3 Nephi 22

3 Nephi 22

The Lord’s Covenant of Peace to Be Fulfilled (cf. Isaiah 54)

3 Nephi 22:1–3

1 And then shall that which is written come to pass: Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes;

3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Comments

The statement “And then shall that which is written come to pass” is the transition from one prophecy of Isaiah to another. This time, we have the entirety of Isaiah 54 quoted in this chapter. Orson Pratt structured the chapter and verses so that the correlation would be easily seen. There are no other changes to the verses as they appear in the King James Version of the Bible.

This chapter is a positive view of the future of Israel. It begins with an Israel in a miserable state. She is compared to a barren woman. This was a devastating condition for an ancient Israelite woman, for her and her husband’s line were cut off. They would have no descendants. The reversal is that Israel is promised that she will have many descendants. “More are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife.” Redeemed Israel would spread more than the descendants of the nations who had deemed themselves superior to her.

The increased progeny meant that her “tent” had to be expanded. That is, the house of Israel would increase, not simply in progeny, but in righteous descendants. The reversal would mean that the house of Israel would eventually have power over their enemies. In this case, the enemies are simply labeled Gentiles.

3 Nephi 22:4–7

4 Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

5 For thy maker, thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel—the God of the whole earth shall he be called.

6 For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.

Comments

Coming from a place of previous subjugation, Israel is understandably cautious. The Lord reminds her that he is her “maker, [her] husband, the Lord of Hosts.” He is her “Redeemer,” a title most apt for the purpose of this verse.

The powerful message to the Old World house of Israel, and perhaps just as poignant to the New World house of Israel gathered in Bountiful after such terrible destructions, is: “For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.”

3 Nephi 22:8–9

8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

9 For this, the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee.

Comments

Continuing the theme of redemption, Yahweh acknowledges that he had allowed hard times to come upon them, but yet he will keep his covenant with them. He reminds his people that after the destruction of the great flood, he promised that he would not do so again. While it is easy for us to apply that universal flood to universal humankind, for Israel, it was their ancestor who was saved from the destruction, and the promise was given to them.

Thus, this image reinforces the declaration that God has not forgotten them, even in their trials.

3 Nephi 22:10–14

10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted! Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee.

Comments

Verse 10 uses mountains as the example of the permanence of God’s covenant. Even should the mountains be removed, yet will his covenant remain. At the end, when the gathering is done, then will the reversal be complete. They will enter, not a primitive natural Eden, but a new Eden with the benefits of accumulated earth life provided.

3 Nephi 22:15–17

15 Behold, they shall surely gather together against thee, not by me; whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

Comments

The position of the house of Israel after the gathering will be a complete reversal. Where other nations had overpowered her in the course of history, she will no longer fear. When the gathering begins, God will “have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work.” Were we to stop reading at this point, the instrument would be the Book of Mormon. However, the continuation simply indicates that God will defend his people, and against them no weapon would prosper.

This is not the end of a chapter in the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon.