Since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsOld Testament Reading Schedule does not include all chapters in the Book of Isaiah we have not included all of our resources, which should make this directory more manageable for your five-week study of Isaiah. But before we begin that study, let’s turn back to the first week of August.
The Church’s website, suggests, “Beginning with Job, we find a different writing style, as Old Testament writers turned to poetic language to express deep feelings or monumental prophecies in a memorable way… The books of Job, Psalms and Proverbs are almost entirely poetry, as are parts of the writings of prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Amos. Because reading poetry is different from reading a story, understanding it often requires a different approach.”
Then they list some thoughts that may “make your reading of Old Testament poetry more meaningful.”
Since the published Old Testament Reading Schedule doesn’t include every chapter in the Book of Isaiah our team has not curated all resources from our site. But we have made this workable directory for your five-week study of this important book in the Old Testament in a total of seven curated posts:
In this interview, and with the release of her “Opening Isaiah,” Kelsey Wilding asked Ann Madsen, who at the time of this recording (2018) was a senior lecturer in ancient scripture at Brigham Young University: “How did you get interested in the Book of Isaiah?”
Madsen answered:
I was a master’s degree student when I was studying the Old Testament. And I was going to be teaching the Old Testament to other students at BYU.
To get ready I studied all of the prophets in the Old Testament. But I particularly liked Isaiah, however, I didn’t understand his writings very well.
It’s funny, as I think about my youth, and the first time I tried to read The Book of Mormon from cover to cover. And then pray about it. But when I got to the Isaiah passages, I couldn’t keep going!
It makes me smile now because, I think, no I hope I’m helping other people get through the Isaiah passages. That way they can find out that The Book of Mormon is true, because I didn’t get to find out that it was true when I was younger. In fact, instead, I started reading the Doctrine and Covenants. But I finally got to it and I found out for myself that it was true.
Opening Isaiah—a Harmony, by Ann Madsen and Shon Hopkin
And so, then as I was studying the Old Testament. And the more I taught the Old Testament at BYU, the more I wanted to learn more about Isaiah.
Isaiah seemed like a wonderful mystery that I could plunge into the depths of if I would just make the effort. So, that’s what I did, and that’s what I’m still doing. I mean I’ve just finished a book this year, Opening Isaiah—a Harmony, by Ann Madsen and Shon Hopkin, that I think puts together most of what I have learned in all these years.
Speaking at General Conference, then Elder Joseph Fielding Smith quoted this from his Father: “I have a quotation here from President Joseph F. Smith that I want to read to you, mainly because it has never been put in print ‘… The things of God are discovered by the Spirit of God, not by the spirit of man or of the world. Those who seek shall find, and to those who knock at the door it shall be opened, and those who ask shall receive, and not otherwise. He that has the spirit discerns by the spirit and loves the works of the spirit, for they give delight and joy “… We learn a principle by coming in close contact with and studying it, and admitting it into our minds and hearts… But truth is eternal–it was not created or made, it is as a precious gem. It lies hidden from us and we must find it, and apply it, and make it ours.’” —October 1938 General Conference
As we come ready to embark on the study of the Prophets, we can do so with that same Spirit of inquiry. We often hear that the Lord will reveal His truths in the Temple if we are open to these and participate with the right spirit. This is also true of Scripture study.
Yes, even when studying Isaiah. No! Rather, especially when studying the writings of the prophets of the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible. They can fill our souls with a joy so immense.
Parallelisms May Hide Prophetic Messages
Some of the prophetic words in the Hebrew Bible are given through parallelism. We learn that Hebrew poetry is different than Western poetry. It consists of parallelism, that is, the restatement of thoughts using different words. We may fall into the trap of thinking that it is mere repetition.
Some so-called parallelisms are used to hide a message. The Lord knew that the Scriptures would be tampered with and that some things could not be outrightly said. Also, much like parables, the difficult writing of the Prophets is meant to declare glorious truths to those who seek them.
The prophets sometimes give us hidden treasures within the confines of what appears to be simple parallelism. Alexander writes about the folly of forced parallelism, “These [false] constructions are so violent, and the contrary usage so plain, that the question naturally arises, why should the latter be departed from at all?
“The answer is because the favorite notion of exact parallelism requires it. All the writers who maintain this opinion assume that the second clause must express the same idea as the first, and in the same order … the modern writers must have parallelism still more exact, and to this rhetorical chimera both the syntax and the true sense of the passage must be sacrificed.” [Alexander, Joseph Addison (1870). The Prophecies of Isaiah Translated and Explained (Vols. 1–2). New York: Charles Scribner & Co.(Hard copy, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1962).]
Did Isaiah Hide His Real Message in This Set of Parallelisms?
It would be easy to think that Isaiah 5:26–30, for instance, is simply a description of further punishments to be poured out against Judah by the hand of a nation or nations to come from the north, namely Assyria and Babylonia.
26 And he will lift up an aensign to the nations from far, and will bhiss unto them from the cend of the earth: and, behold, they shall dcome with speed swiftly: 26 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: 28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: 29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young alions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the bprey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. 30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the alight is bdarkened in the heavens thereof.
While these verses in Isaiah, on the surface, appear as an impending punishment, they are in reality a message of hope and deliverance. The source of all hope is Jesus the Christ. The glorious Gospel Standard has been erected, to go out to every corner of the world in order to gather Israel on both sides of the veil.
As you study Isaiah and the prophets and do so prayerfully, do not be surprised if your eyes are opened to see some of these treasures. I will give you a hint. One of the greatest Scriptures that testifies of Christ is hidden in Isaiah 40:3–8. Also, study the first two verses of that most wondrous chapter. I would love to hear from you and see what you have discovered.
And daughter Zion is left
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a shelter in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.—Isaiah 1:8 New Revised Standard Version
When asked why Hebrew poetry does not rhyme, Ann Madsen explained that it is not words that rhyme like in our English tradition. Instead, the ideas the author is trying to drive home are set to two lines that counter, mirror or repeat each other. These ideas are then laid down alongside one another to reinforce the message the Prophet is trying to convey.
“We have the Psalms that are printed like poetry, so you look at them, and you can look at how a line and an idea in the first line matches the next line or has that contrast to it or has a relationship, and that’s what Hebrew poetry is like.
“Prophecy in the Old Testament is all in poetry. And it begins in parallelism. This is the method used to produce poetry in Hebrew; all Hebrew poetry and all prophetic poetry.
“One of the ways that you’ll understand reading Isaiah is when you understand it’s written in poetry. Most of it, except four chapters in the middle of Isaiah, (36 through 39) which are in prose. All the rest of it is poetry.
“This allows the Prophet to say one thing after another thing, after another thing. Each time a little different, with nuance in meaning.
