:25 If the previous verse begins to hint at a kind of intertwining of faith and obedience to the Law, this verse begins to probe that picture profoundly. But it begins with a rather vague phrase: "For, for this end was the law given." The primary difficulty here is the ambiguous reference in "this end": is "this end" what has just been described, or what is about to be described, or what? If "this end" points backwards, does it point to "believe in Christ," "keep the law of Moses," "look forward with steadfastness unto Christ," "the law shall be fulfilled," or some combination of some or all of these? If "this end" points forward, to what does it point, and how can one think through the grammar of such a pointing? In the end, one must make a decision as regards this question.
  • 2 Ne 27:1 Following up on the universalism of the preceding verse, which culminates in a statement about the relation between "Jew and Gentile," the opening of chapter 27 pictures in the last days a world politically polarized by the relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:20: Why does Nephi use the term "the nations"? After all, it was individuals who were bitten by the serpents, not really nations.
  • 2 Ne 25:21: Is Nephi conflating the preservation of the plates with the survival of the seed?
  • 2 Ne 25:22: How does the Book of Mormon continue to be transformed and transmitted from generation to generation in the dispensation of the fullness of times?
  • 2 Ne 25:29: In verse 29 it says '...bow down before him (Jesus) and worship him..." Might not nonLDS use this statement to suggest that we should Pray to Jesus, as they do? And how do I as believer, who prays unto the Father, as the Savior taught and showed me, also follow this admonition, to bow down and worship, without inappropriately "praying" unto Jesus?
  • 2 Ne 26:11: In this context it seems like Nephi is saying that even though one chooses wrong the Spirit of the Lord may continue to strive with one, but at some point the Spirit has had enough and leaves. I am thinking of here of D&C 20:30-32. Is this a reasonable reading?
  • 2 Ne 27:22: Will the coming forth of the sealed portions of the Book of Mormon be accompanied by, or principally constitute, the revealing of all things?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:23. See this post at the BCC blog by J. Nelson-Seawright (Jan 15, 2008) for a summary of traditional and "revisionist" readings of this verse followed by a "3rd way" admonition to tread this verse as an exhortation rather than a systematic theological claim.
  • See Eph 2:8-10 for discussion of faith, grace, and works.
  • See User:RobertC/Grace for discussion of prevenient grace in LDS thought and scriptures.
  • Ostler's view. See p. 222 in Blake Ostler's Exploring Mormon Thought: The Problem's of Theism and the Love of God (ISBN 1589580958). Ostler argues that the Mormon view is consistent with prevenient grace and that after in verse 23 should be be taken in atemporal, non-causal sense. See also his Dialogue articles referenced here.
"It's easy to know what to teach. The scriptures and our prophets are clear about what to teach our children... How do we do it? Begin by following the counsel of our prophets and making time in our homes for family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Have we heard that counsel so often that it seems too simple? Or are we so busy that adding one more thing feels too complex? I testify that... obedience alone invites the blessings of the Lord."
  • 2 Ne 26:16: Familiar spirit. See this post by Kevin Barney for more some linguistic notes on this phrase.

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Verses 25:1-8                      Next page: Chapters 28-30

2 Ne 25:21-25

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 25b-27 / Verses 25:9-27:35
Previous page: Verses 25:1-8                      Next page: Chapters 28-30


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:23: After and prevenient grace. At the time this was translated, the most common meaning of "after" (verse 23) was, as it is now, "subsequent in time to." However, that is not its only meaning. The 1828 Webster's dictionary notes that "to follow after, in scripture, is to pursue, or imitate; to serve, or worship" and gives two scriptural examples (Romans 8:5 and Isaiah 11:3) of where "after" means "according to" or "according to the direction and influence of." See also meaning #5 at dictionary.com: "Subsequent to and because of or regardless of: They are still friends after all their differences." The emphasis of the verse becomes quite different than it is usually interpreted if we interpret "after" as meaning something like "despite."
If the word after here is taken in the temporal sense, this verse suggests a view that would contradict the doctrine of prevenient grace (that grace is offered prior to any act of human will; this is taking "prevenient" in its most literal sense—it could be that the only act required to trigger grace is the acceptance of God's love but this would not be a strict notion of prevenient grace).
