Evidence #492 | May 1, 2025
Jacob's Use of Isaiah in 2 Nephi 6–10
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Scripture Central
Abstract
Jacob’s speech in 2 Nephi 6–10 is full of quotations, allusions, and echoes of Isaiah’s writings. The literary complexity and sophistication of these interactions strengthens the case for the Book of Mormon’s miraculous translation.Nephite prophets regularly drew upon and interacted with contents that were preserved upon the plates of brass.1 One notable example comes from what was likely an Israelite festival occasion, in which Nephi asked his brother Jacob to teach from the words of Isaiah (2 Nephi 6:4).2 Yet, aside from some of the more obvious and lengthy quotation of Isaiah 50–52 (corresponding to 2 Nephi 7–8), most readers probably miss many of the ways that Jacob’s teachings relate to Isaiah’s words throughout these chapters.
To help better grasp these proposed relationships, an overview of all verses in 2 Nephi 6–10 is given in the following chart. Color-coding is used to identify which verses contain quotations, allusions, and echoes of Isaiah’s writings.3
Jacob’s Use of Isaiah: A Verse-Level Analysis | |
2 Nephi 6 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 |
2 Nephi 7 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 |
2 Nephi 8 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 |
2 Nephi 9 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
|
2 Nephi 10 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 |
Key | Quotations: Blue Allusions: Green Echoes: Red |
As can be seen, nearly two thirds of the verses in these chapters appear to interact in some way with Isaiah’s words. The actual quantity of distinct textual relationships, however, is more complicated than this chart alone can convey. This is partly because a single parallel element sometimes turns up in more than one verse in Jacob’s speech. On the other hand, a single verse occasionally has multiple interactions (sometimes of various types) with different Isaiah passages. For example, although 2 Nephi 6:13 is simply designated as a quotation in the chart above, it actually features several proposed textual relationships woven into a single verse:
Word of Isaiah | 2 Nephi 6:13 |
29:7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision. 49:8 I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages 49:23 they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. 51:16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people. | Wherefore, they that fight against Zion [Allusion] and the covenant people of the Lord [Echo] shall lick up the dust of their feet [Quotation]; and the people of the Lord [Echo] shall not be ashamed [Quotation]. For the people of the Lord [Echo] are they who wait for him [Quotation]; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah. |
Many other verses in 2 Nephi 6–10 likewise contain multiple textual relationships with Isaiah’s writings, some of which range outside of the specific chapters (Isaiah 50–51) that Jacob quoted in full. This article highlights numerous examples of these textual echoes, allusions, and quotations. It then provides an analysis of their significance as evidence of Joseph Smith’s prophetic calling. Those interested in a more detailed and comprehensive comparison of Jacob’s interactions with Isaiah should consult the appendices.
Echoes
For the purposes of this article, an echo constitutes a textual relationship that is fairly generic and holds only plausible intentionality. While a single echo cannot prove a relationship exists, it can sometimes help strengthen a proposed connection between textual units, especially when it shows up in conjunction with other echoes, allusions, or quotations. Two examples are provided below.
Captivity and Return
Jacob declared, “For behold, the Lord has shown me that those who were at Jerusalem, from whence we came, have been slain and carried away captive. Nevertheless, the Lord has shown unto me that they should return again” (2 Nephi 6:8–9).
Jacob’s discussion of “captivity” echoes a fairly common theme in Isaiah’s writings. For example, speaking poetically, Isaiah declared, “Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive?” (Isaiah 49:21). A few chapters later, Isaiah mentioned that “the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion” (Isaiah 51:11; cf. 2 Nephi 8:11). Thus, two elements that Jacob used in close proximity (captivity and return) have precedents in Isaiah’s writings.
Flesh Must Die
In reference to scriptures that his people had searched, Jacob reminded them that “our flesh must waste away and die” (2 Nephi 9:4). A few verses later, he explained that if the first judgment pronounced upon Adam and Eve were to remain, then “this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more” (2 Nephi 9:7).
These sentiments echo a passage from Isaiah 26:14 concerning the wicked: “They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise.” They also correspond to a theme of death and rotting found in the Isaiah chapters Jacob had just recently quoted. In Isaiah 50:9 (cf. 2 Nephi 7:9) we read that “they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up” and in Isaiah 51:6 (cf. 2 Nephi 8:6) it states that “the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner.” So, once again, Jacob’s words, expressed only a few verses apart, echo a repeated theme in Isaiah’s writings. The language isn’t similar enough to prove a relationship exists, but the possibility is inviting.
Allusions
In contrast to an echo, an allusion indicates a textual relationship that is more substantial, specific, or rare and therefore has a greater chance of being intentional. This outcome may derive from close phrasal matching, similar contexts, the use of rare expressions, or other factors, as seen in the examples below.
To and Fro
Jacob declared that the Israelites would be “driven to and fro, for thus saith the angel, many shall be afflicted in the flesh” (2 Nephi 6:11). Like the echo of “captivity” mentioned previously, this language appears to hark back to Isaiah 49:21: “Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these?” However, in contrast to a word like “captivity,” the phrase “to and fro” is used much more rarely throughout scripture. In fact, it only turns up six times in the Book of Mormon, and the previous two instances appear to also involve Isaiah 49:21.4
It should further be pointed out that when Jacob made use of the phrase “to and fro” in 2 Nephi 6:11, he had just recently provided lengthy quotations from Isaiah 49:22–23 (cf. 2 Nephi 6:6–7). This is significant because the use of “to and fro” in Isaiah 49:21 is just a single verse away from these passages. In other words, it was in the same neighborhood, so to speak, and therefore more likely to be on Jacob’s mind. Thus, multiple lines of textual evidence suggest that Jacob’s use of “to and fro” in 2 Nephi 6:6–7 is alluding specifically to Isaiah 49:21.
