| Book of Mormon |
Annotations |
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Chapter 23
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This chapter is from Isaiah 13. Considering how hard it
would be to transcribe an entire chapter from Isaiah onto metal plates.
Wouldn’t it make more sense for the author to reference the writings from
Isaiah and perhaps provide some commentary?
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1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did
see.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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6 Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall
come as a destruction from the Almighty.
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7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, every man’s heart shall
melt;
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a
man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before
their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled and their wives ravished.
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2 Ne 23:16-18
Classical problem of evil. How does an all-loving God promote this?
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17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them,
which shall not regard silver and gold, nor shall they delight in it.
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Annotation for 2 Ne 23:16-18 above
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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.
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Annotation for 2 Ne 23:16-18 above
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19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the
Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Apparently more modern translations of the Bible often
translate this word in Isaiah 13:22 as “jackals” instead of “dragons.” Even
in the LDS version the word “dragons” has a footnote that explains, “HEB
(perhaps) jackals, or wild dogs.”
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