Miscellaneous Musings

 

 

Verse 3

The word “not” in Isaiah 9:3 is a matter of textual debate among conservatives.  I see that II Nephi 19:3 contains every word from the KJV translation except “not”.  It is puzzling when The Old Testament for Latter-day Saint Families (Deseret, 2005) expresses in a footnote related to Isaiah 9:3: 

The word “not” in verse 3 was incorrectly included in the King James Version of the Bible.  It does not appear in the original Hebrew or in the Book of Mormon (see 2 Nephi 19:3).

How can these editors be so conclusive over the negative not being in “the original Hebrew”?  Not only is the word in the Masoretic Text, but you will find the negative in 1QIsa^a, which is our oldest complete scroll of Isaiah in existence.

Verse 4

How does removing the last six words of Isaiah 9:4 restore any accuracy to the biblical text?  To remove these words is to deprive the verse of a powerful, historical illustration for the people.  Gideon learned that victory for
Israel came not through mighty valor or huge numbers for defeating the enemy.  When confronted with impossible odds, whether in Gideon’s day or Isaiah’s, Israel learned that deliverance is sourced in God alone.

If this phrase is removed in the Book of Mormon, why is Isaiah 10:26 allowed to be kept in tact?

Verse 15

Crossing out the “honorable” from the King James Version looks like the reaction of someone who would be perplexed over why God would cut off such prominent people.