Sea Monster + Way of Escape
A pair of convincing allusions show up in 2 Nephi 9:10: “O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.” Later Jacob similarly mentioned that “the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea” (2 Nephi 10:20). These textual elements (a sea monster and a way of escape) appear to relate to Isaiah 51:9–10: “Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?”
In this instance, the case for allusion is less about precise similarity in wording and more about the combination of distinctive ideas. In an ancient Near Eastern context, “Rahab” and the term translated as “dragon” in Isaiah 51:9 are both sea-related monster entities that correlate well with the concepts of “death” and “hell” in 2 Nephi 9:10. Moreover, the description that the Lord “made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over” in Isaiah 51:10 provides a very meaningful parallel with the “way for our escape” in 2 Nephi 9:10 and “the Lord has made the sea our path” in 2 Nephi 10:21.5
Death, Hell, and Secret Combinations
Jacob first mentioned “death” and “hell” as a two-part entity right after he discussed Satan’s efforts to stir up secret combinations among men in 2 Nephi 9:9–10:
And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness. O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.
This is fascinating because the same three elements (death + hell + secret combinations) also turn up together in a negative commentary about Jerusalem’s ruling class in Isaiah 28:15–18:
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: …. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
Although the imagery in each passage isn’t precisely the same, the clandestine covenants with death and hell in Isaiah 28 provide a peculiar parallel with Jacob’s discussion of death and hell in 2 Nephi 9, suggesting intentional allusion. An additional similarity comes from the fact that death and hell are ultimately overcome or thwarted in both texts.
Deliverance of Prey/Captives
In some cases, Jacob dwelt extensively on a theme that is also present in Isaiah’s writings. One of these is the deliverance of Israel out of captivity. This is especially pronounced in 2 Nephi 9:11–13, where Jacob used the word “deliver” eight times, two of which are in connection to captivity: “and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies.” Later, speaking from the perspective of the wicked, Jacob lamented that “the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery” (2 Nephi 9:46).
This language dovetails nicely with the theme of deliverance found in the particular chapters Jacob had just quoted from. In Isaiah 49:24–25 we read, “Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered.” As interpreted by Jacob, Christ becomes the prophesied deliverer who saves Israel from the captivity of death and hell.
In the next chapter, Isaiah states, “Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver?” (Isaiah 50:2). Jacob, by implication, fittingly answers, “Where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him” (2 Nephi 9:25). More examples could be cited from both texts. Nevertheless, this should be enough to show that Jacob was indeed building off of a theme already present in Isaiah’s writings, and that Jacob then reappropriated key terms for his Christ-centered message.
Fight/Contend
A related thematic allusion comes from the “fight” imagery evoked repeatedly by Jacob in relation to “Zion”:
- “for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved” (2 Nephi 6:12)
- “Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet” (2 Nephi 6:13)
- “And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God” (2 Nephi 10:13)
- “Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish” (2 Nephi 10:16)
This appears to allude to Isaiah 29:7–8: “And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision. … so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.” Later, in Isaiah 49:26, the Lord declares, “I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.” Jacob quoted this very passage in 2 Nephi 6:17, indicating that he was aware of the range of Isaiah passages evoking this confrontation motif.
Shame and Suffering
Jacob stated that “they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God” (2 Nephi 9:18). The English translation here is clearly relying on language found in Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” On the surface, then, it may seem like Jacob was simply quoting from the New Testament (which is chronologically impossible).
However, a closer look suggests that the New Testament language may just be the modern packaging of an ancient idea that would have already been on Jacob’s mind, since it is found in the Isaiah passages that he directly quoted from, as well as those nearby:
- “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6)
- “therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” (Isaiah 50:7)
- “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3)
In other words, the use of Hebrews 12:2 in the Book of Mormon’s English translation may be intended to help the reader make the connection between the ancient suffering servant imagery employed by Isaiah and connect it with the suffering of Christ on the cross, as recorded in the New Testament and as known to the Nephites through vision (1 Nephi 11:33).6 This motif can further be seen in Jacob’s statements in 2 Nephi 9:22–23 that Christ “suffereth the pains of all men” and that “he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men.” Thus, on multiple levels, Jacob’s comments appear to interact with the themes of shame and suffering in Isaiah’s writings.
Foolish Wisdom
Jacob warned that when men “are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish” (2 Nephi 9:28). More than a dozen verses later, Jacob declared that “the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever” (2 Nephi 9:43).
Jacob’s statements appear to allude to “one that is learned” in Isaiah 29:11 and especially to the description given a few verses later in 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.”
Deaf and Blind
In a list of ten stirring woes, Jacob warned: “And wo unto the deaf that will not hear; for they shall perish. Wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also” (2 Nephi 9:31–32).7 These two items again appear to allude to a passage from Isaiah 29: “And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness” (Isaiah 29:18).
Garments, Shaking, Captivity
To his people, Jacob bolded exclaimed, “I take off my garments, and I shake them before you; … wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul” (2 Nephi 9:44). Jacob then used a different shaking metaphor: “O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast” (2 Nephi 9:45). Just a few passages later, Jacob poignantly asked, “But behold, my brethren, is it expedient that I should awake you to an awful reality of these things?” (2 Nephi 9:47).
These passages seem to build on—and in some instances invert—the imagery found in Isaiah 52:1–2: “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem …. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.”8
In this case, Jacob’s use of Isaiah is really quite sophisticated. According to Isaiah, Zion was to awake, put on its beautiful garments, and shake itself from the bondage and chains of sin. In ironic contrast, Jacob took off his garments and shook them in front of the people as a symbolic testimony that he was free from their sins and iniquities.9 The way that all of these concepts are concentrated within just a few verses in each text strongly argues for the intentionality of the relationship.
Quotations
In contrast to an echo or allusion, a quotation involves a longer and verbatim (or nearly verbatim) matching of words and phrases. The intentionality of a quotation is therefore virtually certain, whereas there is more doubt when it comes to allusions or echoes.
