Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon

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Criticism

The Book of Mormon does not contain Hebraic or Semitic language, as one should expect.

Response

Many LDS sources argue that Hebraisms exist. Some have been overly enthusiastic or operated using problematic methodology. For example, Hebrew and other Semitic languages frequently give give a verb a cognate direct object for emphasis, eg. "he dreamed a dream" or "He hit him a hitting." Since the KJV translators were frequently literal in rendering the Hebrew, the Old Testament contains many English examples of this. Thus, the presence of the cognate accusative throughout the Book of Mormon , though a valid Semiticism, cannot be used as strong evidence for the Book of Mormon.

For a Semiticism to be strong evidence it must be a) present in the Book of Mormon b)but not common to Joseph's language environment (ie. the KJV, or English of his day.)

Several such constructions exist.

For example, in Alma 27:22, the Nephites give the land Jershon to the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's "for an inheritance." Jershon follows a common Hebrew practice of creating names by suffixing -on to the tri-consonantal root. In this case, we have the root y-r-sh, which means among other things, "to inherit." (Hebrew /y/ is usually represented in English with a j.) In other words, the Nephites give the land "Inheritance" to the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's for an inheritance.

If making up names at random, one could eventually make some that fit Hebrew patterns. However, the extreme unlikelihood of an imaginary name making sense in a reconstructed Hebrew original argues against this being the case with Jershon

Conclusion

The Book of Mormon does indeed have authentic Semitic constructions in it, but LDS need to tread cautiously in establishing them.

Endnotes

None

Further reading

FAIR web site

• FAIR Topical Guide:

External links

• Kevin L. Barney, "Divine Discourse Directed at a Prophet's Posterity in the Plural: Further Light on Enallage," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6/2 (1997). [229–234] link
• Kevin L. Barney, "Enallage in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 3/1 (1994). [113–147] link
• Kevin L. Barney, "Poetic Diction and Parallel Word Pairs in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4/2 (1995). [15–81] link
• David Bokovoy, "From Distance to Proximity: A Poetic Function of Enallage in the Hebrew Bible and the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/1 (2000). [60–63] link
• Larry G. Childs, "Present Participle Adjuncts in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6/1 (1997). [24–38] link
• James T. Duke, "The Literary Structure and Doctrinal Significance of Alma 13:1–9," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5/1 (1996). [103–118] link
• James T. Duke, "Word Pairs and Distinctive Combinations in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12/2 (2003). [32–41] link
• John Gee, "Two Notes on Egyptian Script," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5/1 (1996). [162–176] link
• Cynthia L. Hallen, "What's in a Word? Pairs and Merisms in 3 Nephi," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 13/1 (2004). [152–157] link
• Sidney B. Sperry, "Hebrew Idioms in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4/1 (1995). [218–225] link
• Brian D. Stubbs, "A Short Addition to Length: Some Relative Frequencies of Circumstantial Structures," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6/1 (1997). [39–46] link
• John A. Tvedtnes, "Cities and Lands in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 4/2 (1995). [147–150] link
• John Tvedtnes, "I Have a Question: Since the Book of Mormon is largely the record of a Hebrew people, is the writing characteristic of the Hebrew language?," Ensign (October 1986): 64.off-site
• John A. Tvedtnes, "Word Groups in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6/2 (1997). [262–268] link
• Thomas A. Wayment, "The Hebrew Text of Alma 7:11," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14/1 (2005). [98–103] link