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 Introduction
to Chapter 21: Victor L. Ludlow notes:
"Isaiah reviewed in chapter 48 [note: corresponding to 1 Nephi 20] Israel's covenant relationship by following
a pattern developed in ancient contracts and treaties. He seems to follow a similar pattern in chapter 49 [corresponding
to 1 Nephi 21] by modeling his discourse after an ancient court scene or contract lawsuit. In an ancient lawsuit,
after one party broke a covenant or contract, the other party (the plaintiff) could call the accused before a judge
or the elders of the community. A court would then be convened, following four steps: the summons, the plaintiff's
charge, the defendant's plea, and the judge's indictment." (Ludlow, Isaiah, Prophet, Seer, and Poet.
Deseret Book Company. 1982, p. 407).
The Summons
Once again there is the first person confusion between the ultimate locutor (the Lord) and the immediate voice
(Isaiah). Thus Isaiah appears to be speaking, while the more apt meaning is that he speaks for the Lord as he calls
wayward Israel.
1
Nephi 21:1
1 AND again: Hearken, O ye house of Israel, all ye that are broken off and are
driven out because of the wickedness of the pastors of my people; yea, all ye that are broken off, that are scattered
abroad, who are of my people, O house of Israel. Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken ye people from far; the
Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
Note the difference
between the opening verse of Nephi's version and the extant King James Version corresponding verse:
Isaiah 49:1 1 LISTEN, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb;
from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
There is no particular difference in meaning, except that the emphasis of Nephi's version is heavily on the
separation, even more obvious than that of Isaiah. For Isaiah's audience, the extra information would carry little
extra information. For Nephi and his audience, however, the extra information would have pierced them as surely
as an arrow aimed directly at them.
Meaning for Isaiah's immediate audience: This is the call to the separated (both past and near
future) of Israel. The address is not just to Jerusalem, but to the House of Israel. In the old world it would
have been interpreted as those of the house of Israel carried away into captivity.
Meaning for Nephi's audience: Nephi, as indicated earlier, very clearly interprets references
to the isles of the sea as a reference to the Lehites. When Isaiah calls "Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken
ye people from far..." it is certain that Nephi felt that the scriptures were aimed directly at them. This
was no abstract call, this was a prophetic voice reaching over the years and distance to call the family to repentance.
1
Nephi 21:2
2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath
he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
1 Nephi 21:3
3 And said unto me: Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Ludow notes:
"These six verses [1-6] comprise one of the four recognized "servant songs" of isaiah (along
with 42:1-4; 50:4-9; and 52:13-53:12). Various scholars offer numerous possible identities for this servant: Isaiah,
the nation Israel, Jesus Christ, and even Joseph Smith" (Ludlow, 1982, p. 408).
In order to see anyone other than Isaiah as the servant, one must explain the difference between the narrator's
first person and a possible future fulfiller of the function. Fortunately, this is not at all difficult as we have
seen that the first person role need not always apply to the recorder/prophet. In addition, the malleability of
prophecy provides ample interpretive ability to apply the verses to another, or even more than a single other person.
As the redemption of Israel is part of a long process and not the result of a single action or person, the applicability
of the verses to more than one person is quite permissible.
1
Nephi 21:4
4 Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught and
in vain; surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.
This is part of
the servant's lament for wayward Israel. In spite of the best of efforts, "I have spent my strength for naught
and in vain" because Israel has not kept its covenants. Given the very personal context of this section for
Nephi, it would not be farfetched to assume that Nephi might have also seen himself in this servant role, in particular
with his own family rather than the greater family of Israel.
1
Nephi 21:5
5 And now, saith the Lord--that formed me from the womb that I should be his
servant, to bring Jacob again to him--though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the
Lord, and my God shall be my strength.
After the servant's
lament, the Lord provides encouragement for the task of the servant. "Yet shall I be glorious in the eyes
of the Lord..." This is not just the bolstering of the ego of the servant, but the affirmation of the ultimate
triumph of the purposes of the Lord.
1
Nephi 21:6
6 And he said: It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise
up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles,
that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth.
Gileadi restructures
this verse to make a linked contrast between the first and second sentences:
"6 He said: It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore
those preserved of Israel. I will also appoint you to be a light to the nations, that my salvation may be to the
ends of the earth" (Gileadi, Avraham. The Book of Isaiah. Deseret Book Company, 1980,
p. 193).
Gileadi's rendition provides a better conceptual linkage between the "light thing" of the restoration
of Israel, and the additional mandate to be a light to the entire world. The servant has a wide ranging task which
transends Israel, and encompasses all of the purposes of the Lord.
Verses 1-6 were
the stylized summons to a court proceeding. In verses 7-13 the Plaintiff presents his charge:
The Plaintiff's Charge
1
Nephi 21:7
7 Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him whom man
despiseth, to him whom the nations abhorreth, to servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall
worship, because of the Lord that is faithful.