For decades, the modern headings to 2 Nephi 7–8 have signaled that these chapters are quoting from Isaiah 50–52.10 Thus, most readers should have at least some inkling that a portion of Jacob’s speech in 2 Nephi 6–10 is interacting with Isaiah. Yet only those intimately familiar with Isaiah’s writings will likely pick up on the additional dozen or so quotations scattered throughout 2 Nephi 6 and 9–10.11 These have been compiled in the chart below:
Isaiah | 2 Nephi |
49:22 Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. | 6:6 And now, these are the words: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. |
49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. | 6:7 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. |
49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. | 6:13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah. |
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. | 6:14 And behold, according to the words of the prophet, the Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them; wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believe in him. |
49:24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? | 6:16 For shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? |
49:25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. | 6:17 But thus saith the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for the Mighty God shall deliver his covenant people. For thus saith the Lord: I will contend with them that contendeth with thee— |
49:26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. | 6:18 And I will feed them that oppress thee, with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. |
55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. | 9:50 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. |
55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. | 9:51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness. |
11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. | 10:8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance. |
49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. | 10:9 Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers; wherefore, the promises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute? |
As can be seen, in some cases Jacob provided fairly lengthy and straightforward renderings of passages from Isaiah. Yet, in other instances, he wove in shorter quotations from Isaiah as part of his own commentary.
Intertextual analysis suggests that Jacob’s writings in 2 Nephi 6–10 interact with at least 8 different chapters from Isaiah. But it is possible that more could be involved, if some of the proposed textual interactions with looser connections are considered viable.12 In any case, one of the factors that can amplify the strength of any parallel is when multiple textual interactions are concentrated within the same chapter from Isaiah (especially if these are found within a short span of verses within a chapter). Several examples of such clustering are highlighted below.
Clustering in Isaiah 11
As shown in the following chart, Jacob quoted Isaiah 11 on two separate occasions (2 Nephi 6:14; 10:8). The fact that these quotations, separated by approximately 4,000 words, come from back-to-back passages in Isaiah reveals a subtle interest in these verses that many readers might miss.
Isaiah | 2 Nephi |
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. | 6:14 And behold, according to the words of the prophet, the Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them; wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believe in him. |
11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. | 10:8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance. |
This clustering may also help explain a somewhat obscure reference to “isles” later made by Jacob: “But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren” (2 Nephi 10:21). When Jacob used the phrase “as it says isles,” he seems to have had a specific Isaiah passage in mind? But which one was it? Since Isaiah mentioned “isles” or “islands” multiple times in different chapters, it may be difficult to tell without some other corroborating data.13
Fortunately, Jacob provided a substantial clue, as he himself previously mentioned “isles” in 2 Nephi 10:8. What most readers probably have missed is that, in this antecedent usage, Jacob appears to have subtly borrowed the phrase “from the isles of the sea” from Isaiah 11:11 and then spliced it into his quotation of Isaiah 11:12. The following chart can help readers visually grasp this somewhat complex intertextual relationship:
Thus, when Jacob declared “great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this” (2 Nephi 10:21), the reader can be fairly confident that he was referring specifically to the promises of gathering made in Isaiah 11:11–12, although other passages may be relevant as well.14 The significance here is not simply that Jacob had a subtle interest in Isaiah 11:11–12 but that this clustering provides additional explanatory power, as it helps unlock the meaning of another verse that might otherwise seem unrelated. In effect, the text is more sophisticated and coherent than it might at first seem.
Clustering in Isaiah 29
Another cluster of interesting relationships involves several passages from Isaiah 29:
Isaiah | 2 Nephi |
29:7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision. 29:8 … so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion. | 6:12 And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion … they shall be saved … 6:13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet … 10:13 And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God. 10:16 Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish |
29:11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: 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. | 9:28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. |
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. | 9:43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints. |
The fact that 6 separate passages in Jacob’s commentary appear to allude to verses specifically found in Isaiah 29:7–14 provides strong evidence that Jacob was indeed familiar with and drawing upon this particular unit in Isaias’s writings. It also doesn’t hurt the case for intentionality when one considers that Nephi, Jacob’s brother and mentor, extensively interacted with this same chapter in 2 Nephi 25–30.15
Clustering in Isaiah 49
Unlike Isaiah 50–51, there is no modern heading in 2 Nephi 6–10 to clue the reader into the fact that Jacob is quoting from or alluding to Isaiah 49. Yet the textual relationships on this front are pervasive. Because fully demonstrating all of these proposed interactions would take up too much space, they will simply be listed below, along with the topic and type of relationship that is present.16
Topic | Isaiah’s Writings (Relationship Type) | Jacob’s Temple Speech |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 49:22 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:6 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 49:23 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:7 |
Carried Captive | Isaiah 49:21 (Echo) Isaiah 49:24 (Echo) Isaiah 49:25 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:8 |
To and Fro | Isaiah 49:21 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 6:11 |
Gathered to Lands | Isaiah 49:18 (Echo) Isaiah 49:19 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:11 2 Nephi 9:2 |
Blessing on Gentiles | Isaiah 49:6 (Echo) Isaiah 49:22 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:12 |
Covenant | Isaiah 49:8 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:12 2 Nephi 6:13 |
Lick Up Dust | Isaiah 49:23 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:13 |
Not Ashamed Who Wait | Isaiah 49:23 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:13 |
Know God | Isaiah 49:23 (Echo) Isaiah 49:26 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 6:15 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 49:24 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:16 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 49:25 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:17 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 49:26 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:18 |
Save/Bless Children | Isaiah 49:25 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:3 |
Deliverance of Captives | Isaiah 49:9 (Echo) Isaiah 49:24 (Allusion) Isaiah 49:25 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:11 2 Nephi 9:12 2 Nephi 9:13 2 Nephi 9:19 2 Nephi 9:26 |
Clothed with Righteousness | Isaiah 49:18 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:14 |
Prey | Isaiah 49:24 (Allusion) Isaiah 49:25 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:46 |
Isles | Isaiah 49:1 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 10:8 2 Nephi 10:21 |
Nursing Gentiles | Isaiah 49:23 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 10:9 |
Light to Gentiles | Isaiah 49:6 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 10:14 |
Father | Isaiah 49:23 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 10:18 |
From this chart, we can see that these interactions are spread throughout chapters 6, 9, and 10 of 2 Nephi. They involve approximately two dozen proposed relationships in total, including 8 quotations, 7 allusions, and 14 proposed echoes. Moreover, they involve nearly half of the verses in Isaiah 49. Certainly, much could be said about the purpose and meaning of each interaction, but the sheer volume of material from Isaiah 49 that Jacob wove into his commentary is quite impressive. Even if some of the weaker proposed relationships turn out to be unintentional, there can be no doubt that Jacob extensively borrowed from Isaiah 49.