Alternate meanings of after (see lexical note above and related links below), albeit less common, might allow for an interpretation that does not contradict a strict notion of prevenient grace. For example, consider the following rendering: "for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, in accordance with all we can do." If this rendering is considered equivalent to verse 23, then one could argue that grace precedes our works and that our works derive from grace. Also, if after is taken to mean something like "regardless of" or "despite," one could maintain that this verse is consistent with a strict notion of prevenient grace.
Another reading consistent with a strict notion of prevenient grace can be based on the notion that agency itself is a gift of grace. On this view, we are saved by grace because only through grace are we able to do anything (cf. 2 Ne 2:26, "because they are redeemed [notice the past tense] from the fall they have become free forever"). So on this view, first we receive agency-enabling grace, then we do what God asks, then we are saved.
Another possible interpretation can be that "all we can do" is to repent. This is justifiable by comparing this passage with Alma 24:10-15.
And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son. And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do, (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain— Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren. Behold, I say unto you, Nay, let us retain our swords that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren; for perhaps, if we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright through the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the atonement of our sins. And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations. Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.
  • 2 Ne 25:24. The "And" with which this verse begins is perhaps quite important to any interpretation of verse 23, because it suggests that there is some kind of continuity at work here. To make the most sense of this, it is best simply to drop the almost parenthetical "notwithstanding we believe in Christ." If one does this, one has (in verses 23-24): "for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. And we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled." Reading the two verses this way is ultimately quite helpful. It highlights several points. First, it becomes quite clear that whatever might be meant by verse 23, it is to be read in terms of keeping the Law and believing in Christ. Second, it appears that verse 24 is a kind of "application" of verse 23 ("And we keep the law," that is, we do all we can). Third, the lengthier and more complicated content of verse 24 provides an alternate way of thinking the relation between "grace" and what "we can do," which reinterprets what is being said in the apparently more straightforward verse 23. All of this calls for a careful look at verse 24, and then at how this in turn reworks what is said in verse 23.
Structurally, verse 24 sets up a kind of opposition precisely by defusing it (all of this is accomplished by the careful word "notwithstanding"). In a sense, it suggests that it would be common to recognize an opposition between two things this verse does not see as being in opposition. The two things: on the one hand, "we believe in Christ"; on the other hand, "we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled." This defused opposition is, it should be noticed, not equally balanced: it is the latter of the two "things" that does not withstand the former. This little detail is important, because it shows that Nephi is placing one of the two at the foundation: "we believe in Christ." In other words, Nephi seems to place the greatest emphasis on what might be called the parenthetical statement of the verse, the unnecessary part of the verse: it is that belief that matters most. In fact, it is precisely the importance of belief that makes it somewhat unnecessary in the structure of the verse: it is an unquestionable presupposition, while the longer question of "we keep the law of Moses," etc., needs to be stated emphatically. In short, it is quite clear that it is belief that matters most to Nephi here.
What emerges in the course of the foregoing, then, is the fact that Nephi expects his readers to see some kind of difficulty inherent in combining belief in Christ with keeping the Law of Moses. Actually, this may be a rather simplistic reading of the verse. In the end, it may not be the keeping that specifically stands against the belief, but the deferral of any real relationship with Christ: "notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we ... look forward with steadfastness unto Christ." The "unto" combines with the "until" of the final phrase of the verse to suggest a kind of postponement, one that would appear to cancel faith, to render it meaningless. But it is precisely this opposition that the verse calls into question. That is, faith/belief does not preclude the possibility of keeping the Law of Moses in a kind of postponement of Christian fulfillment (in a double sense). But this calls for further comment.
Perhaps what emerges here, then, is a picture of faith as it must be had by those who lived before the coming of Christ but with an understanding of His (historical, that is, covenantal) "plan," a plan Nephi seems to understand primarily in terms of Isaiah's prophecies. This last point is perhaps vital, since in the parallel passage (2 Ne 11:4), Nephi discusses typology and its relation to the Law of Moses precisely in terms of interpreting Isaiah. In fact, this detail may be taken to suggest that it is within the boundaries of Isaiah's writings specifically that one is to detect this kind of forward-looking, faithful obedience. In light of these comments, it is certainly worth asking how one should regard Nephi's usage of terms like "fulfilled." Of course, any detailed commentary on such a point would have be appended to a full exploration of Nephi's Christology. At the very least, then, there seems to be pictured here a kind of regard for the Law that recognizes in it the possibility of coming before Christ in faith.
