2 Nephi 23

MDC Contents			2 Ne. 23:1 1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. This verse begins the final unit of Isaiah that Nephi will cite. The 1830 chapter division (this text is the first sentence of chapter 10 in that edition) correctly treats this as the beginning of a new unit. This introduction clearly marks this as a new prophecy, in that Isaiah (son of Amoz) is cited as the prophet who receives it (hardly necessary were it a continuation of another literary unit) and the subject now moves away from Assyria and toward Babylon. As noted in the comment on 2 Nephi 21:12, that verse appears to introduce a gathering for Judah different from that occasioned by the Assyrian conquest. This future gathering would be made essential because of a coming destruction of Judah at the hands of Babylon a hundred years into Isaiah's future. Perhaps that future reference to a gathering necessitated by Babylon's future actions was the thematic trigger for this prophecy focusing directly on Babylon. The more obvious connecting link between this prophetic unit an the last is the theme of the ultimate establishment of the Messiah as ruler, and the destruction of the traditional enemies of Israel, symbolically standing for the triumph of good over evil. In the last unit Assyria, while temporarily the tool of the Lord's wrath, was eventually destroyed because of its pride and wickedness. In a continuation of this final battle theme (also seen in Isaiah 2?) Babylon will feel the wrath of the Lord in this unit. Textual: "The "message" (or "burden" [KJV] that Isaiah delivers to Babylon is a prophetic oracle or divine declaration. The term comes from the Hebrew word massa, which becomes a superscription throughout Isaiah's prophecies to the foreign nations. (See Isa. 14:28; 15:1; 17:1; 19:1; 21:1, 11, 13; 22:1; 23:1.) Whereas some translators follow the King James Version and render this term as "burden," others follow the more literal meaning of the Hebrew ("raise up") and translate it as "oracle" or "message." The meanings complement each other, because when a prophet "raises his voice" for God, he delivers an "oracle," which can become a "burden" for the people, since additional knowledge and responsibility is placed upon them. The means by which Isaiah received his message is clearly expressed in the Hebrew: he "saw" (chazah) the oracle of Babylon. Since chazah is the root for "seer," Isaiah did not just see (ro'eh) the vision physically, but he saw it as inspired in his calling as a prophet or seer." (Ludlow, 1982, p. 180.) Historical: "Isaiah first addresses Babylon, the ancient country that had ruled over the Middle East until displaced by the Assyrians. Although Babylon was subject to Assyrian rule during Isaiah's lifetime, she gradually regained power and independence until the New Babylonian Empire replaced Assyria as the major power in the Fertile Crescent at the end of the seventh century BC. But even during the so-called Assyrian period, Babylon still represented the best of culture, learning, literature, and religion (in the same way that Greek culture was sustained and imitated during the Roman period). Therefore, Isaiah often uses Babylon and her king as symbols of the world and its wickedness." (Isaiah: Prophet Seer Poet, p. 180) 2 Ne. 23:2 2 Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. The first verse introduced the theme of this unit, but this verse begins the prophecy. This section takes the form of the Lord commanding his people during his triumphal reign. Israel is to set up a banner on a high mountain. This is a beacon of warning for the world, placed where is might be seen. The Lord's return to his people will not be a secret, but the announcement will be to all nations. "Exalt the voice" takes the visual image of the ensign as an announcement, and adds to it the vocal pronouncement of the Lord. Israel will warn the world, both by its physical presence and by direct communication, that their God is with them, and is fighting their battles with them and for them. The image of the shaking of the hand is similar to the more modern "rattle the sabers." Israel is to let the world know that they are coming in power, and with such power and warnings will they enter into the gates of the nobles of other nations. 2 Ne. 23:3 3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones, for mine anger is not upon them that rejoice in my highness. The Lord's army consists of his "sanctified ones" and his "mighty ones." These are the righteous who follow the Lord. this powerful army is turned against the unrighteous, for the Lord's anger is now turned outward. With the recovery of the remnant of Israel, only a righteous Israel remains. Though the Lord had shown is anger towards Israel in the past, that anger was for the unrighteous, and now the righteous remnant has no reason to fear the Lord in his vengeful wrath. Variant: The KJV Isaiah text reads "for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness." The Book of Mormon translation removes the "even" and renders the phrase "for mine anger is not upon them that rejoice in my highness." John Tvedtnes notes: "at first glance, it appears as though Joseph Smith mistook the KJV "for" to be the English conjunctive "for" (Heb. ky) rather than the dative "for" (Heb. l-), which would not be possible in Hebrew." (Tvedtnes 1981, p. 52). If we were to read the Isaiah text as the Masoretic Hebrew text suggests, we might have "I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have called my mighty ones as agents of mine anger, even (upon) them that rejoice in my highness. Tvedtnes argues for a different possibility, but this one should receive its due intention. If Joseph Smith were to be basing his text on the KJV itself rather than translating from the original (and happening to end up with largely duplicate language) then this possible misreading of the English (not the underlying language) would be understandable, and follow the general theory that Joseph participated in the translation of the text. Tvetdnes’ alternative hypothesis relies heavily upon the Hebrew: "Upon