Similar analysis of clustering could be given for other textual units, but these samples should be enough to demonstrate that Jacob’s use of Isaiah is anything but haphazard. On several occasions, he drew upon specific sections of Isaiah’s writings and, from there, wove in multiple interactions at different locations throughout his speech.
Conclusion
When viewed in its totality, Jacob’s speech in 2 Nephi 6–10 can be seen as a remarkable feat of intertextuality. In addition to the more than 40 verses from Isaiah that are quoted in part or in full, Jacob’s commentary is sprinkled with dozens of additional allusions and echoes from at least eight different chapters of Isaiah’s writings, some of which cluster together in ways that reinforce their intentionality. Ultimately, the speech comes across as having been produced by someone with an intimate and wide-ranging familiarity with the book of Isaiah and who also had the literary capacity to weave in multiple strands of Isaianic prophecies and then adapt them as part of his own prophetic commentary.
Several factors suggest Joseph Smith would have struggled with accomplishing this feat using his own intellectual capacity. The first difficulty arises from various lines of evidence indicating that he didn’t use any notes or reference materials—including a Bible—to aid his translation.17 Assuming that is the case, the dozens of quoted passages from Isaiah would have placed a significant memory burden on his translation efforts.
The second thing to consider is that Jacob’s interactions with Isaiah hardly appear to be the work of a literary amateur. The commentary is both intertextually complex and thematically sophisticated. How a poorly educated farmer was able to produce a work that accomplished scholars with formal academic training are still trying to fully unpack today is difficult to explain.18 One must also keep in mind that this is just a short span of chapters within the Book of Mormon. There are dozens of other similarly complex features throughout the Nephite record, including many more interactions with Isaiah’s writings from a variety of different authors.19
Finally, it should be understood that some elements of Jacob’s commentary interact not only on a surface level with Isaiah’s writings but also with the deeper ancient Near Eastern cultural context in which they were given. For instance, according to John Thompson,
From the structure and themes of 2 Nephi 6–10, one may conclude that Jacob’s speech was given in connection with a covenant-renewal celebration that was most likely performed as part of the traditional Israelite autumn festivals required by the law of Moses. Moreover, Jacob seems to use certain Isaiah passages as part of his speech in order to encourage the Nephites to renew their covenants by reminding them of the Lord’s promises, giving them a hope in their salvation and future restoration.20
Likewise, the monster imagery that Jacob used in connection with death and hell clearly draws upon Isaiah’s writings (2 Nephi 9:10–26; cf. Isaiah 28:15–18; 51:9–10), but Jacob’s unique blending of certain elements suggests he was aware of the primordial sea-monster motif found in a variety of ancient Near Eastern traditions which Isaiah himself was likely interacting with.21 Further signs of antiquity come from Jacob’s symbolically significant use of ten woes,22 his use of a physical gesture (shaking his garments) in connection with a prophetic warning,23 and from his speech’s many poetic parallelisms.24
Ultimately, when the complex interactions with Isaiah’s writings in 2 Nephi 6–10 are more fully understood, and when they are also viewed in conjunction with the speech’s many authentically ancient features, the text looks increasingly like it was produced by the gift and power of God and not through Joseph Smith’s own intellectual capacity.
John W. Welch, “2 Nephi 6–10” in John W. Welch Notes (Scripture Central, 2020), 165–77.
Matthew L. Bowen, “‘The Messiah Will Set Himself Again’: Jacob’s Use of Isaiah 11:11 in 2 Nephi 6:14 and Jacob 6:2,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-Day Saint Faith and Scholarship 44 (2021): 287–306.
John S. Thompson, “Isaiah 50–51, the Israelite Autumn Festivals, and the Covenant Speech of Jacob in 2 Nephi 6–10,” in Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch (FARMS, 1998), 123–150.
