Note on "Place" (מקום) in Alma 14:9

  

And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire. (Alma 14:9)

 

Here in the Book of Mormon,” place” is coupled with “martyrdom.” Interestingly, if one studies the Hebrew for “place” (מקום) it has both cultic/temple undertones as well as those of death itself. This indicates there is a potential wordplay here. Consider the following entries from TDOT:

 

Poetic and prayer-texts frequently use similar constructions from other roots either instead of or in addition to māqôm: on the one hand māqôm with qdš (Ezr. 9:8; Ps. 24:3; Isa. 60:13; Jer. 17:12), and on the other māʿôn with qdš (Dt. 26:15; 2 Ch. 30:27; Ps. 68:6[5]; Jer. 25:30; Zec. 2:17[13]), māḵōn with qdš (Dnl. 8:11); next to māqôm with yšb (1 K. 8:30; 2 Ch. 6:21) we find māḵôn with yšb (1 K. 8:13, 39, 43, 49 par. 2 Ch. 6:2, 30, 33, 39; Ps. 33:14); on the one hand m^eqôm kisʾî (Ezk. 43:7), on the other m^eḵôn kisʾeḵā (Ps. 89:15[14]), kisʾô (Ps. 97:2); as an utterance of God: ʾel-m^eqômî (Hos. 5:15), though also bimḵônî (Isa. 18:4); the location of the temple is called māqôm (Jer. 17:12) and māḵôn (Ezr. 2:68); cf. Ps. 26:8: YHWH ʾāhaḇtî m^eʿôn bêṯeḵā ûm^eqôm miškan k^eḇôḏeḵā. One and the same psalm, in speaking of the creation (ysd) of the cosmos, uses māqôm and māḵôn (Ps. 104:8, 5). Such alternation is a stylistic device occurring with particular animation in connection with the sanctuary in Jerusalem (see below). In Isa. 45:19 the construct state bim^eqôm is hardly saying anything different or more than the nomen rectum ʾereṣ ḥōšeḵ alone (Job 10:21), and at most is emphasizing the element of unworthiness: “in a dark corner of the world.”(J. Gamberoni and Helmer Ringgren, “מָקוֹם,” Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, ed. G. Johannes Botterweck and Heinz-Josef Fabry, 17 vols. [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1997], 8:535)

 

The Grave. In Eccl. 8:10 the expression m^eqôm (māqôm?) qāḏōš refers perhaps to a burial place. Given the context, a reference to an extensive burial place in Ezk. 39:11 (11–16) (m^eqôm šēm instead of m^eqôm šām?) is no less probable than other attempts at explanation. According to Jer. 7:32; 19:11, people will be buried in the abhorrent (Jer. 19:6, 12, 13; also 2 K. 23:10) Topheth because the appropriate burial place is not large enough (cf. Ex. 14:11).(Ibid., 536-37)

 

Consider also HALOT:

 

—6. מָ׳ sacred site )Arb. maqām(: said of God: מְקוֹמִי Hos 5₁₅ Jr 7₁₂, מְקוֹמוֹ Is 26₂₁ Mi 1₃, הַמָקוֹם הַזֶּה = Jerusalem 1K 8₃₀ 2K 22₁₆ Jr 7₃ 19₃; שְׁכֶם מְ׳ Gn 12₆; הַמָּקוֹם the )sacred( place Gn 22_3f 28₁₁.₁₉, pl. 1S 7₁₆, )pagan( Dt 12₂; יהוה שֵׁם מְ׳ Is 18₇; הַמָּ׳, which Yahweh chooses Dt 12₅ 14₂₃.₂₅ 1K 8₂₉; מִקְדָּשִׁי מְ׳ Is 60₁₃, קָדְשׁוֹ מְ׳ Ps 24₃ Ezr 9₈, מָ׳ קָדֹשׁ; Ex 29₃₁ Lv 6₉._19f; הַקֹּדֶשׁ מְ׳ 14₁₃;  כָּסִפְיָה הַמָּ׳ Ezr 8₁₇ )Rudolph 83(; קָדוֹשׁ מְ׳ Qoh 8₁₀ )rd. (מָ׳ the temple )Hertzberg 173f( or necropolis )as in Egypt, Galling HAT 18:81 :: 18²:111( or burial site )Dahood Biblica 43:360(; אַחֵר מִמָּ׳ Est 4₁₄ = from God )MHeb. הַמָּ׳ = God, Bousset-G. 519³ :: Bardtke 332f(;

 

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