Verse 7 in the introduction
of the plaintiff, who is the Lord. The Lord addresses the defendant (Israel) and contrasts his righteous state
with the wicked state of Israel. Israel is personified as "him whom man despiseth.... him whom the nations
abhorreth, ....servant of rulers...." In contrast to that low and despised state, the Lord "is faithful."
Gileadi's translation of this same passage appears to completely distort this denouncement of Israel:
"Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to him who is despised as a person, who is abhorred
by his nation, a servant to those in authority: Rulers shall rise up when they see you, heads of state shall prostrate
themselves, because the Lord keeps faith with you, because the Holy One of Israel has chosen you" (Gileadi
1988, p. 193).
While Gileadi maintains the denigratory statements of the despised person, and one hated by the nation, he shifts
the arising rulers to a veneration of Israel rather than the faithful Lord. Given the accusatory nature of the
scene, it is much more likely that the veneration is for the Lord, as it is the Lord that is providing the redemption
of Israel. In the end Israel will be redeemed, and Gileadi's translation focuses on that event, but the sense of
the scene is better served if the veneration is for the Lord and not the future redemption of Israel.
1
Nephi 21:8
8 Thus saith the Lord: In an acceptable time have I heard thee, O isles of the
sea, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee my servant for a covenant
of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
Once again the "isles
of the sea" would be a very direct call to Nephi, as he and his people would see themselves as inhabitants
of those "isles of the sea." The promises of the Lord to covenant Israel are being made explicit to Nephi's
people as Nephi cites these passages to them.
In this verse, the Lord renews is position with Israel. There is a covenant, and the Lord has, and continues,
to honor that covenant. As noted before, the servant who is "given" in this verse might have multiple
applications to particular people, from Isaiah to Christ to Joseph Smith. The Lord provides envoys to be the agents
of the redemption of Israel and the fulfillment of the terms of the covenant from the Lord's side of the bargain.
1
Nephi 21:9
9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners: Go forth; to them that sit in darkness:
Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
The servant is he
who will free the prisoners. These prisoners are both physical and spiritual. Spiritual in that they are turned
from their God, and physical in that they are physically removed from their homeland. Once again, Nephi would see
his people as these distant "prisoners" awaiting a redeemer to have them remove themselves from their
darkness. The darkness again refers to both the spiritual state, and the hidden and distant nature of the dispersed
people. The ultimate reward of these people is to again be in the glory of the presence of the Lord, in favored
places.
1
Nephi 21:10
10 They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun smite
them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
The Lord continues
to expound on the blessed state of the redeemed of Israel. When they return to the Lord, the Lord will be their
guide, and all will be well. In this verse he specifically covers hunger and thirst as the significant human needs.
Of course, they refer to spiritual hunger and thirst, but do so through a poignant example. For the Lehites, it
was powerfully present as a symbol, as they had suffered both hunger and thirst as they crossed the desert. They
would have felt a particular affinity to this symbol for the Lord's care.
1
Nephi 21:11
11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
While convoluted
in King James English, this passage refers to the Lord making the way easy for his followers. For ancient (and
not so ancient) travelers, mountains were great obstacles. Within modern church history we need look no farther
than the Exodus to Utah for examples of the difficulty in crossing mountains. The Lord indicates that such obstacles
will become a "way" or a road. The Lord will create "ways" through the mountains. Highways
will be built up - and the travelers on the Lord's way will not face obstacles.
1
Nephi 21:12
12 And then, O house of Israel, behold, these shall come from far; and lo, these
from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
This passage is
accepted as a statement of gathering. After the Lord's redemption of Israel (or so it is structured in this passage)
the gathering of scattered Israel will be effected. Along these mountain "ways" and along these exalted
highways will travel the dispersed of the covenant people. It is not surprising to have them returning from the
"north" as that is the direction typically ascribed to the dispersion (with some historical veracity,
although it appears that "north" could also have a symbolic function in Old Testament texts). They are
also gathered from the west, and from the enigmatic Sinim.
"The gathering promised in verse 12 will be so extensive that the remnants will come from as far as the
land of Sinim. There has been much debate upon the location of Sinim. Some scholars believe it to be a place near
Aswan, Egypt.... Others feel that the deserts of Sinim in Egypt form no suitable contrast to the gathering from
the north and the sea as promised in the earlier part of the verse, since Egypt is too close to the Holy Land....
Whether Sinim is near or far from Jerusalem, the fact that Israelites gather from there seems to be an unexpected
miracle." (Ludlow, 1982, p. 411-412).
1
Nephi 21:13
13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; for the feet of those who are in
the east shall be established; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for they shall be smitten no more; for
the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
The conclusion of
the impassioned description of the redeemed Israel is the rejoicing at the feat accomplished by the Lord. The image
of the "feet of those who are in the east" and the breaking forth into singing is somewhat reminiscent
of Isaiah's more famous passage "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings..."