Topic | Isaiah’s Writings (Relationship Type) | Jacob’s Speech |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 49:22 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:6 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 49:23 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:7 |
Carried Captive | Isaiah 49:21 (Echo) Isaiah 49:24 (Echo) Isaiah 49:25 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:8 |
Return of Israelites | Isaiah 51:11 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:9 |
Stiff Neck | Isaiah 48:4 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:10 |
To and Fro | Isaiah 49:21 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 6:11 |
Gathered to Lands | Isaiah 49:18 (Echo) Isaiah 49:19 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:11 2 Nephi 9:2 |
Blessing on Gentiles25 | Isaiah 49:6 (Echo) Isaiah 49:22 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:12 |
Fight/Contend | Isaiah 29:7 (Allusion) Isaiah 29:8 (Allusion) Isaiah 31:4 (Echo) Isaiah 49:25 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:12 2 Nephi 6:13 2 Nephi 10:13 2 Nephi 10:16 |
Covenant | Isaiah 49:8 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:12 2 Nephi 6:13 |
Lick Up Dust | Isaiah 49:23 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:13 |
Not Ashamed Who Wait | Isaiah 42:4 (Echo) Isaiah 49:23 (Quotation) Isaiah 51:5 (Echo) Isaiah 60:9 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:13 |
People of the Lord Wait | Isaiah 42:4 (Echo) Isaiah 51:4 (Echo) Isaiah 51:5 (Echo) Isaiah 51:16 (Echo) Isaiah 60:9 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:13 |
Second Time to Recover | Isaiah 11:11 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:14 |
Power to Deliver | Isaiah 50:2 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 6:14 2 Nephi 9:25 |
Know God | Isaiah 49:23 (Echo) Isaiah 49:26 (Allusion) Isaiah 52:6 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 6:15 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 49:24 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:16 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 49:25 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:17 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 49:26 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 6:18 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 50:1 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 7:1 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 50:2 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 7:2 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 50:3 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 7:3 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 50:4 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 7:4 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 50:5 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 7:5 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 50:6 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 7:6 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 50:7 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 7:7 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 50:8 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 7:8 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 50:9 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 7:9 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 50:10 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 7:10 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 50:11 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 7:11 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:1 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:1 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:2 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:2 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:3 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:3 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:4 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:4 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:5 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:5 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:6 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:6 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:7 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:7 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:8 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:8 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:9 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:9 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:10 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:10 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:11 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:11 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:12 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:12 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:13 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:13 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:14 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:14 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:15 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:15 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:16 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:16 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:17 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:17 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:18 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:18 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:19 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:19 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:20 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:20 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:21 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:21 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:22 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:22 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 51:23 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:23 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 52:1 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:24 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 52:2 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 8:25 |
Joy Upon Heads | Isaiah 51:3 (Echo) Isaiah 51:11 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:3 2 Nephi 10:20 |
Save/Bless Children | Isaiah 49:25 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:3 |
Flesh Dies26 | Isaiah 26:14 (Echo) Isaiah 50:9 (Echo) Isaiah 51:6 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:4 2 Nephi 9:7 |
Secret Works of Darkness | Isaiah 28:15 (Allusion) Isaiah 28:17 (Allusion) Isaiah 28:18 (Allusion) Isaiah 51:10 (Echo) Isaiah 60:2 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:9 2 Nephi 10:15 |
Way of Escape | Isaiah 43:16 (Allusion) Isaiah 51:10 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:10 2 Nephi 9:11 2 Nephi 10:20 |
Composite Sea Monster | Isaiah 51:9 (Allusion) Isaiah 51:10 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:10 2 Nephi 9:26 |
Death and Hell27 | Isaiah 28:15 (Allusion) Isaiah 28:18 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:10 2 Nephi 9:12 2 Nephi 9:19 2 Nephi 9:26 |
Deliverance of Captives | Isaiah 26:19 (Echo) Isaiah 49:9 (Echo) Isaiah 49:24 (Allusion) Isaiah 49:25 (Allusion) Isaiah 51:14 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:11 2 Nephi 9:12 2 Nephi 9:13 2 Nephi 9:19 2 Nephi 9:26 |
Unclean | Isaiah 52:1 (Echo) Isaiah 52:11 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:14 2 Nephi 9:40 |
Clothed with Righteousness28 | Isaiah 49:18 (Echo) Isaiah 61:10 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:14 |
Fiery Torment29 | Isaiah 50:11 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:16 2 Nephi 9:19 2 Nephi 9:26 |
Despised the Shame30 | Isaiah 50:6 (Allusion) Isaiah 50:7 (Allusion) Isaiah 53:3 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:18 |
Suffering Messiah | Isaiah 50:6 (Echo) Isaiah 53:4 (Echo) Isaiah 53:5 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:21 2 Nephi 9:22 |
Foolish Wisdom31 | Isaiah 29:11 (Allusion) Isaiah 29:14 (Allusion) Isaiah 50:4 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:28 |
Deaf and Blind | Isaiah 29:18 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:31 2 Nephi 9:32 |
Return | Isaiah 51:11 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 9:38 |
Wise, Prudent, Hidden | Isaiah 29:14 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:43 |
Garments and Shaking | Isaiah 52:1 (Allusion) Isaiah 52:2 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:44 |
Shaking and Captivity | Isaiah 52:2 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:45 |
Prey | Isaiah 49:24 (Allusion) Isaiah 49:25 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:46 |
Awake | Isaiah 51:9 (Allusion) Isaiah 52:1 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 9:47 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 55:1 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 9:50 |
Long Quotation | Isaiah 55:2 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 9:51 |
Gather Dispersed | Isaiah 11:12 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 10:8 |
Isles | Isaiah 11:11 (Allusion) Isaiah 49:1 (Echo) Isaiah 51:5 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 10:8 2 Nephi 10:21 |
Nursing Gentiles | Isaiah 49:23 (Quotation) | 2 Nephi 10:9 |
Light to Gentiles | Isaiah 49:6 (Echo) Isaiah 60:3 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 10:14 |
Father | Isaiah 49:23 (Allusion) | 2 Nephi 10:18 |
Not Cast Off32 | Isaiah 50:1 (Echo) | 2 Nephi 10:20 |
Topic | Isaiah | 2 Nephi |
Long Quotation | 49:22 Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. [Quotation] | 6:6 And now, these are the words: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. |
Long Quotation | 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. [Quotation] | 6:7 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. |
Carried Captive | 49:21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? [Echo] 49:25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. [Echo] | 6:8 And now I, Jacob, would speak somewhat concerning these words. For behold, the Lord has shown me that those who were at Jerusalem, from whence we came, have been slain and carried away captive. |
Return of Israelites | 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. [Echo] | 6:9 Nevertheless, the Lord has shown unto me that they should return again. And he also has shown unto me that the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, should manifest himself unto them in the flesh; and after he should manifest himself they should scourge him and crucify him, according to the words of the angel who spake it unto me. |
Stiff Neck | 48:4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; [Echo] | 6:10 And after they have hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks against the Holy One of Israel, behold, the judgments of the Holy One of Israel shall come upon them. And the day cometh that they shall be smitten and afflicted. |
