In Moses 8:19-20, we read:
And the Lord ordained Noah after
his own order, and commanded him that he should go forth and declare his
Gospel unto the children of men, even as it was given unto Enoch. And it came
to pass that Noah called upon the children of men that they should repent; but
they hearkened not unto his words. (Moses 8:19-20)
Commenting
on “after his own order,” Matthew Bowen has the following useful note:
Cf. “the order [dibrātî] of
Melchizedek in Psalm 110:4. The term dibrātî seems to represent an old Hebrew
genitive form, probably deriving from the same root as dābār, “word.”
Samuel Zinner, personal communication, June 29, 2020, suggests a possible
wordplay on “order” (dibrātî) and “his words” (děbārâ) in Moses
8:20. In this vein, it is also interesting to consider JST Genesis 14:25-29: “And
Melchizedek lifted up his voice and blessed Abram. Now Melchizedek was a man of
faith, who wrought righteousness; and when a child, he feared God, and stopped
the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire. And thus, having been
approved of God, he was ordained a high priest after the order of the covenant
which God made with Enoch, It being after the order of the Son of God,
which order came not by man, nor the will of man, neither by father nor mother,
neither by beginning of days nor end of years, but of God. And it was
delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice [i.e., by his word],
according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name.” (Matthew L.
Bowen, “’This Son Shall Comfort Us’: An Onomastic Tale of Two Noahs,” in Ancient
Names in the Book of Mormon: Toward a Deeper Understanding of a Witness of
Christ [Salt Lake City: Eborn Books; Orem, Utah: Interpreter Foundation,
2023], 207 n. 30)
