While critical of the Book of Mormon and its use of Isaiah and other biblical books, critic Arthur Chris Eccel, in his Mormon Genesis (Hilo, Hawaii: GP Touchstone, 2018), 606-9 noted that the Book of Mormon, at times, has variants that agree with ancient texts of the Bible:
Appendix 1: Additional Analysis of BOM-KJ Variants
Changes in Number
There are cases where a Book of Mormon variant finds agreement in the manuscripts, but, alas, no agreement of significance. A good example is the case where there is a change in number, such as “The men raised their hand” and “The men raised their hands.” The number in these cases is optional. The following are the cases that found some agreement where there is a change from singular to plural (where the italics are original in the King James):
Variants in Number: Singular to Plural
(Agreement is listed in parentheses: H=Hebrew; D=Dead Sea Scrolls; G=Greek; S=Syriac (Aramaic); T=Targumim (Aramaic); L=Latin; E=Ethiopic; C=Coptic; A=Arabic. The sources are listed in Bibliography 1.)
Exodus 20:5: visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children (GSTY)
Mosiah 13:13 visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children
Exodus 20:5: unto the third and fourth generation (S)
Mosiah 13:13 unto the third and fourth generations
Isaiah 3:8: their tongue and their doings are against the Lord (GSC)
2 Nephi 13:8: their tongues and their doings are against the Lord.
Isaiah 3:9: Woe unto their soul! (LA)
2 Nephi 13:9: Woe unto their souls,
Isaiah 5:24: their blossom shall go up as dust (A?)
2 Nephi 15:24: their blossoms shall go up as dust
Isaiah 9:9: the inhabitant of Samaria (GSLC)
2 Nephi 19:9: the inhabitants of Samaria
Isaiah 13:4: the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle (S)
2 Nephi 23:4: the Lord of Hosts mustereth the hosts of the battle
Isaiah 13:18 their eyes shall not spare children (GSTCA)
2 Nephi 23:18: their eyes shall not spare children
Isaiah 14:21; for the iniquity of their fathers (GTSCA)
2 Nephi 24:21: for the iniquities of their fathers
Isaiah 14:32: what shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? (GSTLC)
2 Nephi 24:32: What shall then answer the messenger of the nations?
Isaiah 29:13: have removed their heart far from me (A)
2 Nephi 27;25: have removed their hearts far from me
Isaiah 49:6: my salvation unto the end of the earth (GSTA)
1 Nephi 21:6: my salvation unto the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 51:11: shall be upon their head (DSTL)
2 Nephi 8:11: shall be upon their heads
Isaiah 53:6: hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (GSTLCA)
Mosiah 14:6: hath laid on him the iniquities of us all
Isaiah 53:8: for the transgression of my people (GSLC)
Mosiah 14:8: for the transgressions of my people
Isaiah 53:12: the sin of many (DGSTLC)
Mosiah 14:12: the sins of many
Malachi 3:14: we have kept his ordinance (GSTLC)
3 Nephi 24:14: we have kept his ordinances
In Isaiah 49:6 above, the word for ‘end’ means the furthest point, not the end of times, and so here there is no difference in meaning.
In the legend for the table above, “H=Hebrew” was listed pro forma. As we can see, there is no agreement in the original language, Hebrew. This is typical of agreement in general, when it happens. The other sources are translations, and so by definition, changed. As in all translation, some change happens either because the receiving language requires it grammatically, or prefers it. And in some cases, it is idiolectical, i.e., according to what the translator feels sounds better, his personal speech habit.
Variants in Number: Singular to Plural
(Agreement is listed in parentheses: H=Hebrew; D=Dead Sea Scrolls; G=Greek; S=Syriac (Aramaic); T=Targumim (Aramaic); L=Latin; E=Ethiopic; C=Coptic; A=Arabic. The sources are listed in Bibliography 1.)
Exodus 20:3: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (T)
Mosiah 12:35: Thou shalt have no other God before me.
Isaiah 13;22 her days shall not be prolonged (T)
2 Nephi 23:22 her day shall not be prolonged
Isaiah 48:18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments (S)
1 Nephi 20:18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandment
Isaiah 51;5 mine arms hall judge the people (GLSA)
2 Nephi 8:5 mine arm shall judge the people
Isaiah 53:3 ewe hid as it were our faces from him (H[?]GLA)
Mosiah 14:3 we hid as it were our face from him
Matthew 3:10 the axe is laid unto the root of the trees (SL)
Alma 5:52 the ax is laid at the root of the tree
In the Isaiah 53:3 case, above, the agreement in Hebrew is marked with a question mark because the word for face in Hebrew is pânîm, which is plural in form, but most usually singular in meaning. Whether it is singular or plural in meaning is determined purely by context, as in this case, where the meaning is plural. But in English, it makes no difference.
In all other cases, the agreement occurs in translations of the original language, just as in the case in the group where the change was from singular to plural.
Variants Involving Verbs
The largest group is those that exhibit a change in tense:
Variants with a Change in Tense
(Agreement is listed in parentheses: H=Hebrew; D=Dead Sea Scrolls; G=Greek; S=Syriac (Aramaic); T=Targumim (Aramaic); L=Latin; E=Ethiopic; C=Coptic; A=Arabic. The sources are listed in Bibliography 1.)
Isaiah 2:12 For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon (TA)
2 Nephi 12:12 For the day of the Lord of Hosts soon cometh upon
Isaiah 3:6 a man shall take hold of his brother . . . saying (A)
2 Nephi 13;6 a man shall take hold of his brother . . . and shall say
Isaiah 9:7 of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end (GSA)
2 Nephi 19:7 Of the increase of government and peace there is no end
Isaiah 14:16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying (GSA)
2 Nephi 24:16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and shall consider thee, and shall say
Malachi 3:7 But ye said, Wherein shall we return? (TCA)
3 Nephi 24:7 But ye say, Wherein shall we return?
Matthew 3:10 every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down (SLCA)
Alma 5:52 every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down
Matthew 5:13 but if the salt have lost his savour (SL)
3 Nephi 12:13 but if the salt shall lose its savor
Matthew 5;25 and thou be cast into prison (GL)
3 Nephi 12:25 and thou shalt be cast into prison
Matthew 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms (LC)
3 Nephi 13:2 Therefore, when ye shall do your alms