To and Fro | 49:21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? [Allusion] | 6:11 Wherefore, after they are driven to and fro, for thus saith the angel, many shall be afflicted in the flesh, and shall not be suffered to perish, because of the prayers of the faithful; they shall be scattered, and smitten, and hated; nevertheless, the Lord will be merciful unto them, that when they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer, they shall be gathered together again to the lands of their inheritance. |
Gathered to Lands | 49:18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. [Echo] 49:19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. [Echo] | 6:11 Wherefore, after they are driven to and fro, for thus saith the angel, many shall be afflicted in the flesh, and shall not be suffered to perish, because of the prayers of the faithful; they shall be scattered, and smitten, and hated; nevertheless, the Lord will be merciful unto them, that when they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer, they shall be gathered together again to the lands of their inheritance. 9:2 That he has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy prophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to generation, until the time comes that they shall be restored to the true church and fold of God; when they shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise. |
Blessing on Gentiles | 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. [Echo] 49:22 Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. [Echo] | 6:12 And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things. |
Fight/Contend | 29:7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision. [Allusion] 29:8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion. [Allusion] 31:4 For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. [Echo] 49:25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. [Echo] | 6:12 And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things. 6:13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah. 10:13 And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God. 10:16 Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God. |
Covenant | 49:8 Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; [Echo] | 6:12 And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things. 6:13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah. |
Lick Up Dust | 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. [Quotation] | 6:13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah. |
Not Ashamed Who Wait | 42:4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. [Echo] 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. [Quotation] 51:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. [Echo] 60:9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. [Echo] | 6:13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah. |
People of the Lord Wait | 42:4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. [Echo] 51:4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. 51:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. [Echo] 51:16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people. [Echo] 60:9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. [Echo] | 6:13 Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah. |
Second Time to Recover | 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. [Quotation] | 6:14 And behold, according to the words of the prophet, the Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them; wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believe in him. |
Power to Deliver | 50:2 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst. [Allusion] | 6:14 And behold, according to the words of the prophet, the Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them; wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believe in him. 9:25 Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him. |
Know God | 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. [Echo] 49:26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. [Allusion] 52:6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. [Echo] | 6:15 And they that believe not in him shall be destroyed, both by fire, and by tempest, and by earthquakes, and by bloodsheds, and by pestilence, and by famine. And they shall know that the Lord is God, the Holy One of Israel. |
Long Quotation | 49:24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? [Quotation] | 6:16 For shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? |
Long Quotation | 49:25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. [Quotation] | 6:17 But thus saith the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for the Mighty God shall deliver his covenant people. For thus saith the Lord: I will contend with them that contendeth with thee— |
Long Quotation | 49:26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. [Quotation] | 6:18 And I will feed them that oppress thee, with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. |
Long Quotation | 50:1 Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. [Quotation] | 7:1 Yea, for thus saith the Lord: Have I put thee away, or have I cast thee off forever? For thus saith the Lord: Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement? To whom have I put thee away, or to which of my creditors have I sold you? Yea, to whom have I sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. |
Long Quotation | 50:2 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst. [Quotation] | 7:2 Wherefore, when I came, there was no man; when I called, yea, there was none to answer. O house of Israel, is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem, or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make their rivers a wilderness and their fish to stink because the waters are dried up, and they die because of thirst. |
Long Quotation | 50:3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. [Quotation] | 7:3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. |
Long Quotation | 50:4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. [Quotation] | 7:4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season unto thee, O house of Israel. When ye are weary he waketh morning by morning. He waketh mine ear to hear as the learned. |
Long Quotation | 50:5 The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. [Quotation] | 7:5 The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. |
Long Quotation | 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. [Quotation] | 7:6 I gave my back to the smiter, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting. |
Long Quotation | 50:7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. [Quotation] | 7:7 For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. |
Long Quotation | 50:8 He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. [Quotation] | 7:8 And the Lord is near, and he justifieth me. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is mine adversary? Let him come near me, and I will smite him with the strength of my mouth. |
Long Quotation | 50:9 Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. [Quotation] | 7:9 For the Lord God will help me. And all they who shall condemn me, behold, all they shall wax old as a garment, and the moth shall eat them up. |
Long Quotation | 50:10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. [Quotation] | 7:10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? |
Long Quotation | 50:11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow. [Quotation] | 7:11 Behold all ye that kindle fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand—ye shall lie down in sorrow. |
Long Quotation | 51:1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. [Quotation] | 8:1 Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness. Look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence ye are digged. |
Long Quotation | 51:2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. [Quotation] | 8:2 Look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah, she that bare you; for I called him alone, and blessed him. |
Long Quotation | 51:3 For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. [Quotation] | 8:3 For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. |
Long Quotation | 51:4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. [Quotation] | 8:4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation; for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light for the people. |
Long Quotation | 51:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. [Quotation] | 8:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arm shall judge the people. The isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. |
Long Quotation | 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. [Quotation] | 8:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner. But my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. |
Long Quotation | 51:7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. [Quotation] | 8:7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart I have written my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. |
Long Quotation | 51:8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation. [Quotation] | 8:8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool. But my righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation to generation. |
Long Quotation | 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? [Quotation] | 8:9 Awake, awake! Put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake as in the ancient days. Art thou not he that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? |
Long Quotation | 51:10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? [Quotation] | 8:10 Art thou not he who hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? |
Long Quotation | 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. [Quotation] | 8:11 Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy and holiness shall be upon their heads; and they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and mourning shall flee away. |
Long Quotation | 51:12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; [Quotation] | 8:12 I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you. Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and of the son of man, who shall be made like unto grass? |
Long Quotation | 51:13 And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? [Quotation] | 8:13 And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth, and hast feared continually every day, because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor? |
Long Quotation | 51:14 The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. [Quotation] | 8:14 The captive exile hasteneth, that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. |
Long Quotation | 51:15 But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is his name. [Quotation] | 8:15 But I am the Lord thy God, whose waves roared; the Lord of Hosts is my name. |
Long Quotation | 51:16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people. [Quotation] | 8:16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion: Behold, thou art my people. |