This spirit of these comments perhaps provides for two different readings of verse 23. On the one hand, one might suggest that "we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" means that "all we can do" refers specifically to keeping the Law of Moses, and that the saying must be limited to a pre-Christian faith-relation (those under the Law recognize that grace itself is only to be manifested after all has been done with regard to the Law). On the other hand, one might suggest that the phrase be interpreted in light of the intertwining faith-and-obedience relation that is apparently to be read in Isaiah. That is, perhaps "all we can do" is come before Christ in a confession of faith, in a covenant of obedience, and then His grace is sufficient.
  • 2 Ne 25:25 If the previous verse begins to hint at a kind of intertwining of faith and obedience to the Law, this verse begins to probe that picture profoundly. But it begins with a rather vague phrase: "For, for this end was the law given." The primary difficulty here is the ambiguous reference in "this end": is "this end" what has just been described, or what is about to be described, or what? If "this end" points backwards, does it point to "believe in Christ," "keep the law of Moses," "look forward with steadfastness unto Christ," "the law shall be fulfilled," or some combination of some or all of these? If "this end" points forward, to what does it point, and how can one think through the grammar of such a pointing? In the end, one must make a decision as regards this question.
  • 2 Ne 27:1 Following up on the universalism of the preceding verse, which culminates in a statement about the relation between "Jew and Gentile," the opening of chapter 27 pictures in the last days a world politically polarized by the relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:20: Why does Nephi use the term "the nations"? After all, it was individuals who were bitten by the serpents, not really nations.
  • 2 Ne 25:21: Is Nephi conflating the preservation of the plates with the survival of the seed?
  • 2 Ne 25:22: How does the Book of Mormon continue to be transformed and transmitted from generation to generation in the dispensation of the fullness of times?
  • 2 Ne 25:29: In verse 29 it says '...bow down before him (Jesus) and worship him..." Might not nonLDS use this statement to suggest that we should Pray to Jesus, as they do? And how do I as believer, who prays unto the Father, as the Savior taught and showed me, also follow this admonition, to bow down and worship, without inappropriately "praying" unto Jesus?
  • 2 Ne 26:11: In this context it seems like Nephi is saying that even though one chooses wrong the Spirit of the Lord may continue to strive with one, but at some point the Spirit has had enough and leaves. I am thinking of here of D&C 20:30-32. Is this a reasonable reading?
  • 2 Ne 27:22: Will the coming forth of the sealed portions of the Book of Mormon be accompanied by, or principally constitute, the revealing of all things?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:23. See this post at the BCC blog by J. Nelson-Seawright (Jan 15, 2008) for a summary of traditional and "revisionist" readings of this verse followed by a "3rd way" admonition to tread this verse as an exhortation rather than a systematic theological claim.
  • See Eph 2:8-10 for discussion of faith, grace, and works.
  • See User:RobertC/Grace for discussion of prevenient grace in LDS thought and scriptures.
  • Ostler's view. See p. 222 in Blake Ostler's Exploring Mormon Thought: The Problem's of Theism and the Love of God (ISBN 1589580958). Ostler argues that the Mormon view is consistent with prevenient grace and that after in verse 23 should be be taken in atemporal, non-causal sense. See also his Dialogue articles referenced here.
"It's easy to know what to teach. The scriptures and our prophets are clear about what to teach our children... How do we do it? Begin by following the counsel of our prophets and making time in our homes for family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Have we heard that counsel so often that it seems too simple? Or are we so busy that adding one more thing feels too complex? I testify that... obedience alone invites the blessings of the Lord."
  • 2 Ne 26:16: Familiar spirit. See this post by Kevin Barney for more some linguistic notes on this phrase.

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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2 Ne 25:26-30

Home > The Book of Mormon > Second Nephi > Chapters 12-30 > Chapters 25b-27 / Verses 25:9-27:35
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This heading should be brief and may include an outline of the passage. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:23: After and prevenient grace. At the time this was translated, the most common meaning of "after" (verse 23) was, as it is now, "subsequent in time to." However, that is not its only meaning. The 1828 Webster's dictionary notes that "to follow after, in scripture, is to pursue, or imitate; to serve, or worship" and gives two scriptural examples (Romans 8:5 and Isaiah 11:3) of where "after" means "according to" or "according to the direction and influence of." See also meaning #5 at dictionary.com: "Subsequent to and because of or regardless of: They are still friends after all their differences." The emphasis of the verse becomes quite different than it is usually interpreted if we interpret "after" as meaning something like "despite."