An Example of Hebrew Poetry
She explained, “the ancient Israelites would build a hut in a field when they were harvesting (see image above). It would be a temporary hut in that field. But they would build a watchtower in their vineyards. A field and a vineyard can be compared to each other.
“One is a little different, as it might have cucumbers in it, and the other one would have grapes, that doesn’t matter. Isaiah is still making this metaphor for you to consider.
“Then he gives you a third idea, when he finally says, “like a city under siege.” Anybody in his day would have known the city under siege was surrounded and that they couldn’t get out.”
She concluded, “so, the metaphor has all these different nuances of meaning. It makes it beautiful when you start understanding that it’s just poetically lovely with no rhymes, just idea rhymes.”
This selection is from an interview between Ann Madsen and Darryl Alder
“Poetic parallelism may be defined as two short, balanced lines (phrases or sentences), with line one featuring words that are paralleled by the words of line two. Line two is a repetition, echo, or symmetrical counterpart of line one. Parallelisms rarely feature rhymes of assonance or consonance; rather, they present a harmonious construction of two expressions. Other parallel words may be synonymous or antithetical, or they may correspond in a number of other ways…”
Darryl: Hi, I’m Darryl Alder with SearchIsaiah.org. Today we have a scholar with us, Ann Madsen. We’re going to talk about a couple of different things about the book of Isaiah. Ann, let’s start with this question, how did you get interested in Isaiah?
Ann: I was teaching Isaiah at BYU, I’ve been teaching there for 44 years. In my Old Testament courses, I kept adding another lecture to Isaiah. Finally, my department chair called me in and he said, are you interested in teaching a class about Isaiah perchance? And I said, oh yes, I’d love to.
So, the next semester, I had a class in Isaiah as well as my Old Testament courses and I’ve always wanted to apologize to my first class because I had no idea what I was getting into. I had four lectures that I’d been giving in Isaiah when I was…and it’s a big book, so it required Ezekiel and Jeremiah, they all require more than one lecture. But when I taught that first course, I was running to keep up, I was having a hard time knowing everything and I didn’t know anything.
Darryl: You probably feel that way right now. I’m teaching Gospel Doctrine, and so are you, how do we teach all 66 books in five Sundays?
Ann: Well, you don’t, you have to really look through, and for me, it was glorious for me teaching Isaiah in Gospel doctrine because we’d come to the sections that were required to be read. I had my favorite parts in those sections that I thought were sort of gems that other people ignored and didn’t notice and wouldn’t notice if you were just reading through as a Gospel Doctrine teacher. But one of my favorites says, you will hear a voice behind you, saying this is the way, walk ye in it. And if that isn’t the most perfect example of personal revelation, I don’t know what is.
Darryl: So, I put a thousand hours into Isaiah and I’m troubled because Christ told us to search it diligently, and he commanded us to read it and I’m not sure I’m still there. So, can you give us some clues about how to study Isaiah and really get it, as members of the church?
Ann: Well, it’s more simple than it will sound, only it takes some diligent study to do it. First of all, I think you really need to know the history behind the time of Isaiah, because he uses his current context where he’s living the circumstances he knows and that the people know, and remember Nephi said, I speak in simple terms to my children because they weren’t there, they didn’t see what I saw.
Well, because he saw, he could understand Isaiah, he was living in the context of Isaiah. So, you have to kind of get yourself into the context. Secondly, that takes some doing, and then you have to look at the history, look at the kings of Judah that were serving then, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh, they were all the kings that lived in his time.
Darryl: So, are Kings and Chronicles enough, or do you need something else to understand history?
Ann: Well, Kings and Chronicles will help you, and the Bible Dictionary will help you. Look up the name of the country in the Bible dictionary…
Darryl: …or the name of the king. Both of those things really have helped me.
Ann: Then that’ll put it in history for you.
Darryl: So, one of the things I’ve appreciated is you have this book called, ‘Opening Isaiah—a Harmony.’ It’s rich with maps and that’s one of the clues that’s really helped me is when we’re talking about marching down from Mishmash to Nob, it’s like, what? So, I really appreciated those tools.
I know that we have maps in the Bible from the church, but they’re not quite as comprehensive. This seems to have a notion that every time we need a map, it appears.
Ann: Yea, the thing in here is what we decided to do was put a map in whenever there was a geographical location to be located. You don’t know when you start reading Isaiah where Amman is, where is Amman? Is it a big country, is it a small country? So, we have a big map in the beginning of the book, and then we have every time it’s brought up and you need to know there’s a map.
Darryl: So, I noticed, and I had never seen this before, ‘Opening Isaiah‘ was a DVD before it was a book that you did with Shon Hopkin.
Ann: They’re totally different.
Darryl: They are, but they have the same name. So, tell us how this helps us.
Ann: I called both of these things ‘Opening Isaiah’ and persuaded Shon (Hopkin) to call this one ‘Opening Isaiah’ because our idea (and my idea, to begin with), was, that you can’t learn about Isaiah unless you’re willing to open it. You have to not be afraid of it because we have this kind of culture in the church where people are scared to death of Isaiah. You say the word and they just get frightened.
Darryl: In conference talks, we’ve even had general authorities say, when you’re reading the Book of Mormon if you can’t move on, skip over Isaiah, just read the chapter headings and move on.
Ann: You had no idea how I felt that day. I wanted to say, just give me five minutes. I can help, but I didn’t say that.
Darryl: I interviewed Victor Ludlow, and one of the things he said to kind of get a taste of Isaiah is to read all the chapter headings, you might stumble on one that’ll make you stop and read, and maybe that is a good idea.
Ann: No, I don’t think so. I love brother Ludlow, but I think that there aren’t shortcuts. Just look at that text, look at it, and I’m telling you, if you think about it, if you ponder it if you really let it sink into your heart, like chapter 6.
Chapter 6 is 12 verses, and every verse is so packed that if you just read it and you say, well, now I’ve read chapter 6, what were the seraphs, what was the little alter that he took the tongues and put on glowing coals on his lips? Where was all that? It’s in the temple. We read Isaiah 6 as the first thing we do in class.
Darryl: Because it’s his call. One of the things that happened to me when I read this is that I’ve had an experience in a sacrament meeting many years ago as we sang “Reverently and Meekly Now“, which is the only hymn I know of where Christ is singing the words to us. This poem is Him talking to us, and I felt the Savior’s grace and suddenly understood the atonement and when I read this, about how is it done, or, oh woe is me, and all the things that Isaiah said, I had all that feeling come back and I went, I can relate to this guy.
Ann: Of course. And we all can, because we’ve all had a moment. And also, that first line where it says, your King, Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. You need to stop there if you’re reading the book of Isaiah and just think for a minute. How did Isaiah feel? He felt like Joseph Smith.
Darryl: Just like his sacred grove, but it was in the temple.
