This is a very
interesting chapter.
After reviewing the partial parallel arrangements of others, I
conducted an in-depth examination elsewhere in the chapter and when I saw at
the top and the bottom the structure of I
remember, covenants, and the
chiasmus structure of which are of the house of Israel and words at both the top
and bottom, I then thought there may be a larger structure to the
chapter.
The words the isles of the sea formed a
centering point and I began to look inward from there. The central chiasmus
structure from E to E’ is my own arrangement as well as the form in the D
section.
What I really like about this chapter is that a main message
becomes apparent when examining the structure and the blending of the concepts
of the Lord’s work and the concept
that He remembers his
covenant people and also all nations. (note how these
words are related in the top, bottom, and middle of the chiasmus as well as
several of the smaller structures.)
Previous to this analysis I had thought that some of the wording
in this chapter was odd and also that writing something that mentions the Bible
would be something that a charlatan might do try to lend support to a
forgery. I had once read that someone thought calling someone fools was odd
language for the Lord. Also the use
of the name Bible is interesting as I believe it’s a Greek word (biblion meaning
books). The word Bible only occurs in this chapter in the
entire B of M.
After really analyzing this chapter and noting all of the
structural detail contained that is in agreement with ancient Hebrew parallel
style, the thought that Joseph Smith just made this chapter up off the cuff
becomes a much smaller possibility and thus this helps to re-in force faith.
Also note the instance of Sidel’s law in
verse 1 where Nephi inverts the order of how these three Isaiah verses appear.
Isaiah 5 26 And he will lift up an ensign
to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the
earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:
Isaiah 11:11 And it shall come to pass
in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time
to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and
from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar,
and from Hamath, and from the
islands of the sea.
Isaiah 29:14 Therefore, behold, I
will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and
a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding
of their prudent men shall be hid.
2 Nephi 29
A) 1 But behold, there shall be many—at that
day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them, that I may remember
B) a) my covenants
b) which I have made unto the children of men, (Abraham complementary)
C) that I may set my hand again the second time to recover my people,
a) which are of the house of Israel;
y) 2 And also, that I may remember
z) the
promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi,
z) and also unto thy father,
y) that I would remember your seed;
b) and that the words of your seed should
proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed; (chiasmus)
b’) and my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of
the earth, for a standard unto my people,
a’) which are of the house of Israel;
D) x) a) 3. And because my words shall
hiss forth—many of the Gentiles shall
say: (Gentiles vs {Jews,
Nephites, lost tribes of Israel} (antithetical))
y) A Bible!
A Bible!
We have got a Bible,
and there cannot be any more Bible.
z) 4. But thus saith the Lord God: O fools,
they shall have a Bible; and it
shall proceed forth
b) 1) from the Jews,
2) mine ancient covenant people.
b’) 3) And what thank they the Jews for
4) the Bible which
they receive from them?
a’) 5) Yea, what do
the Gentiles mean? (chiasmus)
6) Do they remember
the travails,
and the labors,
and the pains
c) of the Jews, and
their diligence unto me,
d) in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles?
d’) 5) 5. O ye Gentiles,
6) have ye remembered
c’) 1) the Jews,
2) mine ancient covenant people?
Nay; but ye have cursed them,
and have hated them,
and have not sought to recover them.
But behold, I will return all these things
upon your own heads;
6) for I the Lord have not
forgotten
2) my people.
z’) 6. Thou fool, that shall say:
y’) A Bible,
we have got a Bible,
and we need no more Bible.
E) a) 4) Have ye obtained a Bible (the words complementary) (extended alternate parallelism a, b, c)
x') 3) save it were by the Jews? (chiasmus)
b)7 Know ye not that there are more nations than one? (them complementary)
c) Know ye not that I,
the Lord your God, have created all men,
and that I remember (Jews,
Nephites, Israel, all nations (complementary)
F) those who are upon the isles of the sea;
G) and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; (directions (complementary)
H) and I bring forth my word unto the children of men,
I) a) yea, even upon all the nations of the
earth? (many complementary) (extended alternate parallelism a, b, c)
b) 8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye
shall receive more of my
word?
c) y) Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God,
z) that I remember one nation like unto another? (chiasmus)
z’) Wherefore,
I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another.
y’) And
when the two nations shall run together the
testimony of the two nations shall run together also.
I’) a) 9 And I do this that I may prove
unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever;
b) and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure and
because that I have spoken
one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another;
c) x) for my work is not yet finished;
y) neither shall it be until
the end of man,
z) neither from
that time henceforth and forever. (staircase parallelism)
H’) 10 Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains
all my words; neither need ye
suppose that I have not caused more to be written.
G’) 11 For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in
the north, and in the south,
(complementary)
F’) and in the islands of the sea,
E’) a) that they shall write the
words
b) which I speak unto them;
u) for out of
the books which
shall be written
v) I
will judge the world, (chiasmus)
v’) every
man according to their works,
u’) according
to that which is
written.
c) 12 For behold,
w) I shall
speak unto the Jews and they shall write it;
x) and I shall
also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it;
y) and I shall
also speak unto the
other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it;
z) and I shall
also speak unto all nations
of the earth and they shall write it. (staircase parallelism)
D’) 13 And it shall come to pass
a) that the Jews
b) shall
have the words of
c) the Nephites, and (chiasmus)
c’) the Nephites
b’) shall
have the words of
a’) the Jews;
d) and the Nephites and the Jews
e) shall
have the words of
f) the lost tribes of Israel; (chiasmus)
f’) and the lost tribes of Israel
e’) shall
have the words of
d’) the Nephites and the Jews.
C’) 14 And it shall come to pass that my people,
a) which are of the house
of Israel, shall be
gathered home unto the lands of their possessions;
b) and my word also shall be gathered in one. (chiasmus)
b’) And I will show unto them that fight
against my word and against my people,
a’) who are of the house of Israel, that I am God,
B’) a) and that I covenanted
b) with Abraham that
A’) I would remember his seed forever.
My arrangement for the D) section
above differs from others that I’ve seen, but I think it a better matching form
to the D’) section according to form matching. Interesting that my D section
also crosses into my section E).
Note the pairing
and the grouping of the words Gentiles and Jews
Also note the placement of the mine ancient covenant people and remember, as well as Bible and fools.
Gentiles
Bible
fools
Jews
mine ancient covenant people.
Jews
bible
Gentiles
remember
Jews
Gentiles
Gentiles
remember
Jews
mine ancient covenant people.
not forgotten
my people.
fools
Bible
Jews
I think it’s
interesting here how things placed on the inside on the first chiasmus are
placed on the outside of the second chiasmus, and vise
versa. I think the last Jews term that then forms an antithetical
match with the Gentiles at the top and may serve to balance the
form. Although the last Bible and Jews runs across the beginning of my E
section.
Part of the
reason I arranged my D) section as I did was because of the
form in the D’) section which has a similar double turn around.
Jews
Nephites,
Nephites
Jews;
Nephites and the Jews
lost
tribes of Israel;
the lost
tribes of Israel
Nephites and the Jews.
(Arranged by
Timothy Riggs)