closer examination, however, one notes that the KJV/MT (Masoretic text) is gibberish at this point and requires some correction. We probably have a case of double haplography. To illustrate, let us reproduce here the Hebrew of MT and a Hebrew translation of [the Book of Mormon]: MT: l- ‘py clyzy g’wty BM: l’ ‘py cl clyzy gywty The MT scribe, or a predecessor, has – perhaps after a long tiring day of work – made two deletions here. Firstly, he deleted the Hebrew letter aleph (’) from the negative particle, thus producing the preposition l-. Because the earliest Hebrew writing has no spaces to divide words, the mistake would have been even easier. The second deletion involved the preposition cl ("upon"). Both of these cases of haplography occurred because of the proximity of other identical alphabetical elements to those which were deleted (’ being followed by ’ and cl being followed by cl). The reconstructed Hebrew sentence based on the reading of the BM (with "for" added at the beginning for English style) thus reflects an older version of Isaiah for [the brass plates] than for the MT (especially notable since MT/KJV is nonsensical anyway.)" (Tvedtnes, 1981, pp. 52-3.) The more technical explanation is interesting because it uses the Book of Mormon text to reconstruct an earlier Hebrew text, and then find a logical reason for the deletion of the phrase in the text underlying the KJV. This ability to find a reasonable reading for a partially nonsensical MT text gives this reading a higher possibility. However, it must still be remembered that the first explanation also can fit into Joseph’s probable translation scheme. 2 Ne. 23:4 4 The noise of the multitude in the mountains like as of a great people, a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together, the Lord of Hosts mustereth the hosts of the battle. 2 Ne. 23:5 5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, yea, the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. This army of the righteous will be large and powerful. This is the final battle between good and evil, and it will be a great battle. Isaiah uses here images of warfare that were surely known to ancient Israel. War cries and shouts were an important aspect of ancient warfare. While the noise and shouts of combat are no match for modern weapons of destruction, the din of the ancient battle was memorable, and is the image invoked here. 2 Ne. 23:6 6 Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. The army of the Lord returns the shout of the war cry. Hence the battle is enjoined, the result is assured, and the Lord will reign victorious. "The phrase "day of the Lord" first appears in the writings of the eighth-century prophets Amos and Isaiah (Amos 5:18-20; Isa. 2:6-22) to refer to a day of judgment that is so extremely severe that the people will howl with fear." (Ludlow 1982, p. 184.) 2 Ne. 23:7 7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, every man's heart shall melt; 2 Ne. 23:8 8 And they shall be afraid; pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. The onslaught of the righteous army of the Lord will strike fear into the armies of evil. In the dualistic imagery Isaiah favors in his prophetic statements, Israel would certainly interpret this as a temporal victory against their worldly enemies, as well as a prediction of the ultimate and final victory of the Lord. Verse 8 appears to describe this vengeance of the Lord as unexpected. for "they shall be amazed one at another' The "faces shall be as flames" may refer to the redness and burning one feels with shame. Variant: In verse 8, the Book of Mormon contains a deletion. The KJV Isaiah text reads: "Isa. 13:8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames." There is no reason for the removal of the text from the Book of Mormon. It can be explained as two missing words on the brass plates (Tvedtnes 1981, p. 53) but that doesn’t have a reason behind it. It serves as an explanation, but not as a reason, and certainly not the same kind of reasoning that provided the plausible reason for the difference in verse 3. Neither is there any reason that would depend upon Joseph Smith’s participation as a translator. This is not the general type of change that Joseph Smith make in the Inspired version. This text remains a variant, without a specific explanation. 2 Ne. 23:9 9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. Literary: Isaiah restates the coming of the day of the Lord. This allows him to set up the next set of verses as poetic reinforcements of the first set that followed this phrase. The theme is the same, it is simply reinforced by the duplicated introduction. It should be noted that verse 9 also specifically mentions the destruction of the "sinners" as opposed to just the Babylonians. Because Babylon can stand for the sinners of the world, this is not a surprising addition, but it does highlight the eschatological focus of this particular destruction. For whatever time or times there might have been some fulfillment in the past, this destruction is complete only in the second coming and final victory of the Messiah. 2 Ne. 23:10 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. 2 Ne. 23:11 11 And I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay down the haughtiness of the terrible. These two verses complete the set of the literary parallels introduced by the "day of the Lord." The theme continues to be destruction. with these verses concentrating on the destruction of the wicked. Literary: While the darkness of the world in verse 10 may have a physical counterpart t the end of the world, it is also a literary device that presages the message of verse 11. Verse 10 contrasts the darkness with current light. In this case, it is not the bad/good contrast symbolized by the darkness and light, but rather the alteration of the natural order. Those entities that ought to give light are dark. This is a poetic reversal that underscores the just-as-unusual reversal where the wicked do not reign, but are brought down, and the mighty humbled. 