Ann: He saw the Lord, so now go on and read the rest of it in that context. You’re in a conversation with the God of Heaven, you’re talking to him and he’s talking to you and you’re scared to death, ‘oh, woe is me,’ he says, ‘for I am a man of unclean lips, I live among a people of unclean lips.’ So, he’s really emotional.
Darryl: And at that time didn’t the Jews believe that if they saw God, they’d die.
Ann: If you’re not pure enough, you’d die.
Darryl: So, he probably assumed this was the end of life for him.
Ann: Well, in the middle of Isaiah, later, when he’s prophesying, he says, who can dwell in everlasting burnings? And then he goes on to say, he who has a clean heart, he who has this and who has that, and he knew that by experience because he’d had that experience himself, as a younger person, he wasn’t an old man.
Darryl: So, let’s go back into your new Opening Isaiah, it’s a harmony. I want to ask about the harmony part in because I feel like you gave me permission to use alternate translations. I don’t know why I thought it was naughty to look at translations other than the King James version.
Here is a sample of just one verse in the harmony of Isaiah 48 verse 5:
You use the New Revised Standard Version and said it’s in sort of a poetic form. Why did you choose that translation?
Ann: Because Isaiah is written in poetry, and poetry is not like our rhyming kind of poetry that has a rhyme at the end.
Darryl: Then why do we call it poetry if it doesn’t rhyme?
Ann: Because it has idea rhymes, the beginning of it, it begins in… parallelism is the method used to produce poetry in Hebrew; all Hebrew poetry and all prophetic poetry.
Prophecy in the Old Testament is all in poetry. We have the Psalms that are printed like poetry, so you look at them, and you can look at how a line and an idea in the first line matches the next line or has that contrast to it or has a relationship, and that’s what Hebrew poetry is like.
Kelsey Wilding: Do you have a favorite chapter of Isaiah?
Ann Madsen: Depending on the day. I have parts of Isaiah that I truly…there are gems in Isaiah that people don’t hear because they don’t read the whole thing. They read chapter 6, the call of Isaiah, and it has a lot to teach you, but there’s a verse that says, ‘before they call, I will answer, while they are yet speaking, I will hear.’
Have you ever had that experience that you’ve had something come to you and you’ve said, if I’d known enough I would have prayed for this, but I didn’t know enough, but here it is, and I did need it, but I didn’t know I needed it. Have you ever had that happen?
Kelsey Wilding: Yes.
Ann Madsen: See, and he’s describing that. He says before they call before they even ask, I will answer, sometimes. And while they are yet speaking, I will hear and that happens to me in my prayers very often. I start saying, I don’t understand this, I don’t know what to do with this, and immediately I get an answer. I’ve heard people say, don’t expect your prayers to be answered right away and I want to say, but sometimes do expect your prayers to be answered right away because they will be. At least that’s the way it’s been in my life.
Another one I truly love is, ‘you will hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way, walk ye in it.’ No, it says you come to a place and you don’t know whether to go to the right or the left, but you will hear a voice behind you say, this is the way, walk ye in it.
It’s like Robert Frosts’ poem, ‘The way not taken’. It’s the Holy Ghost, it’s the way the Holy Ghost prompts you to do or not do something, and Isaiah says it so clearly, ‘you come to a way and you will hear a voice behind you.’
I prayed that in my prayers. I’ve said, Heavenly Father, please help me hear a voice behind me saying, this is the way, show me the right way, guide me through this day.
Since mid-October 2020, I had the opportunity to attend several seminars by world-renown Hebrew scholars. One lecture by Professor Emmanuel Tov of the Hebrew University and three by Dr. Russell Fuller, associate professor of Old Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and the author of several books including Invitation to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. I hope that in time, I will be able to write a little about each of these seminars. Today I wish to focus on Dr. Fuller’s talk on the Masoretic 𝕸 accents in the Hebrew Bible, and the blessing of our King James Version.
Dr. Fuller spoke about the great help that the Masoretic accents provide in understanding the syntax of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), and thus the ability to translate it more correctly into another language, such as English or Spanish. As a youngster I had no interest in grammar, but grammar becomes very exciting when it begins to answer the language questions we have.
After coming to a simple understanding about how the Masoretic accents are often discounted by translators of the Hebrew Bible, and yet how vital they are to the proper understanding of Hebrew syntax, I wanted to know which of the Bible versions does the best job of translating according to the Masoretic 𝕸 tradition.
I had the privilege of asking that question. I supposed the answer would point to one of the over fifty Bible translations I own and was ready to purchase an additional Bible if needed. I was both surprised and thrilled with the answer. Dr. Fuller told the participants in attendance that it was the King James Version. I have loved and defended the KJV for decades. In my opinion, despite its many errors, it best preserves the Christology of the Hebrew Bible (see Part I) and it is both the most accurate and poetic translation available into English or Spanish.
We are so blessed that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the KJV, along with the Inspired Version notes by the Prophet Joseph Smith, as our Bible. We will focus on 1 Samuel 3:3 to make the main point of this essay. We will then turn to an example in the book of Isaiah.
“And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep” (1 Samuel 3:3).
Exegesis
The KJV states that Samuel had lied down before the lamp of God had completely burnt out. In italics we find the expression, to sleep. This indicates that the translators of the KJV filled the elliptical expression so that it could be better understood, but those words are not present in the Hebrew Bible. The idea is that the youth had lied down in order to go to sleep.
When we read this verse in the context of the surrounding ones, we note that Eli, the High Priest, had also laid down. Because it was said that Samuel had lied down (שׁכב) rather than he was sleeping (ישן), I had always supposed that both had gone to bed in adjacent, or nearby, rooms but had not yet fallen asleep that night.
From the way Eli responds to the lad, it appears that the High Priest was awake and had not been roused from his sleep. The matter is not of the most significant consequence, but here I am almost alone. Only Matthew Henry seems to agree. Henry also adds, “Samuel lay awake in his bed, his thoughts, no doubt, well employed (as David’s Psalm 63:6), when the Lord called to him.” As we shall see, almost all the exegetes feel this event took place in the morning.
The lamp of God represents the candlestick or menorah (no candles were used) found in the Holy Place in the Temple, adjacent to the Holy of Holies. In the Holy Place one could find the altar of incense, the candlestick, and the table of shewbread. The great majority of exegetes suggest that the manifestation took place before the candelabra was extinguished in the morning, as the oil was replenished so it would burn all night and was naturally extinguished in the morning (Exodus 27:21) before they were relit. It appears that the relighting took place twice a day: once at dusk and once in the morning. (Some have additionally suggested that the light of the lamp also is a reference to revelation, to a time when revelation still existed in Israel.)
