Friday, December 20, 2019

The Use of Isaiah 9 in 2 Nephi 19: An Examination of Two Variant Readings


In 2 Nephi 19, which is a reproduction of Isa 9, there are some interesting variants between the Book of Mormon and the KJV. This post will address two such variants:

Isa 9:3//2 Nephi 19:3

Thou hast multiplied the nation and not increased the joy: the joy before thee according to the joy in the harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. (Isa 9:3)

Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increased the joy--they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. (2 Nephi 19:3)

The Book of Mormon does not have the negation “not” as the KJV does. Interestingly, in the Masoretic texts, there are some texts that, instead of reading לא (“not” [the Ketib]) some read לו (“for him” [the Qere]) as does the Peshitta and Targum, indicating that the negation may not be original to Isaiah. Indeed, many modern translations omit the negation, just like the Book of Mormon, such as the following:

You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy . . . (NRSV)

You have magnified that nation, Have given it great joy . . .(1985 JPS Tanakh)

You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness . . . (NASB)

Isa 9:9-10//2 Nephi 19:9-10

And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, the bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. (Isa 9:9-10)

And all the people shall know, even Ephraim, and the inhabitants of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart: the bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. (2 Nephi 19:9-10)

The KJV (and MT) has the singular inhabitant while the Book of Mormon has the plural inhabitants. Interestingly, the LXX has a plural, not singular ("οι ἐγκαθήμενοι"). As Tvedtnes noted:

There is a great likelihood that the original text had an abbreviated w- ywš, which could have been read as either singular or plural. This is the very abbreviation found at this point in IQisa! In any event, the sole difference between the singular and plural construct forms would be the addition of the letter -y to the plural. This smallest of all Hebrew letters could easily have been lost from the text. (John A. Tvedntes, The Isaiah Variants in the Book of Mormon [Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1981], 46-47)

As Brant Gardner noted:

Because this verse focuses on the people, “inhabitants” is a better translation. “Inhabitant” is a possible reading but only if the king represents the people. Such a reading, however, does not match the focus within each stanza. (Brant A. Gardner, Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book of the Book of Mormon, Volume 2: Second Nephi-Jacob [Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2007], 273)