If the word after here is taken in the temporal sense, this verse suggests a view that would contradict the doctrine of prevenient grace (that grace is offered prior to any act of human will; this is taking "prevenient" in its most literal sense—it could be that the only act required to trigger grace is the acceptance of God's love but this would not be a strict notion of prevenient grace).
Alternate meanings of after (see lexical note above and related links below), albeit less common, might allow for an interpretation that does not contradict a strict notion of prevenient grace. For example, consider the following rendering: "for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, in accordance with all we can do." If this rendering is considered equivalent to verse 23, then one could argue that grace precedes our works and that our works derive from grace. Also, if after is taken to mean something like "regardless of" or "despite," one could maintain that this verse is consistent with a strict notion of prevenient grace.
Another reading consistent with a strict notion of prevenient grace can be based on the notion that agency itself is a gift of grace. On this view, we are saved by grace because only through grace are we able to do anything (cf. 2 Ne 2:26, "because they are redeemed [notice the past tense] from the fall they have become free forever"). So on this view, first we receive agency-enabling grace, then we do what God asks, then we are saved.
Another possible interpretation can be that "all we can do" is to repent. This is justifiable by comparing this passage with Alma 24:10-15.
And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son. And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do, (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain— Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren. Behold, I say unto you, Nay, let us retain our swords that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren; for perhaps, if we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright through the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the atonement of our sins. And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations. Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.
  • 2 Ne 25:24. The "And" with which this verse begins is perhaps quite important to any interpretation of verse 23, because it suggests that there is some kind of continuity at work here. To make the most sense of this, it is best simply to drop the almost parenthetical "notwithstanding we believe in Christ." If one does this, one has (in verses 23-24): "for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. And we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled." Reading the two verses this way is ultimately quite helpful. It highlights several points. First, it becomes quite clear that whatever might be meant by verse 23, it is to be read in terms of keeping the Law and believing in Christ. Second, it appears that verse 24 is a kind of "application" of verse 23 ("And we keep the law," that is, we do all we can). Third, the lengthier and more complicated content of verse 24 provides an alternate way of thinking the relation between "grace" and what "we can do," which reinterprets what is being said in the apparently more straightforward verse 23. All of this calls for a careful look at verse 24, and then at how this in turn reworks what is said in verse 23.
Structurally, verse 24 sets up a kind of opposition precisely by defusing it (all of this is accomplished by the careful word "notwithstanding"). In a sense, it suggests that it would be common to recognize an opposition between two things this verse does not see as being in opposition. The two things: on the one hand, "we believe in Christ"; on the other hand, "we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled." This defused opposition is, it should be noticed, not equally balanced: it is the latter of the two "things" that does not withstand the former. This little detail is important, because it shows that Nephi is placing one of the two at the foundation: "we believe in Christ." In other words, Nephi seems to place the greatest emphasis on what might be called the parenthetical statement of the verse, the unnecessary part of the verse: it is that belief that matters most. In fact, it is precisely the importance of belief that makes it somewhat unnecessary in the structure of the verse: it is an unquestionable presupposition, while the longer question of "we keep the law of Moses," etc., needs to be stated emphatically. In short, it is quite clear that it is belief that matters most to Nephi here.
What emerges in the course of the foregoing, then, is the fact that Nephi expects his readers to see some kind of difficulty inherent in combining belief in Christ with keeping the Law of Moses. Actually, this may be a rather simplistic reading of the verse. In the end, it may not be the keeping that specifically stands against the belief, but the deferral of any real relationship with Christ: "notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we ... look forward with steadfastness unto Christ." The "unto" combines with the "until" of the final phrase of the verse to suggest a kind of postponement, one that would appear to cancel faith, to render it meaningless. But it is precisely this opposition that the verse calls into question. That is, faith/belief does not preclude the possibility of keeping the Law of Moses in a kind of postponement of Christian fulfillment (in a double sense). But this calls for further comment.