2 Ne. 23:12 12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Continuing the reversals of expected order from the previous verses, the Lord notes a man will be worth more than gold. The very presence of this statement n this context assures us that a man was not so considered in those ancient times. The literary reference to "the" golden wedge of Ophir is not now known. Ophir was a gold producer, and the "golden wedge" would have been a large quantity of gold. In the context of the verse, it appears that the contemporaneous reader would have understood this to be an extravagant amount of gold, thus highlighted the new found value of a man. Once again, this contrast absolutely presumes an understanding that man at that time would never be considered to be so valuable. 2 Ne. 23:13 13 Therefore, I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of Hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. One of the events accompanying the political/religious upheaval at the time of the Messiah’s triumphal entry will be a literal upheaval of the earth and heavens. The symbolic will be reflected in the physical. Literary: The phrase "and the earth shall remove out of her place" at times has been taken to indicate a tremendous change in the earth prior to the return to the earth’s paradisiacal state (see Pratt, Parley P. A Voice of Warning, 1846, p. 94-95 and Brewster, Isaiah Plain and Simple, p. 130.) This return to a paradisiacal state is part of the Articles of Faith: 10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory. For Pratt and Brewster, this included the reassembly of the continents as they were before their division (Pratt 1846, p. 95, Brewster p. 130.) While this might make some theological sense, it doesn’t fit well with the scientific principles involved in such a transformation. Such a transformation, with the presumed rapidity that would accompany the return of the Messiah, would create forces that would tear the earth apart. Nevertheless, all of the scriptures discussing this time period speak of the effect of the return of the Messiah on the people living at that time. Most of mankind would not survive such a catastrophe, and so it is more probable that Isaiah had earthquakes in mind more than the reuniting of the continental plates. This reading of the text fits into Isaiah’s penchant for parallels. We have in this verse to "movements" one of the heavens and on of the earth. Thus Isaiah is setting up an action in the heavens to be parallel to one in the earth. With the location of the action being changed, the force of the parallelism then rests on the action, which is a "shaking" and a "removal from its place." Both of these should be seen as equivalent, and reflective of the shaking and trembling of a violent earthquake. Scriptural: The earthquakes at the time of the second coming have corroboration in John’s account of these final days: Rev. 6:12 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. The interesting part of John’s revelation from a textual standpoint is the correlation between the earthquake in verse 12 and the "every mountain and island were moved out of their places" in verse 14. Clearly the "moved out of their places" has a direct correlation (and probable literary allusion) to Isaiah’s prophecy. In both John and Isaiah, we see earthquakes, and the "movement out of their places" would refer to the shaking and instability of the land, rather than a physical and dramatic relocation. As noted above, the survival of the human population in these areas is indicative that we are speaking of earthquakes rather than a world-ending cataclysm. Even here, John is interestingly parallel to Isaiah’s revelations. John continues: Rev. 6:15 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? John has the great men of the world at the time of the Messiah’s triumphal entry hiding in dens and in the rocks of the mountains. Compare this to the same sentiment in Isaiah chapter 2: Isa. 2:19 19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Both John and Isaiah are predicting the same ending, and predicting that the Lord will "shake terribly the earth," in the words of Isaiah (2:19). It is probable both that John and Isaiah saw the same vision, and that the language in John is deliberately reflective of Isaiah. 2 Ne. 23:14 14 And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up; and they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land. Translation: The KJV text reflected here has a confusing referent in the first phrase. The "and it shall be as the chased roe" would appear to refer to the earth, but that does not fit into the context of the rest of the verse. A clearer rendering is one such as the NIV: Like hunted antelope, Like sheep without a shepherd, Each will return to his own people, Each will flee to his native land. The image of the "chased roe" fits best into the context of the people who are returning to their own lands. Scriptural: The upheavals of the last days will bring social upheaval as well as the upheaving land. Without their normal social structures, men will "return to [their] own people" or most likely to family units. Without a larger government, they will return to one that they are comfortable with. Anthropological: The scenario described by Isaiah is an accurate description of the typical organizational structure that would exist in a kin-oriented society, such as Israel, or such as that which existed in the Nephite culture. Indeed, this is precisely what happened to the Nephites upon the destruction of their political structure: 3 Ne. 7:1 1 Now behold, I will show unto you that they did not establish a king over the land; but in this same year, yea, the thirtieth year, they did destroy upon the judgment-seat, yea, did murder the chief judge of the land. 2 And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land. 3 And every tribe did appoint a chief or a leader over them; and thus they became tribes and leaders of tribes. With a network of kinship, the extended family unit is the most logical organizational structure. Unfortunately, this condition that existed for Isaiah and for the Nephites is largely absent from modern American society. It would be much more difficult for the extended family to function as an organizational unit both because of our greater physical and emotional separation from kin. The modern society has little understanding of the power of kinship groups, but that was as form of organization with which Isaiah was quite familiar. 