Long Quotation | 51:17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out. [Quotation] | 8:17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury—thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling wrung out— |
Long Quotation | 51:18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up. [Quotation] | 8:18 And none to guide her among all the sons she hath brought forth; neither that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons she hath brought up. |
Long Quotation | 51:19 These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee? [Quotation] | 8:19 These two sons are come unto thee, who shall be sorry for thee—thy desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword—and by whom shall I comfort thee? |
Long Quotation | 51:20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. [Quotation] | 8:20 Thy sons have fainted, save these two; they lie at the head of all the streets; as a wild bull in a net, they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. |
Long Quotation | 51:21 Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: [Quotation] | 8:21 Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, and not with wine: |
Long Quotation | 51:22 Thus saith thy Lord the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: [Quotation] | 8:22 Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people; behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again. |
Long Quotation | 51:23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over. [Quotation] | 8:23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul: Bow down, that we may go over—and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over. |
Long Quotation | 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. [Quotation] | 8:24 Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. |
Long Quotation | 52:2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. [Quotation] | 8:25 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. |
Joy Upon Heads | 51:3 For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. [Echo] 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. [Allusion] | 9:3 Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children. 10:20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea. |
Save/Bless Children | 49:25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. [Echo] | 9:3 Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children. |
Flesh Dies | 26:14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. [Echo] 50:9 Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. [Echo] 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. [Echo] | 9:4 For I know that ye have searched much, many of you, to know of things to come; wherefore I know that ye know that our flesh must waste away and die; nevertheless, in our bodies we shall see God. 9:7 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more. |
Secret Works of Darkness | 28:15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: [Allusion] 28:17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. [Allusion] 28:18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. [Allusion] 50:10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. [Echo] 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. [Echo] | 9:9 And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness. 10:15 Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations. |
Way of Escape | 43:16 Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; [Echo] 51:10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? [Allusion] | 9:10 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit. 9:11 And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave. 10:20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea. |
Composite Sea Monster | 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? [Allusion] 51:10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? [Allusion] | 9:10 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit. 9:26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel. |
Death and Hell | 28:15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: [Allusion] 28:18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. [Allusion] | 9:10 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit. 9:12 And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel. 9:19 O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel! For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. 9:26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel. |
Deliverance of Captives | 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. [Echo] 49:9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. [Echo] 49:24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? [Allusion] 49:25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. [Allusion] 51:14 The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. [Echo] | 9:11 And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave. 9:12 And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel. 9:13 O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect. 9:19 O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel! For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. 9:26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel. |
Unclean | 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. [Echo] 52:11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. [Echo] | 9:14 Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness. 9:40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken. |
Clothed with Righteousness | 49:18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. [Echo] 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. [Allusion] | 9:14 Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness. |
Fiery Torment | 50:11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow [Echo] | 9:16 And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away, that they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still; wherefore, they who are filthy are the devil and his angels; and they shall go away into everlasting fire, prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end. 9:19 O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel! For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. 9:26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel. |
Despised the Shame | 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. [Allusion] 50:7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. [Allusion] 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [Echo] | 9:18 But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever. |
Suffering Messiah | 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. [Echo] 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. [Echo] 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. [Echo] | 9:21 And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam. 9:22 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day. |
Foolish Wisdom | 29:11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: [Allusion] 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. [Allusion] 50:4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. [Echo] | 9:28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. |
Deaf and Blind | 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. [Allusion] | 9:31 And wo unto the deaf that will not hear; for they shall perish. 9:32 Wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also. |
Return | 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. [Echo] | 9:38 And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins. |
Wise, Prudent, and Hidden | 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. [Allusion] | 9:43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints. |
Garments and Shaking | 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. [Allusion] 52:2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. [Allusion] | 9:44 O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I take off my garments, and I shake them before you; I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood. |
Shaking and Captivity | 52:2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. [Allusion] | 9:45 O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation. |
Prey | 49:24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? [Allusion] 49:25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. [Allusion] | 9:46 Prepare your souls for that glorious day when justice shall be administered unto the righteous, even the day of judgment, that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may not remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty—but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery. |
Awake | 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? [Allusion] 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. [Allusion] | 9:47 But behold, my brethren, is it expedient that I should awake you to an awful reality of these things? Would I harrow up your souls if your minds were pure? Would I be plain unto you according to the plainness of the truth if ye were freed from sin? |
Long Quotation | 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. [Quotation] | 9:50 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. |
Long Quotation | 55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. [Quotation] | 9:51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness. |
Gather Dispersed | 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. [Quotation] | 10:8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance. |
Isles | 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. [Allusion] 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. [Echo] 51:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. [Echo] | 10:8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance. 10:21 But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren. |
Nursing Gentiles | 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. [Quotation] | 10:9 Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers; wherefore, the promises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute? |
Light to the Gentiles | 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. [Echo] 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. [Echo] | 10:14 For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words. |
Father | 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. [Allusion] | 10:18 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel. |
Not Cast Off | 41:9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. [Echo] 50:1 Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. [Echo] | 10:20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea. |
- 1. Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Brass Plates Consistencies,” Evidence 392 (February 14, 2023).
- 2. See Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Autumn Festival Context in Jacob’s Speech,” Evidence 65 (September 19, 2020).
- 3. Note that whenever multiple types of relationships exist for a single verse, the more significant and meaningful type was chosen to be represented in this chart (with quotations being the most significant, followed by allusions and then echoes). This information was derived from charts included in the appendices created by Scripture Central staff.