(Isaiah 52:7 - also cited by Abinidi in Mosiah 12:21 and by Christ in the Americas - 3 Nephi 20:40).
- "Feet" here is symbolic of good omen, blessing, and good news. In the East when a traveler or messenger
arrives in a town or a sheep camp the people greeting him say, "May your feet be blessed," which means
"You may have good news," or, "You have come in peace." (Lamsa. George M. _Old Testament Light_.
Harper & Row, Publishers, San Francisco. 1964, p. 703).
Understanding that the feet may be symbolic for the person, the establishment of the "feet" is a reference
to the settling of Israel in their rightful homeland.
In the following verses the trial motif continues with the defendant's pleas (verses 14, 21, and 24) being interspersed
with the decrees of the Judge.
Decrees of the Judge
1
Nephi 21:14
14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten
me--but he will show that he hath not.
The first complaint
of Israel is that the Lord has forgotten his people. This is the accusation, and the final phrase indicates that
it is the judge reviewing the case and noting that this accusation will be shown to be untrue.
For as much as it is true that the Lord is constant in his concern and care, it is equally obvious that there
are times when it is difficult to see and understand that concern and care. For Laman and Lemuel as well as for
Israel there had been ample evidence of hard times when it appeared that the Lord had abandoned them. In both cases,
the brothers and Israel were more focused on the hard times than the evidence of the presence of the Lord in their
behalf.
The selection of these passages from Isaiah as the subject of discourse to Nephi's family was not random, but
piercingly applicable to their own situation, including some of the most common complaints fomented by Laman and
Lemuel. It is a lesson that continues to stretch across time and space, for we also will find ourselves in times
when we might feel that we have been abandoned, even in the face of our previous experiences with the goodness
of the Lord. We, like Israel and the Lehites, must learn to see beyond the moment, and to trust in the Lord's care.
As the Judge indicates in the following verses, the abandonment has emphatically not happened.
1
Nephi 21:15
15 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.
The image chosen
to portray the care of the Lord is the love of a woman for her young child, a bond that human populations understand
very well. It is interesting that this understanding is greater for the women because they experience it, and the
men only observe. With the penchant of the ancient scriptures to focus on males rather than females, perhaps there
is an extra message in this image. The problem Israel (and Laman and Lemuel) have is that they are not experiencing
the love of the Lord. The image provided to show that the care is there is one they cannot deny, but is yet an
evidence they do not directly feel. Maybe this removal of the image from active experience to evidentiary experience
is yet another reason why this image is chosen - the Lord is emphasizing the fact that the long term evidence would
show the love of the Lord, even if they were not currently feeling it.
1
Nephi 21:16
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually
before me.
These are images
designed to show that the needs of Israel (and the Lehites) are never far from the Lord. He has not abandoned us,
and is at all times cognizant of his children.
1
Nephi 21:17
17 Thy children shall make haste against thy destroyers; and they that made thee
waste shall go forth of thee.
After assurances
that the Lord is with Israel, the Judge/Lord begins to answer concerns that are not stated by Israel. The promise
is made that they shall prevail. In particular the Lord promises redress against those who have invaded Israel.
It is interesting that the promises are not immediate, however. The promise is that Israel's children
will "make haste against thy destroyers." The Lord's promises are with them, but not necessarily immediate.
In the New World, the tensions and difficulties of establishing a colony are very real. This promise to the
Lehites is not for ease in their current situation, but for their children. We know that the Old World prophecy
of deliverance had periodic fulfillment, and the Nephites had their periodic fulfillment in the New World. The
lesson of history is that deliverance once does not mean that we will not lead ourselves into captivity again.
The promise is only of the constancy of God's love and care, not our continual protection from harm.
1
Nephi 21:18
18 Lift up thine eyes round about and behold; all these gather themselves together,
and they shall come to thee. And as I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with
an ornament, and bind them on even as a bride.
The ultimate reward
for the faithfulness of God's children is glory beyond comprehension. Unfortunately for Israel, they frequently
supposed that such glory would be earth-bound. Their view of the glory was too temporal, not understanding that
the real rewards and glory come from the successful completion of our purposes on earth, and our exaltation in
the eternities.
1
Nephi 21:19
19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall
even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants; and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.
1 Nephi 21:20
20 The children whom thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the first, shall again
in thine ears say: The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell.
The Lord reiterates
that their temporal deliverance will take time, and here indicates that it will appear quite natural. While the
Lord predicts it, it is yet a thing that will appear quite normal when it occurs. Thus it is with many of the miracles
we experience. When the Lord's hand acts, it is often indistinguishable from other events. It is this very camouflage
of purpose that makes it so difficult to see and appreciate the constancy of the Lord, and the reason why his children
so often complain that He is not with them. We expect the blatantly miraculous, and we get the subtle.
