Journal of Book of Mormon Studies Volume 14 Number 2 Article 4 7-31-2005 “Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish”: Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 Dana M. Pike Brigham Young University, [email protected] David R. Seely Brigham Young University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Pike, Dana M. and Seely, David R. (2005) "“Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish”: Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: Vol. 14 : No. 2 , Article 4. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol14/iss2/4 This Feature Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Title “Upon all the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish”: Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 Author(s) Dana M. Pike and David Rolph Seely Reference Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14/2 (2005): 12–25, 67–71. ISSN 1065-9366 (print), 2168-3158 (online) Abstract Some Latter-day Saint commentators deem a phrase that appears in 2 Nephi 12:16 but not in the paral- lel passage in Isaiah 2:16—“and upon all ships of the sea”—as evidence that the Book of Mormon preserves a version of this verse from the brass plates that is more complete than the Hebrew or King James read- ings. One scholar’s conclusions in this regard are reviewed and then critiqued for ignoring the com- plexities of the ancient Hebrew and Greek versions of the Bible. The authors examine Isaiah 2:16 in its broader literary context, noting that the 2 Nephi read- ing alters a pattern of synonymous couplets; analyze the Greek and Hebrew texts of the verse; and relate their findings to the Book of Mormon reading. They discuss the inherent limitations of textual criticism in this kind of study and conclude that LDS and non-LDS scholars are open to different interpretive possibilities owing to the role that faith plays in one’s approach to and interpretation of textual evidence. “Upon All the Ships of the Sea, - - - - ... ~~~~~_~~~ '\1-~~.~~ ,\!:¢£!.. :'{~~ ''''~ __~l~'('::~~ -_:~_~ -~~~J~S/ "~:rl~l~~- ~J'.~~'''' §;:X:- .J~~' ~~~ 12 Volume 14, number 2, 2005 rn~;:v,.:tJ'1 'O""'.>K-h' ,.":,, , ll"'\\)')\"'~ 'lUI '.:.~" ~ and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish”: -- - - - - ....... t= t.1· -q~~:'~L .•.":' t;!.- 'I'-~;'L:. \f:..:;;.." · "'.t·~~t{" ··r=.1:' :r. " ~t· i-_.~. ... _ ~ ~ ~_ -,. J~' .f.' .::r.:-)· ~<)~·1Y.... ;;'-=' ',1i.~~ ~ .!.~.: 1' . '~~~~~ 2.,.;j.. ~'f ' - - --- - - - . - -- -- - Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16 • • • Readers of the Book of Mormon soon realize Some students of Latter-day Saint scripture place a that a large number of passages from the book of great deal of significance on the wording of Isaiah Isaiah are quoted therein.1 In fact, 21 chapters, as 2:16 because it occurs in 2 Nephi 12:16 with an addi- well as many shorter passages from the book of tional line: Isaiah, appear in the Nephite record.2 These Isa- and upon all the ships of the sea, iah passages have long challenged and intrigued and upon all the ships of Tarshish, students of the Book of Mormon.3 In this study and upon all pleasant pictures. we focus on one verse from Isaiah 2 in order to While a few Latter-day Saint commentators on thoroughly explore the differences between this the book of Isaiah and 2 Nephi 12 make no men- verse as it occurs in the Bible and in the Book of tion of this variation,4 most consider the extra line Mormon. found in 2 Nephi 12:16 to be significant, claiming, Isaiah 2:10–22 proclaims that the “day of the for example, that this is “incidental evidence that the Lord” will bring devastating effects upon a variety of Book of Mormon had the complete original text [of people and things, including Isaiah 2:16] from the plates of brass”5 and that “the upon all the ships of Tarshish, Book of Mormon contains the most complete reten- and upon all pleasant pictures. (Isaiah 2:16 KJV) tion of the original structure of this verse.”6 Left: Ancient shipyard, by Joseph Brickey. Bottom left: Portions of the Great Isaiah Scroll and (right) Leningrad Codex. _._------------------- ._._._- - .- ------- _. - - -_._-- -----_.. _---------------- ....... t= i!.1' -q~~:~L .•.~:' t;!.- I' -~;'~. '~r:...;;.~· "'.t· :;:Wt,.· ··r=.1:' :r. " ~t· i-_.~. ... _ ~ ~ ~_ -,. J~' .f.' • ::r.:-)· ~ .)~ ·1Y .... ;;'-=' ',1i.~~ ~ . .!.