Delitzsch and Keil explain, “The ‘lamp of God’ is the light of the candlestick in the tabernacle, the seven lamps of which were put up and lighted every evening, and burned through the night till all the oil was consumed (see Exodus 30:8; Leviticus 24:2; 2Chronicles 13:11, and the explanation given at Exodus 27:21). The statement that this light was not yet extinguished, is equivalent to ‘before the morning dawn.’”
Lang likewise has, “And the lamp of God was not yet gone out—no doubt this indicates night-time, near the morning, since the seven-lamped candelabrum in the Sanctuary before the curtain, which (Exodus 27:20-21; Exodus 30:7-8) was furnished with oil every morning and evening, after having burnt throughout the night and consumed its oil, usually, no doubt, got feebler or went out towards morning (comp. Leviticus 24:2-3).”
The mark of location, where the ark of God was, is given to note the place of the lamp of God, and to distinguish it from other sources of light in the temple complex. The lamp of God refers to the candelabra associated with the Holy Place as it is put near the ark of God, which was situated in the Holy of Holies. The Holy Place and the Holy of Holies were divided by a mere curtain. Both had restricted entrance. Into the Holy of Holies, only the High Priest entered; and that, only one day in the year, during the Day of Atonement. “Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle (i.e., the Holy Place), accomplishing the service of God. But into the second (i.e., Holy of Holies) went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people” (Hebrews 9:6–7, see also, Leviticus 16 and 23).
The expression before the lamp of God went out, however, marks a moment in time, more than a location. The Pulpit commentary has, “the lamp is mentioned as fixing the exact time. Though it is said that the seven-branched candelabrum was ‘to burn always’ (Exodus 27:20), yet this apparently was to be by perpetually relighting it (ibid. 1Samuel 30:7–8); and as Aaron was commanded to dress and light it every morning and evening, and supply it with oil, the night would be far advanced and morning near before it went out.”
To suppose that the boy Samuel would have been allowed to sleep in either of these sacred rooms is inconceivable. Yet sadly, that is precisely what most of the Hebrew Bible translations into English, and all the translations into Spanish (including our own Reina Valera 2009) have done. Forty-five of my Bible translations into English and Spanish have made this error. The reader is left to think that Samuel, the boy Prophet, was sleeping either in the Holy Place or the Holy of Holies in the temple: “The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was” (ESV). All these translations, to one degree or another, put the emphasis of this Scripture on where Samuel was lying rather than on when these events took place.
Beside the KJV, four other translations make it clear that the matter was one of time, rather than place. Except for Webster, the rest have dropped the elliptical explanation that Samuel had laid down to sleep.
(AMPC) “The lamp of God had not yet gone out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was lying down.”
(NKJV) “and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down,”
(TS2009) “And the lamp of Elohim had not gone out in the Hěḵal of יהוה where the ark of Elohim was, and Shemu’ěl was lying down to sleep.”
(Webster) “And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep.”
We will now turn to the Masoretic text 𝕸 to explain the virtue of the KJV, in not having young Samuel sleeping in either the Holy Place or in the Holy of Holies.
The Masorah
The original or Paleo Hebrew was written with consonants and what looks like run on sentences where it was difficult to distinguish the end of one word and the beginning of the next.
Source: Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus scroll. Wikipedia.
Beginning with about the second century AD, and over the next eight centuries, a group of Biblical scholars, the Masoretes, developed a system of vocalization, accentuation and marginal notes called the Masorah (מָסוֹרָה). Two major purposes of these additions where to (1) avoid any further tampering with the text, and (2) provide both a pronunciation guide as well as exegetical notes on the Hebrew Bible. This work of clarification was mostly achieved through accents which, among other things, served as punctuation marks and to note syntactical relations. Some have suggested that the oral tradition that led to this Masorah dated from the time of Ezra.
Source: Aleppo Codex – Masoretic text Deuteronomy, Wikipedia
The accents in the Masorah
Emmanuel Tov explains, “The tradition of the accents is ancient … ‘They read from the book, from the law of God, translating it and giving the sense; so they understood the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8) … “And giving the sense”—this refers to the accents, טעמים” (Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, p. 63).
Generally, the accents are divided into disjunctive (those used to separate sentences into smaller clauses) and conjunctive ones (which indicate words that go with each other). Or, in a related sense, the disjunctive accents call for a pause between words; the conjunctive, for the elimination of pauses. There are more disjunctive than conjunctive accents, and both together include over twenty such marks (this depends on the various authorities).
A hierarchy of levels exists among the disjunctive accents. Such, that the Athnach marks the remote subordinate (i.e., from the first word in the sentence to the word with the Athnach) and divides or separates the sentence from the near subordinate (i.e., the word after the one marked by the Athnach to the end of the sentence), which in turn is marked by the Silluq and by the Soph Pasuq (both of these are usually placed side-by-side to mark the end of the sentence).
Next, both sentence halves are divided again, into near and remote subordinates, by such disjunctive accents as the Tiphcha, Little Zaqeph and the Segolta. These segments may in turn be divided once again, by such accents as the Tebir, Pashta, Zarga or Rebia. Finally, when it is needed, those sentence fragments may be divided by the Geresh, Pazer, or Great Telisha. Of course, many sentences do not have sufficient length for all these sections. The divisions, it is important to note, are not based on word count, but rather on meaning. Sometimes, musical requirements overturn syntactical ones (as occasionally also happens with modern hymns).
As a student of the Hebrew Bible, I began by checking my guesses with the simplest of these divisions, the use of the Athnach (that divides each sentence in two), in Genesis 1. Once I got the hang of that, I moved on to Genesis 2, where I was pleased to get almost all these divisions correctly. Once I began with the more arduous task of learning how to mark off parenthetical statements, that was another story altogether. I have been examining multiple books and papers on the subject, and will be doing so for the foreseeable future, in an effort to understand these complex rules.
The parentheticals in the Masorah
As I love to learn by doing as well as by studying, I was able to confirm two basic rules on how accents are utilized to set apart parenthetical statements in the Hebrew Bible: (1) such expressions begin with the word that follows the disjunctive accent in question, and (2) ends with the word containing the next disjunctive accent of a higher hierarchical order. Professor Fuller kindly provided a third one, (3) “[if] the words after the parenthesis go with words before the parenthesis” (personal correspondence, 21 December 2020) then this also helps confirm the parenthetical expression. The matter is complex, as the same accents are not used to mark parenthetical expressions, but rather vary following additional rules.
Some scholars give much importance to the opinions of the Masoretes. The translators of the King James Version are among these. Others discount them altogether or even mock them. None of the scholars, however, negate that the Masoretes intended to indicate the parenthetical expression in 1 Samuel 3:3. Furthermore, many modern scholars have established their own systems of syntactical rules for the Hebrew Bible, ones where the Masoretic accents do not play a role.
