Friday, December 31, 2021

Kerry Muhlestein on Isaiah 28:10/2 Nephi 28:30

  

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. (Isa 28:10)

 

This could be Isaiah saying he would teach gradually and carefully . . . It could also just be gibberish (literally this reads tsav latsav tsav latsav, qav laqav qav laqav), wither either Isaiah mocking the drunken priests or the priests mocking the way they think Isaiah is treating them like a child. The original context seems to be a bit negative, yet when this idea is applied to other time periods, we often see a positive meaning to it. The various contexts in which we interpret scripture are important. IN Isaiah, probably more than anywhere else, we must keep in mind the different ways of interpreting the text, depending upon what era we are applying it to.

 

It is worth noting that the word translated as “line,” which may be related to the word for “measuring,” is similar to the word used in the difficult-to-translate verses of chapter 18 about the Egyptians (verses 2 and 7). While the words are spelled slightly differently, they make the same sound, and both are often translated as having something to do with measuring. In both cases, it may be that Isaiah is trying to give the impression of measuring while simultaneously creating the feeling of foreign or child-like babbling and confusion (which measuring out carefully would remedy).

 

It seems to me that Isaiah most likely intends more than one meaning here. He seems to be teaching that those who truly listen to God will receive commandments, act on them, and thus receive more. Those who truly listen to God will be measured out more to learn, will act on it, and will be measured out even more. Yet by saying this with words that are slightly misspelled and put together in a way that sounds like babbling, and all who follow the ways of the world won’t receive commandments or have truth measured out to them because it will all seem like babbling and gibberish to them. They are too drunk on their own teachings to understand what is being said to them. Thus Isaiah simultaneously teaches the incremental way in which God teaches the righteous and demonstrates why those who don’t listen to God won’t receive this incremental advancement. Isaiah seems to have brilliantly demonstrated the very process he was explaining. (Kerry Muhlestein, Learning to Love Isaiah: A Guide and Commentary [American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, Inc., 2021], 232-33)

 

In a discussion of the use of the text in 2 Nephi 28:30, we read the following under the heading of “Book of Mormon Highlight”:

 

Whatever Isaiah’s original intent(s), this idea is quoted in the Book of Mormon and elsewhere, reinforcing a principle that is undoubtedly true. God does teach us line upon line, precept upon precept, giving here and there just enough to keep us progressing and moving forward, if we are willing to receive what He is giving us.

 

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi teaches that a meaning of this verse is that God will teach us incrementally, and if we receive what He gives us, He will give us more. Conversely, if we fail to receive what He gives us, we will lose the truths we have already obtained (see 2 Nephi 28:30). Nephi couches all of this in a discussion of those who trust in man more than God and thus say that they do not need to hear any more of the word of God, or they even become angry when they are given truth from God because it contradicts what they are hearing from men (see 2 Nephi 28:326-31). This understanding of Isaiah’s teachings coincides very well with what we have said about this verse. Nephi’s understanding seems to be informed by the idea that some are so enamored by the ideas of the world that they (unconsciously?) choose to become unable to understand the things of God.

 

This is another place where Nephi’s commentary on Isaiah includes teachings from Isaiah that Nephi has not just quoted. (Ibid., 234, emphasis removed)

 

Further Reading

 

"Line" and "Precept" in 2 Nephi 28:30


Kevin L. Barney, Line Upon Line