Perhaps what emerges here, then, is a picture of faith as it must be had by those who lived before the coming of Christ but with an understanding of His (historical, that is, covenantal) "plan," a plan Nephi seems to understand primarily in terms of Isaiah's prophecies. This last point is perhaps vital, since in the parallel passage (2 Ne 11:4), Nephi discusses typology and its relation to the Law of Moses precisely in terms of interpreting Isaiah. In fact, this detail may be taken to suggest that it is within the boundaries of Isaiah's writings specifically that one is to detect this kind of forward-looking, faithful obedience. In light of these comments, it is certainly worth asking how one should regard Nephi's usage of terms like "fulfilled." Of course, any detailed commentary on such a point would have be appended to a full exploration of Nephi's Christology. At the very least, then, there seems to be pictured here a kind of regard for the Law that recognizes in it the possibility of coming before Christ in faith.
This spirit of these comments perhaps provides for two different readings of verse 23. On the one hand, one might suggest that "we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" means that "all we can do" refers specifically to keeping the Law of Moses, and that the saying must be limited to a pre-Christian faith-relation (those under the Law recognize that grace itself is only to be manifested after all has been done with regard to the Law). On the other hand, one might suggest that the phrase be interpreted in light of the intertwining faith-and-obedience relation that is apparently to be read in Isaiah. That is, perhaps "all we can do" is come before Christ in a confession of faith, in a covenant of obedience, and then His grace is sufficient.
  • 2 Ne 25:25 If the previous verse begins to hint at a kind of intertwining of faith and obedience to the Law, this verse begins to probe that picture profoundly. But it begins with a rather vague phrase: "For, for this end was the law given." The primary difficulty here is the ambiguous reference in "this end": is "this end" what has just been described, or what is about to be described, or what? If "this end" points backwards, does it point to "believe in Christ," "keep the law of Moses," "look forward with steadfastness unto Christ," "the law shall be fulfilled," or some combination of some or all of these? If "this end" points forward, to what does it point, and how can one think through the grammar of such a pointing? In the end, one must make a decision as regards this question.
  • 2 Ne 27:1 Following up on the universalism of the preceding verse, which culminates in a statement about the relation between "Jew and Gentile," the opening of chapter 27 pictures in the last days a world politically polarized by the relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:20: Why does Nephi use the term "the nations"? After all, it was individuals who were bitten by the serpents, not really nations.
  • 2 Ne 25:21: Is Nephi conflating the preservation of the plates with the survival of the seed?
  • 2 Ne 25:22: How does the Book of Mormon continue to be transformed and transmitted from generation to generation in the dispensation of the fullness of times?
  • 2 Ne 25:29: In verse 29 it says '...bow down before him (Jesus) and worship him..." Might not nonLDS use this statement to suggest that we should Pray to Jesus, as they do? And how do I as believer, who prays unto the Father, as the Savior taught and showed me, also follow this admonition, to bow down and worship, without inappropriately "praying" unto Jesus?
  • 2 Ne 26:11: In this context it seems like Nephi is saying that even though one chooses wrong the Spirit of the Lord may continue to strive with one, but at some point the Spirit has had enough and leaves. I am thinking of here of D&C 20:30-32. Is this a reasonable reading?
  • 2 Ne 27:22: Will the coming forth of the sealed portions of the Book of Mormon be accompanied by, or principally constitute, the revealing of all things?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

  • 2 Ne 25:23. See this post at the BCC blog by J. Nelson-Seawright (Jan 15, 2008) for a summary of traditional and "revisionist" readings of this verse followed by a "3rd way" admonition to tread this verse as an exhortation rather than a systematic theological claim.
  • See Eph 2:8-10 for discussion of faith, grace, and works.
  • See User:RobertC/Grace for discussion of prevenient grace in LDS thought and scriptures.
  • Ostler's view. See p. 222 in Blake Ostler's Exploring Mormon Thought: The Problem's of Theism and the Love of God (ISBN 1589580958). Ostler argues that the Mormon view is consistent with prevenient grace and that after in verse 23 should be be taken in atemporal, non-causal sense. See also his Dialogue articles referenced here.
"It's easy to know what to teach. The scriptures and our prophets are clear about what to teach our children... How do we do it? Begin by following the counsel of our prophets and making time in our homes for family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Have we heard that counsel so often that it seems too simple? Or are we so busy that adding one more thing feels too complex? I testify that... obedience alone invites the blessings of the Lord."
  • 2 Ne 26:16: Familiar spirit. See this post by Kevin Barney for more some linguistic notes on this phrase.

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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