But returning to the Masoretes, after diagramming numerous passages, one Biblical verse containing a very clear parenthetical expression came to mind. I have set out parenthetical expressions in English and in Hebrew in bold (emphasis added). In Genesis 31:50 we find: “If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.” The expression “no man is with us” is parenthetical. Laban, Jacob’s father-in-law, is telling Israel that since there are no other men standing by to act as witnesses at that moment, of the pact being made, that God will be their witness.
Note that the expression begins with the word after the Zaqeph (looks like a colon, on the top of the expression my daughters, בְּנֹתַ֔י) and ends with the Athnach (looks like an upward pointing chevron, or the top of an arrow, at the bottom of the expression with us, עִמָּ֑נוּ). Remember that Hebrew reads from right to left.
Fortuitously, the verse in Genesis 31:50 uses precisely the same accents as are utilized in 1 Samuel 3:3 to set aside the parenthetical expression. In Samuel, the King James Version moves the parenthetical to the end of the sentence in order to avoid confusion. In Bible translations, parenthetical signs () are used for a different purpose, that is, to indicate that the words enclosed by parenthesis are missing from some variant manuscript sources.
“And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid downto sleep” (1 Samuel 3:3).
In summary, both parenthetical expressions begin after the Zaqeph (here after the word יִכְבֶּ֔ה, went out) and end with the Athnach accent (here under the expression שֹׁכֵ֑ב, laid down).
The three accent rules are clearly fulfilled in both examples. That is, the parenthetical expression begins after the disjunctive accent and ends with a disjunctive of a higher hierarchical order; and the topic before the opening of the parenthetical expression continues after it closes.
Isaiah 38:8
I will give a third example of a parenthetical expression, one contributed by Dr. Fuller. In Isaiah 38:8 we read: “Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.”
The parenthesis begins after the word with the Pazer disjunctive accent (הַֽמַּעֲל֡וֹת, the T lied on its side on top of the expression, the steps) and ends with the Tebir, the next occurring higher hierarchical accent, the Tebir (בַּשֶּׁ֛מֶשׁ, with the sun). Because in Hebrew, the word order is different than in English, with the sun is the end of the parenthetical expression: which–is gone down–in the steps of—Ahaz–with the sun.
A more literal translation uses the word steps rather than sun dial, “Behold, I will bring back the shadow of the steps which has gone down in the steps of Ahaz with the sun, backward ten steps. So the sun went back up ten steps, by which steps it had gone down!” (LITV). Despite my great love for the King James Version, I appreciate having access to other translations. But as I said in Part I, the occasional better translations do not come from the same Bible version every time. Instead, different translations provide a better rendition of the original from time to time. If I could keep only one translation into either English or Spanish, undoubtedly, for me, it would be the King James Version.
Bibliography
Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible
College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Ewald, H. (1891). Syntax of the Hebrew Language of the Old Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.
Expositor’s Bible Commentary
Fuller, R. T. & Choi K. (2017). Invitation to Biblical Hebrew Syntax: An Intermediate Grammar. Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI.
Guzik, D. Enduring Word Commentary
Henry, M. Commentary on the Whole Bible
IVP Bible Background Commentary
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary
John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible
Keil and Delitzsch. Commentary on the Old Testament
Lange’s Commentary on the Old and New Testament
MacLaren, A. Expositions of Holy Scripture
Park, S.J. (2020). The Fundamentals of Hebrew Accents: Divisions and Exegetical Roles Beyond Syntax. Cambridge University Press. University Printing House, Cambridge.
The New International Commentary on the Old Testament
The Pulpit Commentary
Tov, E. (2012). Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible (Third Edition, Revised and Expanded). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
Van der Merwe, C., Naudé, J., Kroeze, J., Van der Merwe, C., Naudé, J., & Kroeze, J. (1999). A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
Wickes, W. (1887). Two Treatises on the Accentuation of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Zewi, T. (2007). Parenthesis in Biblical Hebrew. Studies in Semitic Languages and Linguistics, Volume 50. Brill, Leiden. Netherlands.
This chapter shows the Lord’s promise and devotion to Zion in the last days. As such, it is a natural continuation of the prophetic, covenantal promises Christ was giving the Nephites, promises that would be fulfilled as a result of the restoration of the gospel and the gathering of Israel that would flow from that.—Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and The New Covenant
Don Parry summarized the chapter this way: “In the last days, or the time in which we now live, the Lord will bring many people to Zion. They will be so many that they cannot all fit in one place. Rather than there being only one land of Zion, she will be established in many stakes.
“The Lord tells us not to fear. He remembers all his promises to establish Zion in the latter days. The Saints may at times have cause to feel forsaken, but the Lord has not forgotten us, and he will have mercy on us. Even if the mountains were to flee, he would not forget his covenant, and his mercy would continue. He will establish the righteous in the beautiful city of New Jerusalem. All our enemies will be put down.
“These promises give comfort to us as a people and as individuals. The Lord will not forget us in our trouble. He always reaches out to comfort and to bless. He will bring us, individually, to his precious promises, if we are worthy.“1
The resurrected Lord felt so keenly about Isaiah 54 that He quoted it in its entirety to the ancient inhabitants of the Americas—knowing it would be published as part of the Book of Mormon in the latter days. It is apparent that this is one of the most significant chapters in all scriptural literature. Certainly, it warrants our fervent desire to understand it and to carefully consider its message.”2
“The fulfillment of this beautiful poem—Isaiah 54 is all poetry—is to be found in this dispensation. Part of it has probably already been fulfilled since the restoration of the gospel; the remainder will be in a time yet future.”3
In the last days, Zion and her stakes will be established, and Israel will be gathered in mercy and tenderness—Israel will triumph—Compare 3 Nephi 22. (Corrections in the Book of Mormon are in RED; links back to LDS scripture links with footnotes are in BLUE; commentary and notes are GREEN)
The Lord’s Church Shall Grow and Nothing Will Stop It*
1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the adesolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.
1 And then shall that which is written come to pass: Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the adesolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.
adesolate: Isa. 49:21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? The phrase in red “is, of course, an indication given by our Lord that the prophet Isaiah saw the things of which He had been speaking (ch. 21) and wrote concerning them, or at least concerning what would happen when they were fulfilled.
