FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Source:Rediscovering the Book of Mormon:Ch:8:8:Hebraisms:The relative clause
Hebrew influence on Book of Mormon text: The Relative Clause
Parent page: Book of Mormon/Anthropology/Language/Hebraisms/Clauses
Hebrew influence on Book of Mormon text: The Relative Clause
In Hebrew, the word that marks the beginning of a relative clause (generally translated which or who in English) does not always closely follow the word it refers back to, as it usually does in English. Some Book of Mormon passages give the impression of having been translated from such Hebrew sentences:
- "Our brother Nephi . . . has taken it upon him to be our ruler and our teacher, who are his elder brethren" (1 Nephi 16:37) instead of to be a ruler and teacher to us, who are his elder brethren.
- "The Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea, who were the armies of Pharaoh" (1 Nephi 17:27) instead of the Egyptians, who were the armies of Pharaoh, were drowned in the Red Sea.
- "Then shall they confess, who live without God in the world" (Mosiah 27:31) instead of then shall they who live without God in the world confess.[1]
Notes
- ↑ John A. Tvedtnes, "The Hebrew Background of the Book of Mormon," in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, edited by John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Co.; Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991), Chapter 8.