The next Old Testament text I would
call your attention to in the Book of Mormon is that of Malachi, chapters 3 and
4. These are quoted, substantially as found in our present King James Version,
in 3 Nephi, chapters 24 and 25. The Book of Mormon affirms that those two
chapters of Malachi have come down to us in a relatively pure state, textually
speaking. But there is one very interesting passage in the Book of Mormon
version that gives a lot of joy to a textual critic. Here it is:
But unto you that fear my name, shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves in the stall. (3 Nephi 25:2.)
Notice the reading "Son of
Righteousness" instead of the familiar "Sun of Righteousness."
(Let me put this on the board).) The reading of the original Hebrew is
"Sun of Righteousness." Here, again, we have homonyms, two words of
similar sound, but differing in meaning from each other. That is, they are
homonyms in English. Now which reading is correct, the reading of the Book of
Mormon or that as given in the King James Version Despite the fact that the
Book of Mormon reads "Son of Righteousness." this is a case where I
think the text ought to be changed. Now I do not know whether or not the Church
Authorities would approve the change, but let me show you the compelling
evidence that it should be changed. This is the way a textual critic would go
at the problem. In Hebrew, "the Son of Righteousness" would be ben
tsethakah, where ben is "Son of." But the original Hebrew
reads, shemesh tsethakah, where shemesh is "Sun of."
Now by no stretch of the imagination could one question the great difference
between the sound of ben and shemesh. Shemesh, "Sun
of," may be masculine or feminine in gender. And notice this literal
translations of the Hebrew of Malachi in question:
But unto you that fear my name, shall
the Sun of Righteousness with hearing in her wings; [And you Hebrew
scholars in the audience can see the third feminine suffix here.]
This shows that shemesh, "Sun
of," must have been the original reading, because ben, "Son
of," could not possibly be feminine. We are driven inevitably to the view
that "Sun of Righteousness" is the correct reading."
Now, what happened? Well, I do not
know at this particular point to whom the Prophet was dictating his
translation, but let us assume that it was Oliver Cowdery, When the Prophet
dictated to him, "shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His
wings," Oliver or whoever it was wrote down "Son," a quite
natural error. This same reading occurs in three different places. The meaning
is not changed at all, because most conservative scholars through the
centuries have agreed that "Son of Righteousness" refers to the
Savior. (Sidney B. Sperry, "The Book of Mormon and Textual
Criticism," Book of Mormon Institute, December 5, 1959, ed. Dee F.
Green [Provo, Utah: Book of Mormon Institute, 1964], 5-6)