“The fulfillment of this beautiful poem—Isaiah 54 is all poetry—is to be found in this dispensation. Part of it has probably already been fulfilled since the restoration of the gospel; the remainder will be in a time yet future.”4
2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of [thine] habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes;
In this chapter of hope and encouragement, Isaiah speaks of the growth and gathering of Israel or Zion in the latter days. She is likened to a woman who has long been barren because of her separation from her husband, a separation brought about by her unfaithfulness. But now she has repented and returned to her forgiving husband (the Lord). As a result, the multitudes of her children have become so large in number that the stakes that hold her covering must constantly be spread out farther. Because of her faithfulness, her husband will never again forsake her. The chapter closes with the promise that “no weapon that is formed against thee [covenant Israel or the Lord’s people, Zion] shall prosper.”5
3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
Once again the figure of a marriage is employed. Israel is called a barren wife because of her inability or unwillingness to produce spiritual offspring for the Lord. But in the end, when she is gathered once again, there will be more children from the “desolate,” or temporarily forsaken, wife than when she enjoyed her wedded status in ancient times (Isaiah 54:1). This being true, space must be found so that the latter-day “tent” of Zion can be expanded to accommodate them all. When one wishes to make a small tent larger, one must pull up the stakes and move to a further distance from the center pole. This is what is meant by lengthening the cords and strengthening the stakes (v. 2; see also Notes and Commentary on Isaiah 33:20–24). Israel’s latter-day growth through conversion and gathering is represented as breaking “forth on the right hand and on the left” (Isaiah 54:3).6
4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
4 Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
“Thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth” is an injunction for ancient Israel but also for us individually. There were two great Josephs whose lives teach us a valuable principle: the foolish, shameful, or simply immature mistakes we make in our youth can be forgiven and forgotten; we can rise above and beyond our past. Joseph, son of Jacob, who was later sold into Egypt, was, while a teenager, rather unwise in broadcasting the dreams of his future greatness to his family members who would someday bow down to him (Genesis 37). And a Joseph in our day said of himself: “I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God. In making this confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature. But I was guilty of levity [light-mindedness], and sometimes associated with jovial company, etc., not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been” (Joseph Smith–History 1:28). The Lord will help us “forget the shame of [our] youth” as we repent and show penitence through many good works during our mature years on earth.7
5 For thy [M]aker is [thine] husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
5 For thy maker, thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel—the God of the whole earth shall he be called.
There is no mistaking who the Husband is. He is plainly identified as the Lord of Hosts, the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth. Zion, the New Jerusalem, is the bride(Isaiah 61:10;Revelation 21:2).8
The Lord Will Again Gather and Protect His Children in the Last Days
6 For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
6 For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
These passages are, “filled with references to Israel as a wife, clearly calling the Lord her “husband” (54:5). The Lord notes that she is a widow who will no longer remember her reproach (54:4), a woman who had been forsaken (54:6), a wife of youth who was refused (54:6). Though Israel has suffered much, the Lord will restore to her all blessings and will bring her unto himself.
“Marriage represents the most intimate, most joyful, most fulfilling relationship on earth. That is the kind of relationship the Lord is inviting us to join with him. The union of the Saints in a Zion society (in which they are of one heart and one mind; Moses 7:18; John 17:11, 22) and the turning of the Saints’ hearts to the Lord make such a relationship with the Lord possible. These blessings come through the Atonement (at-one-ment) of Christ, which was performed so that we might repent and return to God, becoming one with him as Christ is one with him (John 17:21, 23; 3 Ne. 19:23, 29).” 9
7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.
In verses 7 and 8, Isaiah stresses that Israel’s period of suffering is brief when compared to her time of redemption. Likewise, our small moment of separation from God is brief when compared to the vast eternity we can live in his presence. Though Israel and we may merit divine rejection because of wickedness, we both can be welcomed back into God’s company because of his “deep compassion” and “everlasting kindness.” 10
8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
When Israel, the covenant people, forsook her Maker—her Husband—she suffered the consequences of her abandonment and incurred his “little wrath” for a moment, but his kindly, merciful promise to gather Israel is as sure as his promise to send no more flood. Verse 9 confirms the historicity of the flood at the time of Noah. Besides the biblical account, we have an additional three witnesses of the Flood in Alma 10:22;3 Nephi 22:9; and Ether 6:7.11
9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
9 For this, the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee.
After God cleansed the earth with a flood, he promised Noah that he would never again destroy the earth in that manner. (Gen. 9:13-17.) Here Isaiah impresses upon Israel that the promise God made to gather and redeem her is as valid as his promise to Noah. As part of his promise, the Lord says that he will never again rebuke Israel (v. 9). The Lord cannot lie, and since he has sworn not to be angry with Israel nor to rebuke her, and since he has also promised that he will “chasten” or rebuke those whom he loves if they are wicked (D&C 95:1), Isaiah’s prophecy means that a time will come when Israel will become righteous enough that she will need no chastisement from the Lord.12
10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
The Joseph Smith Translation changes the peace in this phrase to people, underscoring that the Lord’s covenant is indeed with his children. The expression my people suggests a relationship and a bond between God and us.
At the same time, 3 Nephi 22:10 retains the wording found in the King James Version: “covenant of my peace.” With that reading, the phrase refers to the Lord’s everlasting promise to give us peace (of heart, of soul) when we come unto him. The covenant of peace, and the covenant of “my people,” is the covenant of the gospel (Lev. 26:3–6; Ps. 29:11;85:8–10;Ezek. 37:26).13
11 ¶ O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted! Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
“For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments” (D&C 82:14). Israel will be restored, and Zion will be built upon foundation stones of beautiful colors and sapphires, with windows of agates, gates of carbuncles, with borders of precious stones. 15
13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
Isaiah’s promise in verse 13 that Israel’s children will be taught by the Lord implies an intimate relationship between the people and Christ during the Millennium. If parents will properly teach their children here and now, then these children can enjoy the great legacy of having Christ himself as their teacher and leader. (D&C 45:58; see D&C 68:25-28.) As President Kimball said about this promise of Isaiah, “Surely every good parent would like this peace for his offspring. It comes from the simple life of the true Latter-day Saint as he makes his home and family supreme.” (Ensign, July 1973, p. 16.)16