1
Nephi 21:21
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 have they been?
Israel's second
complaint is examined. The complaint is the abandonment of her children. Israel has herself "desolate, a captive,
and removing to and fro." In the midst of this personal affliction, the concern is also for her children.
"I have lost my children.... who hath brought up these?"
One of the themes of this chapter and the last has been the scattering of Israel, and it is this issue that
becomes the focus of the complaint of Israel. Although the Judge/Lord has promised to care for Israel, the attention
now shifts from Israel to her lost children - to those on the Isles of the Sea.
1
Nephi 21:22
22 Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles,
and set up my standard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried
upon their shoulders.
The restoration
of the lost of Israel is placed in the hands of the Gentiles (another humbling thought for proud Israel). The Lord
promises that he will "set up my standard to the people" - meaning that the gospel will be brought to
the Gentiles. After that, the Gentiles will be the instrument of the restoration of Israel: "they shall bring
thy sons in their arms, and they daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders." What a beautiful and loving
image. It spite of the loving picture invoked, it also invokes a relationship, as to be capable of carrying the
sons in arms and daughters on shoulders we must envision a parent and child, and thus extend that image to Israel.
Israel must understand that while the Lord continues in his love for her, it will not be exclusive in the future,
and there will come a time when they will be restored, but restored to righteous humility. The self-serving visions
of Israel as a political world power that they had in times past is not their future, but a loving reunion with
their children, brought by the hands of other nations.
1
Nephi 21:23
23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers;
they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt
know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
Even as the Gentiles
come to them, and nourish them, there will not be domination. The attitude of the future more powerful kingdoms
will not be to conquer, but to establish and nourish. Indeed, thus has been the modern history of Israel and the
world powers that established the country.
At the end of this promise, and the restorative picture of respect in the eyes of the nations, the Lord reminds
Israel that this is the reward of those who endure to the end - "for they shall not be ashamed that wait for
me." The Lord's benefits come in his own time, not ours.
1
Nephi 21:24
24 For shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives delivered?
1 Nephi 21:25
25 But thus saith the Lord, even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away,
and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will
save thy children.
The promises of
deliverance must have been difficult for Israel to understand, given their political domination at the time Isaiah
prophesied. Nevertheless, the Lord assures them that even the unimaginable (that lawful captives will be delivered
from the "terrible") will be made true. The Lord will save their children. That promise if firm, clear,
and undeniable.
1
Nephi 21:26
26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; they shall be
drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am thy Savior and thy
Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
The image here is
one of vengeance, and the particular imagery is quite appalling. It should not be taken literally, but rather than
the intents of the oppressors of Israel will be turned back upon them. It is the literary equivalent of the "those
that live by the sword shall die by the sword." Those who wreak such destruction will themselves be destroyed.
The ending is stamped with the imprimatur of the author. With his name the Lord seals the promise.
Redaction analysis: Jacob later (2 Nephi 6:16-17) cites some of these same verses without specific reference
(2 Nephi 6:14"according to the words of the prophet"). Interestingly, one verse is not given precisely
the same way:
1 Nephi 21:25
25 But thus saith the Lord, even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall
be delivered; for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
2 Nephi 6:17
17 But thus saith the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall
be delivered; for the Mighty God shall deliver his covenant people. For thus saith the Lord: I will contend with
them that contendeth with thee--
One of the options available to explain the differences is one of translation - that one was translated differently
than the other. That does not appear to be the best explanation in this case, however. The best explanation is
in the nature of Jacob's citation, where he is including the promise in a sermon. While he is referencing the words
of the prophet, he is also couching them in the best way to be understood in an oral setting, where the first person
of the original text would have no antecedent, and could create confusion. The oral citation, then, takes liberty
with specific words so as not to alter the essential meaning.
The next possible implication of the citation is for the scriptural understanding of the people. The lack of
reference to a specific prophet, and the freedom to make minor changes in the wording suggests that Jacob felt
that the people were sufficiently familiar with the citations to both recognize them, and understand without further
explanation. With that presumed understanding, it further diminishes the necessity of precise citation, because
there would be general understanding and comprehension without resort to the original.
It appears that Joseph Smith preferred Jacob's more explicit definition of the locutor in this verse as the Inspired
Version echoes more closely Jacob than Nephi or King James' Isaiah:
JST Isa. 49:25
25 But thus saith the Lord; even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall
be delivered; for the mighty God shall deliver his covenant people. For thus saith the Lord, I will contend with
them that contend with thee, and I will save thy children.
2 Ne. 6:17
17 But thus saith the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall
be delivered; for the Mighty God shall deliver his covenant people. For thus saith the Lord: I will contend with
them that contendeth with thee-
Isa. 49:25
25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall
be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
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