- 4. Specifically, Nephi earlier quoted this very same passage in 1 Nephi 21:21 and then again used the phrase himself in 1 Nephi 22:4, providing a notable precedent.
- 5. For a much deeper dive into these relationships, see Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Isaiah’s Monster in Jacob’s Teachings,” Evidence 486 (March 19, 2025).
- 6. For those interested in the presence of New Testament language in the Book of Mormon, this series of KnoWhys gives a range of possible explanations: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9. For insight into what the Nephites may have known about the process of crucifixion, see Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Pre-Roman Crucifixion,” Evidence 449 (May 30, 2024). For more details on the suffering servant imagery from Isaiah and its presence in the Book of Mormon, see Scripture Central, “Why Did Isaiah Prophesy of a Suffering Messiah? (Isaiah 53:10),” KnoWhy 648 (February 17, 2023); Scripture Central, “Who is the Servant of Isaiah 49/1 Nephi 21? (1 Nephi 21:3; Isaiah 48:3),” KnoWhy 24 (January 20, 2024).
- 7. For more on Jacob’s ten woes, see Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Jacob’s Ten Woes,” Evidence 394 (February 28, 2023). For more on the symbolism of ten, which deals with similar lists of woes and other items, see Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Symbolism of 10,” Evidence 46 (September 19, 2020).
- 8. As for the instances of inversion, Isaiah encouraged Zion to “put on thy beautiful garments,” whereas Jacob stated, “I take off my garments.” Likewise, Isaiah encouraged Zion to “Shake thyself from the dust.” In contrast, Jacob stated, “I shook your iniquities from my soul.”
- 9. For other instances of physical action accompanying prophetic speech forms, see Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Simile Curses,” Evidence 40 (September 19, 2020); Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Nephi’s Funeral Sermon,” Evidence 218 (July 27, 2021).
- 10. This heading information has been in place at least since the 1981 edition of the Book of Mormon. For more information on the development and introduction of these headings, see “History of the Scriptures,” online at churchofjesuschrist.org.
- 11. The precise number of distinct quotations depends on how one chooses to count them. In some cases, Jacob pulled multiple phrases from a single Isaiah passage but then interspersed them throughout his own commentary. If such phrases are allowed to count as separate quotations, then Jacob’s writings contain over a dozen additional examples.
- 12. The Isaiah chapters which Jacob certainly (or, in a few cases, very likely) interacted with include Isaiah 11, 28, 29, 49, 50, 51, 52, 55. In contrast, those chapters with possible, but less certain, interactions include at least Isaiah 26, 31, 42, 43, 48, 53, 60, 61. Those who wish to assess these proposed relationships for themselves can search through the appendices.
- 13. See Isaiah 11:11; 13:22; 24:15; 40:15; 41:1, 5; 42:4, 10, 12, 15; 49:1; 59:18; 60:9; 66:19.
- 14. See Isaiah 24:14–15; 42:4, 10, 12; 49:1; 51:5; 60:9.
- 15. See Robert A. Cloward, “Isaiah 29 and the Book of Mormon,” in Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch (FARMS, 1998), 191–247.
- 16. Those interested in comparing the passages themselves should consult Appendix 2.
- 17. See Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: No Notes or Reference Materials,” Evidence 108 (November 2, 2020).
- 18. See Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Joseph Smith’s Education,” Evidence 1 (September 19, 2020).
- 19. For an overview of chapters that quote or paraphrase from Isaiah, see John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch, Charting the Book of Mormon: Visual Aids for Personal Study and Teaching (FARMS, 1999), chart 96. See also Royal Skousen and Stanford Carmack, King James Quotations in the Book of Mormon, Part 5 of The History of the Text of the Book of Mormon, Volume 3 of The Critical Text of the Book of Mormon (FARMS and BYU Studies, 2019), 289–431.
- 20. John S. Thompson, “Isaiah 50–51, the Israelite Autumn Festivals, and the Covenant Speech of Jacob in 2 Nephi 6–10,” in Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, 123–150.
- 21. See Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Isaiah’s Monster in Jacob’s Teachings,” Evidence 486 (March 19, 2025); Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Primordial Monsters,” Evidence 66 (September 19, 2020).
- 22. See Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Jacob’s Ten Woes,” Evidence 394 (February 28, 2023). For more on the symbolism of ten, which deals with similar lists of woes and other items, see Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Symbolism of 10,” Evidence 46 (September 19, 2020).
- 23. See Donald W. Parry, “Symbolic Action as Prophecy in the Old Testament” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University and Deseret Book 2005), 337–355. See also Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Simile Curses,” Evidence 40 (September 19, 2020); Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Nephi’s Funeral Sermon,” Evidence 218 (July 27, 2021).
- 24. See Donald W. Parry, Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon: The Complete Text Reformatted (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2007), 72–87. See also, See Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Words and Things,” Evidence 319 (March 15, 2022).
- 25. See also Numbers 6:24; Psalm 67:1–2.
- 26. See also Job 19:26; Moses 5:10.
- 27. See also 2 Samuel 22:6; Psalms 18:5; 55:15; 116:3; Proverbs 5:5; 7:27; Habakkuk 2:5; Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20:13; 20:14; Moses 6:29.
- 28. See also Job 29:14.
- 29. Although Jacob was likely borrowing from Nephi’s earlier comments in 1 Nephi 15:30, there may also be a meaningful tie-in with Isaiah 50:11, which Jacob had just quoted in his speech. Interestingly, what the King James translates as “lie down in sorrow,” more modern translations render as “lie down in torment.” Thus, both texts mention fire and torment in the context of talionic justice (e.g., you reap what you sow). See Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Talionic Justice,” Evidence 198 (May 28, 2021).
- 30. See also Hebrews 12:2.
- 31. See also Proverbs 12:15.
- 32. See also 2 Nephi 7:1.