14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
14 In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee.
The Lord continues his promises to latter-day Israel: He will establish her in righteousness and protect her from oppression… Millennial Zion will not be troubled by unjust rulers who will oppress, neither by invasion of enemies (26:1–3; 32:17–18; 33:20–22).17
15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
15 Behold, they shall surely gather together against thee, not by me; whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
Those who gather together to oppress latter-day Israel “shall fall for thy sake” (v. 15), for “no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper” (v. 17; see also Doctrine and Covenants 71:9–10, where a similar promise is made to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon). 18
16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
Joseph was surely the smith who forged the instrument by which the Lord’s people continue to prepare individually and collectively for the Savior’s return—and that instrument is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.19
17 ¶ No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord
“There is no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and if any man lift his voice against you he shall be confounded” (D&C 71:9–10). Joseph Smith prophesied:“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”
21“In short, Isaiah 54 is a promise to Zion and her righteous members. It embodies various poetic forms to depict the relationship between the Lord and covenant Israel. The metaphor of the husband and wife is used throughout the chapter:”
Husband provides wife:
Jehovah provides Israel:
Verses
Children
Great numbers
1-3
Love
Reconciliation
4-8
Commitment
Covenant relationship
9-10
Material comfort
Prosperity
11-12
Protection
Peace
13-17
“As you read these chapters of Isaiah, did you notice how Latter-day Saints are the only ones who can fully understand what Isaiah foresaw? The scholars of the world made a significant contribution to your understanding of the history and language of Isaiah. But only modern prophets can provide the key to understanding what the prophet saw when he wrote of future realms. More than any other people, the Latter-day Saints can understand why the Savior said, ‘Great are the words of Isaiah.’” (3 Nephi 23:1).Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi,“The Gathering of Israel and the Coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 48–54)”(1982), 191–200
Isaiah 52 applies to the last days; a time when the people of Zion and Jerusalem will be restored to power, particularly priesthood power, and will be free from oppression. Christ will establish a personal relationship with His people and send messengers to take the gospel to the world, particularly Jerusalem where the Lord will raise a new servant. “This servant will take God’s word to the Gentiles, and those who will not accept the word will be separated from God’s covenant people. (3 Ne. 21:11.) Although some people will attempt to harm this servant, Jesus promises that he will heal the servant and show that Christ’s power is greater than ‘the cunning of the devil.’ (3 Ne. 21:10.)”1
This chapter offers hope to, “…the house of Israel in the last days. Verses 8–10 of the Isaiah text are obviously significant, for they are quoted four times in the Book of Mormon, twice by Jesus Himself. He first recited these verses at the conclusion of His teachings as recorded in 3 Nephi 16, which included prophecies about the last days. He introduced the Old Testament seer’s words by saying,
And then the words of the prophet Isaiah shall be fulfilled. (3 Nephi 16:17.)
“The people were then told to go to their homes to ponder and pray about His teachings and to prepare their minds for subsequent teachings the following day.(3 Nephi 17:3)”2
Of all the Isaiah Chapters in the Book of Mormon, chapter 52and 54in Third Nephiare some of the most interesting to me. “No less than seventy-five verses of scripture refer directly to or expound upon this single chapter [Isaiah 52], and many other verses relate indirectly to it.”3
Isaiah’s teachings in this chapter are referenced here by the Savior, and in the New Testament by John the Revelator (Revelation 18:4) and by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:17. We have seen some of these teaching in the Book of Mormon presented by Nephi (1 Nephi 22:10–11) and his brother Jacob (2 Nephi 8:24–25), by the Prophet Abinadi (Mosiah 12:21–24; 15:29–31), and by Moroni (Moroni 10:31). In our latter-day scripture, Joseph Smith quoted verses from Isaiah 52 in the D&C 38:42; 82:14; and 84:98–99.
“However, the most important application of this chapter appears in the Book of Mormon, where the resurrected Savior himself repeats the words of Isaiah to teach the Nephites about the house of Israel in the last days. Christ’s commentary on Isaiah 52 not only stresses its importance but also gives one a fuller understanding of its message.
“…Christ prophesies concerning the Ten Tribes (vs. 1-3), the Jews (vs. 4-5), the Gentiles and the Lamanites (vs. 6-10), the house of Israel and their relationship with the Gentiles (vs. 11-15), and the Lamanites (v. 16). The Savior continues by saying, ‘and then the words of the prophet Isaiah shall be fulfilled,’ and he then quotes verses 8-10 from Isaiah 52.”4
1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful
garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
3 Nephi 20:36And then shall be brought to pass that which is written: Awake, awake again, and put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautifulxgarments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
For some of these versesDoctrine and Covenants 113offers our best commentary 7 …What is meant by the command in Isaiah, 52d chapter, 1st verse, which saith: Put on thy strength, O Zion—and what people had Isaiah reference to? 8 He had reference to those whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage; also to return to that power which she had lost.
2 Nephi 8:24Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
Moroni 10: 31 And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.
Verses 1 and 2 of the Isaiah text are found three times in the Book of Mormon. Jacob quotes them along with the entire text of Isaiah 51, which focuses on the gathering of Israel or Zion in the last days. As noted above, Jesus quotes these verses in the context of prophecies of the last days. Finally, Moroni cites them in the closing words of the Book of Mormon, where he is admonishing future readers of his text to “come unto Christ.” (Moroni 10:27–34.) He adds some significant words to Isaiah’s text, declaring that Zion’s purpose in doing as commanded is that “the covenants which the Eternal Father . . . hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.”5
2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
37 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
For some of these verses Doctrine and Covenants 113 offers this commentary: 9 What are we to understand by Zion loosing herself from the bands of her neck; 2d verse? 10 We are to understand that the scatteredremnants are exhorted to return to the Lord from whence they have fallen; which if they do, the promise of the Lord is that he will speak to them, or give them revelation.
2 Nephi 8:25Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the abands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion..
See the 6th, 7th, and 8th verses. The bands of her neck are the curses of God upon her, or the remnants of Israel in their scattered condition among the Gentiles.
3 For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
38 For thus saith the Lord: Ye have sold yourselves for naught, and ye shall be redeemed without money.
Israel had sold herself, as a harlot, having prostituted her sacred relationship with her Husband, “for nought”; that is, she had betrayed her God, searching for the worthless lusts of the flesh and pleasures of worldliness. Nevertheless, she can be “redeemed without money” through the Atonement of her Savior, whose loving invitation comes “without money and without price” (2 Nephi 9:50).6
4 For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
No Book of Mormon equivalent
When Jesus appeared to the Nephites after his death He “quoted Isaiah 52 in its entirety, slightly reordering the verses and omitting only verses 4 and 5. These verses may have been left out because they touched on Assyrian oppression during Isaiah’s day
5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
No Book of Mormon equivalent
—a circumstance which had no direct application to the Nephites or to the message of the last days which Jesus was teaching at that moment.7
6 Therefore my people shall know my name: thereforethey shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that my people shall know my name; yea, in that day they shall know that I am he that doth speak.
In this verse, however, the Lord teaches us that whether or not we choose to believe in him and follow him, the time will come when we will have to acknowledge him as our Lord.8
7 ¶ How beautiful
upon the mountains
are the feet of him that bringeth good
tidings, that
publisheth
peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
40 And then shall they say:
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings unto them, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings unto them of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!
Abinadi …gave a prophetic interpretation of Isaiah 52:7-10. He explained that those who follow Christ and the prophets are the seed of Christ, who as servants “are they [changing the singular “him” ofIsa. 52:7to a plural] who have published peace, who have brought good tidings of good, who have published salvation; and said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth”
Mosiah 12:21How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth;
(Mosiah 15:14). Abinadi further explained that these servants are only doing what they have seen the Servant do: “And behold, I say unto you, this is not all. For O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people” (Mosiah 15:18). David Seeley in Studies in Scripture9
8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.