~ .: 1'. ' ~.I~":~~ 2.,.;j.. ~'f ' - - --- - - - . - -- -- - By Dana M. Pike and David Rolph Seely JOURNAL of Book of Mormon Studies 13 Sidney B. Sperry presented the first and fullest Sperry’s analysis is included in the Church expression of this perspective, basing his observa- Educational System student manual for the Old tion on the King James Version of the Hebrew Bible Testament8 and is quoted or at least cited by many (the Christian Old Testament) and on the Septua- Latter-day Saint commentators on the book of Isa- gint, the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew iah.9 It also appears to be the basis for the following scriptures, originating in the third to second centu- statement in 2 Nephi 12:16 footnote 16a in the cur- ries c. Sperry claimed that rent English edition of the Book of Mormon, which in 2 Nephi 12:16 (compare Isaiah 2:16) the Book de facto bestows a seemingly official status on it: of Mormon has a reading of remarkable interest. “The Greek (Septuagint) has ‘ships of the sea.’ The It prefixes a phrase of eight words not found in Hebrew has ‘ships of Tarshish.’ The Book of Mor- the Hebrew or King James versions. Since the mon has both, showing that the brass plates had lost ancient Septuagint (Greek) Version concurs with neither phrase.”10 the added phrase in the Book of Mormon, let Since Joseph Smith did not know Hebrew or us exhibit the reading of the Book of Mormon Greek prior to 1830 (the year the Book of Mormon (B.M.), the King James Version (K.J.), and the was published), he obviously did not check ancient Septuagint (LXX) as follows: versions of Isaiah as he produced the Book of Mor- mon.11 Latter-day Saints therefore accept that the B.M. And upon all the ships of the sea, text of 2 Nephi 12:16 must have come from the K.J. — — — — — — — plates Joseph Smith received from Moroni. Thus LXX And upon every ship of the sea, Isaiah 2:16 // 2 Nephi 12:16, a short verse of no real B.M. and upon all the ships of Tarshish K.J. And upon all the ships of Tarshish LXX — — — — — — — B.M. and upon all pleasant pictures. K.J. and upon all pleasant pictures. LXX and upon every display of fine ships. The Book of Mormon suggests that the origi- nal text of this verse contained three phrases, all of which commence with the same opening words, “and upon all.” By a common accident, the original Hebrew (and hence the King James) text lost the first phrase, which was, however, preserved by the Septuagint. The latter lost the second phrase and seems to have corrupted the third phrase. The Book of Mormon preserved all three phrases.7 Sperry thus proposed that the Masoretic Text (MT)—the traditional Hebrew Bible, which is the basis for the Old Testament in the King James Version (KJV) and most other English transla- tions—and the Greek Septuagint (LXX) both con- tain portions of an “original” version of Isaiah 2:16, but that both are incomplete, each having lost a dif- ferent phrase in transmission. His observation that “the Book of Mormon preserved all three phrases” indicates his understanding that 2 Nephi 12:16 rep- Joseph translating the plates, a motion picture still from resents a more complete form of this verse than the Remembering Nauvoo. © IRI one preserved in Isaiah 2:16. 14 Volume 14, number 2, 2005 doctrinal significance, has been assigned a great The Literary Context of Isaiah 2:16 deal of weight by many Latter-day Saints since it seems to provide tangible support for the divine Some initial comments on the literary context calling of Joseph Smith and the revealed nature of of Isaiah 2:16 are necessary to appreciate the form his translation of the Book of Mormon. However, and content of this verse. Isaiah 2 begins with the the issues and challenges involved in dealing with well-known, lyric prophecy that the temple of the the ancient Hebrew and Greek versions of the Bible Lord will be built in the tops of the mountains and as they impact our understanding of Isaiah 2:16 in “all nations shall flow unto it” and that eventually 2 Nephi 12:16 are much more complex than Sperry’s nations will not “learn war any more” (vv. 1–4). explanation suggests.12 Verses 5–9 contain the Lord’s invitation to the In this study we aim to demonstrate that the “house of Jacob” to “walk in the light of the Lord” relationship between Isaiah 2:16 and 2 Nephi 12:16 rather than in the ways of the world.13 These worldly is not nearly as simple or clear-cut as some pub- ways are represented by symbols of false religion, lications by Latter-day Saints have suggested.