2 Ne. 23:15 15 Every one that is proud shall be thrust through; yea, and every one that is joined to the wicked shall fall by the sword. 2 Ne. 23:16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled and their wives ravished. Literary: Verses 15 and 16 are best read in their symbolic context as reversals than an accurate depiction of the manner of the victory of the Lord. The Lord’s means of conquering the world would never require such viciousness. Rather, these verses follow Isaiah’s literary theme of reversals. These verses are an accurate depiction of the conquering methods of the rich and powerful of Isaiah’s day. The coming of the Messiah will mean a reversal of their fortunes. Not only will the haughty be brought low, but they will be conquered. By using the imagery of savage warfare, Isaiah highlights the total reversal of the roles of the mighty of the earth compared to the Savior. The old order is symbolically turned upside down, and the Savior and the righteous will prevail, where it the "real world" they might be subject to such high and mighty as would use such tactics in warfare. 2 Ne. 23:17 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver and gold, nor shall they delight in it. Historical: "The Medes came from Persia and easily conquered Babylon in 538 BC. The walls were destroyed twenty years later, after which the city never again became the capital of an independent, strong Mesopotamian power. Two centuries later, after the Greeks, under Alexander the Great, conquered the Persians, Babylon rapidly declined in commercial and cultural importance as Seleucia became the major city in the area. By the time of Christ, only a few astronomers and mathematicians continued to live in the ancient, sparsely populated city. After they left, Babylon remained a deserted tell (mound), which sand and brush gradually covered until it became a hill used only by wild animals and as grazing land for nomadic flocks." (Isaiah: Prophet Seer Poet, p. 185) Scriptural: The important phrase in this verse is the Medes’ lack of regard for silver and gold. Not only is this a reversal, but an indication that the wealth of the mighty of the world will not be able to buy them salvation. The forces that will be arrayed against them (literarily the Medes, symbolically the forces of the righteous) will care for the cause of the Savior, not the things valued by mortals. 2 Ne. 23:18 18 Their bows shall also dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children. The entry of the Medes (again symbolic of the armies of the righteous) will conquer the world with no pity. Once again, this is the symbolic reversal, not a depiction of the actions of this righteous army. 2 Ne. 23:19 19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 2 Ne. 23:20 20 It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. 2 Ne. 23:21 21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. 2 Ne. 23:22 22 And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces; and her time is near to come, and her day shall not be prolonged. For I will destroy her speedily; yea, for I will be merciful unto my people, but the wicked shall perish. Literary: The reversals at the end of time continue with the symbolic reversal centering on Babylon. To make his point clearer, Isaiah provides a description of the "current" Babylon as "the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency." The effect of this phrase is to set up the dramatic reversal to come. Babylon was considered a paragon of culture, but of worldly culture. Therefore, it may stand as a symbol for all such paragons of worldly esteem. The reversal Isaiah chooses is to contrast the civilization of Babylon ("the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency") with the wildness that will come in its place. This is represented by the wild beasts who will be there. The houses that once signified the highest in civilization will be the location of the opposite of civilization - wilderness. This symbolic reversal of civilization to wilderness provides the background for the contrast in the last verse, that of the Lord’s mercy on the righteous, but his destruction of the wicked. Variant: The Book of Mormon text adds a phrase to the end of verse 22: 2 Ne. 23:22 And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces; and her time is near to come, and her day shall not be prolonged. For I will destroy her speedily; yea, for I will be merciful unto my people, but the wicked shall perish. There are textual variants at this point in the various manuscripts that might point to this as a location of a problem in the text, but none of them contain all of the elements of the Book of Mormon addition (with the Septuagint coming the closest). Tvedtnes does argue that the Book of Mormon reading provides a better connection to the following verse (split into another chapter in the KJV, but following immediately in the Book of Mormon text.) (Tvedtnes 1981, p. 55.) With the addition of the "for I will be merciful unto my people," we have a better transition to the theme of mercy that begins in verse 1, where without it, we have an abrupt break from the condemnations of verse 22 to the mercy of the 24:1. 2 Ne. 24:1 For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land; and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. This verse is the logical conclusion of this section of the prophecy, and should be read in connection with this text rather than the next chapter where it is currently located. This is the highlight of Isaiah’s prophecy, and the culmination of all the reversals. Israel will return to her right place, and the righteous will join with her. Thus this verse ends the prophecy of calamities with hope, rather than despair.
			by Brant Gardner. Copyright 1998