32 Then shall their watchmen lift up their voice, and with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye.
These verses from the writings of Isaiah are quoted four times in the Book of Mormon. Watchmen are those who publish the good tidings—the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are the prophets and all servants of the Lord who are called to teach, testify, and bring people to Christ.10
Mosiah12:22Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion;
Mosiah 15:29Yea, Lord, Thy watchmen shall lift up their voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion;
3 Nephi 16: 18Thy
watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion;
9 ¶ Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
34 Then shallthey break forth into joy—Sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Father hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
From the “Ruins of Jerusalem. The people will sing with great joy because the city is to be rebuilt and reinhabited (redeemed for the habitation of the people of the Lord).”11
Mosiah 12:23 Break forth into joy; sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem;
Mosiah 15:30Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
3 Ne 16:19 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
35 The Father hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of the Father; and the Father and I are one
Isaiah 52:8-10. …the Savior quoted all three verses twice to the Nephites and said they would be fulfilled through both the Nephites and the Jews. This again shows the dual nature of Isaiah’s prophecies. The Savior first quoted this passage following his declaration that the land of America was to be given to Lehi’s descendants after the Gentiles reject the fulness of the gospel and are “trodden under foot” by the house of Israel; he said this would fulfill the words of the prophet Isaiah (see 3 Nephi 16:10-20). He later quoted the passage while instructing the Nephites concerning the restoration of the Jews. He changed the wording from “thy watchmen” to “their watchmen,” as he was referring to Jerusalem’s watchmen in this case rather than those of Zion (see 3 Nephi 20:29-35).12
1 Ne 22:11 3 N3 16Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.
Mosiah 12:24The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Mosiah 15:31The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
3 Nephi 16:20 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God.
The Lord will “make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations at his second coming (see D&C 133:2-3). Doctrine and Covenants 133:4 admonishes the members of the Church to sanctify themselves in preparation for that day.13
11 ¶ Depart ye,
depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no
unclean thing; go ye out of the midst
of her; be ye clean,
that bear the
vessels of the Lord.
41 And then shall a cry go forth:
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch not that which is unclean; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.
Just as they were delivered from slavery in Egypt anciently, so they are now to depart from their spiritual bondage, touching no unclean thing and having the assurance that their God will both go before them and be their rearguard (52:11–12).14
12 For ye shall not
go out with haste,
nor go by flight:
for the Lord will
go before you; and
the God of Israel will be your rearward.
42 For ye shall not go out with haste nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel shall be your rearward.
The “flight” from Babylon should be organized and well prepared, and it will be final—there is to be no looking back. The Lord promises to go before his people and to follow after them.15
3 Nephi 21:29 And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward.
13 ¶ Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
43 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
In short, the final three verses of Isaiah 52 prophesy of the Lord’s servant in the last days. But one need not feel constrained to identify this servant only with Israel, Christ, Joseph Smith, or Spencer W. Kimball, since Isaiah could be describing any or all of these people. If this prophecy deals with one particular person, the servant might not yet have fulfilled his role. Some future prophet might be the servant who will perform this great work.16 But “as with many prophecies, the divine word has a dual fulfillment. In this setting we may properly say that Joseph Smith . . . was marred. . . . And it may yet well be that there will be other Latter-day servants to whom also it will apply”17
14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
44 As many were astonished at thee—his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men—
In the course of serving as a proxy savior of Jehovah’s people—“bearing their iniquities” under the terms of the Davidic Covenant (Isaiah 53:11)—Jehovah’s “servant” or vassal suffers horrific physical “marring beyond human likeness” at the hands of enemies as an intrinsic part of his descent phase. Just as many people are appalled at his plight, however, so he astounds them when Jehovah heals him (Isaiah 57:18-19) [and] becomes “highly exalted” and “exceedingly eminent” (cf. Isaiah 11:10; 55:5).”18
15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
45 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible substitutes the word “gather” for “sprinkle” in this passage. The substitution makes excellent sense to Latter-day Saints who understand that through His atoning suffering, by being marred more than any, our Savior opened the way for us to be gathered, reunited, and made “at-one” with our Heavenly Father. To the Old Testament people, the original Hebrew word nazah, translated as “sprinkle” in the King James Version, likewise would have made excellent sense. sense.This verb occurs often in the Old Testament, typically in the context of purification and sanctification rites. Priests were to “sprinkle” holy water, sacred oil, or sacrificial blood upon individuals, implements, and installations to make them holy, pure, and sanctified (for example, Exodus 29:21; Leviticus 4:6, 17; 14:7, 16, 27, 51; 16:14–15; Numbers 8:7, 17; 19:18–19).
JST 15 So shall he gather many nations; kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
3 Nephi 21:8And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Thus those who lived under the Mosaic law would have understood, as do we today, that through His atoning suffering, the Servant, our Savior, would purify and sanctify us.19
Third Nephi: These Twelve Whom I Have Chosen, by Gary L. Kapp
In 3 Nephi, Jesus taught the more righteous part of the people (3 Ne 10:12) gathered at the temple at Bountiful who had survived the destruction that accompanied his death. Mormon explained, “that the people of Nephi who were spared, and also those who had been called Lamanites, who had been spared, did have great favors shown unto them” in that Christ “did truly manifest himself unto them—showing his body unto them, and ministering unto them” (3 Ne10: 18-19).
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It is after Jesus showed His wounds to the people, Mormon gives an account of Jesus’ ministry among these people.
That ministry included the Savior proclaiming His Atonement of all humankind and having the people feel the marks of His wounds in His hand, feet, and sides as evidence of his suffering and crucifixion. He proclaimed a doctrine that all should believe in Him, be baptized in His name, and receive the Holy Ghost. He taught them the same Beatitudes, he had taught as recorded by Matthew in Matthew 5. He warned them of false prophets, that the law of Moses is fulfilled in Him, and tells them there are other lost sheep he must visit also, and how the gospel will go first to the Gentiles and finally back to the Jews.
Then He quotes Isaiah as recorded in 3 Ne 16:17-20, and saying: “And then the words of the prophet Isaiah shall be fulfilled, which say:
‘Thywatchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. ‘Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. ‘The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God.
But this is not the only time Jesus cited words from the prophet Isaiah. In Third Nephi 20–22, the savior quotes from the Book of Isaiah seven times and paraphrases him once:
Royal Skousen, “Textual Variants in the Isaiah Quotations in the Book of Mormon,” in Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1998), 369–71.
In approving these words of Isaiah, Jesus said:
“And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. “For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. “And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake.
Royal Skousen reminded, “Prophets in the Book of Mormon, including the Lord himself, repeatedly declared the importance of reading Isaiah’s prophecies.”
This chapter shows the Lord’s promise and devotion to Zion in the last days. As such, it is a natural continuation of the prophetic, covenantal promises Christ was giving the Nephites, promises that would be fulfilled as a result of the restoration of the gospel and the gathering of Israel that would flow from that.—Jeffrey R. Holland, 
