This is my original post in response to a post by Sojourner about new manuscripts that we have now, that are better than the KJV, particularly the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Yeah, I think I know what I'm talking about, this time.
OK:biglaugh: Do you know what you're talking about?
Of course
Alright I finally have the book on the Dead Sea Scrolls that talks about the translation of the Great Isaiah Scroll. It was written by Donald Parry, a Professor of Hebrew and Hebrew literature at BYU, and Stephen Ricks, also a Professor of Hebrew at BYU. This is going to be mostly from their book,
The Dead Sea Scrolls-Questions and Answers.
"Several readings of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon are supported by the Isaiah scroll."
"1. In many cases passages in the Isaiah scroll and in the BoM contain the conjunction
and, which is lacking in the corresponding KJV text. Compare the following:
"and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not" (KJV, Isaiah 3:9)
"and they declare their sin as Sodom,
and they hide it not" (Isaiah Scroll, Isaiah 3:9)
"and doth declare their sin to be even as Sodom,
and they cannot hide it" (BoM, 2 Nephi 13:9=Isaiah 3:9)
2. Second Nephi 24:32 lacks the word
one, which appears in Isaiah 14:32. The BoM version thus makes
messengers the subject of the verb
answer. The Hebrew Bible uses a singular verb, but the Isaiah scroll uses the plural, in agreement w/ the BoM:
"What shall
one then answer the messengers of the nation?" (KJV, Isaiah 14:32)
"What shall then answer the messengers of the nations?" (Isaiah scroll, Isaiah 14:32)
"What shall the answer the messengers of the nations?" (BoM, 2 Nephi 24:32=Isaiah14:32)
3. Tn the KJV, Isaiah 48:11 reads, "for how should my name be polluted?" while 1Nephi 20:11 Reads, "for I will not suffer my name to be polluted." The Isaiah scroll supports the BoM by having the verb in the first person, as follows:
"for
I will not suffer my name to be polluted" (Isaiah Scroll, Isaiah 14:32)
4. In the KJV, Isaiah 50:2 reads, "their fish stinketh, because there is no water," and the Isaiah scroll reads, "their fish dry up because there is no water." 2 Nephi 7:2 essentially preserves the verb
stinketh from the KJV and the phrasal verb
dry up from the Isaiah scroll, it reads:"their fish to
stink becauase the waters are
dried up."
5. Often a singular noun in the KJV is represented by a plural noun in the BoM. One example of this appears in Isaiah 9:9, where the KJV reads,
inhabitant, and 2 Nephi 19:9 reads,
inhabitants. The Isaiah scroll supports the reading of the BoM w/ its reaking of
inhabitants:
"and the
inhabitant of Samaria" (KJV, Isaiah 9:9)
"and the
inhabitants of Samaria" (Isaiah scroll, Isaiah 9:9)
"and the
inhabitants of Samaria" (BoM, 2 Nephi 19:9=Isaiah 9:9)
These examples of variant readings in which the Isaiah passages in the BoM agree w/ the Isaiah scroll, but not w/ the KJV could be multiplied."
This is me again. What did you guys think? Am I still wrong? Sorry about the length, but I think it was worth it.