Hebrew Idioms and Analogies in the Book of Mormon, IV

: —

Hebrew Idioms and Analogies in the

Book of Mormon

BY THOMAS W. BROOKBANK, ASSOCIATE EDITOR OF THE "MILLEN-

NIAL star"

IV

8. Concerning particular species of Hebrew verbs.

Hebrew verbs have seven different forms which have been

called species or conjugations. They represent as many modi-

fications of the verbal idea, and if the Hebrew verb meaning "to

kill" be taken as the representative of the regular verb, the vari-

ous species with their significations will be as follows

1. Kal (simple active), to kill.

2. Niphal (simple passive), to be killed.
   

3. Piel (intensive active), to kill many or massacre.

4. Pual (simple oassive), to be massacred.
   

5. Hiphil (causative active), to cause to kill.

6. Hophal (causative passive) to cause to be killed.

7. Hithpael (reflexive), to kill one's self.

See Greene's Hebrczv Grammar, par. 76:1, and par. 83.

Two of these seven species are causatives, and the ancient

Hebrews made frequent use of them.

Of course, the English affords all the terms necessary to ex-

press a causative idea, but we do not resort to their use in gen"

eral, unless the idea of causation is a leading, or at least a promi-

nent one. On the contrary, the Hebrew does employ the verb

for "to cause," or the causative species of verbs, in many in-

stances where the English ignores the use of terms to express

plainly the idea of causation, as :

"And took her and pulled her [caused her to come] in unto him

into the ark." —

Gen. 8:9.

"Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth [cause to bud]." Gen. —

3:18.

"And the field and the cave were made sure [caused to stand]

unto Abraham." — Gen. 23:20.

"And I will rid [cause to cease] evil beasts out of the land."

Lev. 26:6.

"And let them shave [cause a razor to pass over]." Num. 8: 7. —

"And Menahem exacted [caused to come forth] the money."

II. Kings 15:20.

"And he put down [caused to cease] the idolatrous priests."

II. Kings 23:5.

"When he came home, he sent and called [caused to come] his

friends."— Est. 5:10.

"And bring him [cause him to ride] on horseback." Est. 6:9 —

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624 l.M PRl JVEMENT EK \

[LLUSTRATIONS FROM 'UK BOOK OF MORMON

The Book "f Mormon frequently follows this Hebrew mode,

and uses one form or another of the verb "to cause," in its active

or passive relation, where the English does not require it, as:

"I will cause [make them loathsome] thai they shall he loath-

—

some to thy people." II. Nephi 5:22.

"And will cause [make them howl] that they shall howl

I

allthe day long." —

Mos. 12:4.

• • "And he will take away from them the lands of their pos-

sessions; and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten." II. —

Nephi 1:11.

The change in this passage from the simple active to the caus-

ative passive is as noticeable as it is abrupt, there being no ap-

parent reason for making it, from an English point of view; but

as the equivalent of a verbal form, familiar to Hebrew writers, its

occurrence here is not hard to account for. Again

"And if the Lord shall say, because of thine iniquities thou shalt

be cut off from my presence, he wil! [do it] cause that it shall be so."

— Hela. 12:21.

"for the sword of his justice is in his right hand, and *

if he spurn at his doings, he will [let it fall upon you] cause that it

shall soon overtake you." —

III. Nephi 29:4.

"Yea, it grieveth my soul, and [maketh] causeth me to shrink

—

with shame." Jacob 2:6.

There is here a change from the simple to the causative

active.

• • "that they could cause [compel] them to vield." — III. Nephi

4:16.

"Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire * *

and that great city Moroni have I caused to be sunk in the depths of

the sea, * * and that great city Moronihah have I covered with

earth, * * and the city of Gilgal have I caused to be sunk, and the

inhabitants thereof to be buried up in the depths of the earth, * *

and waters have I caused to come up in the stead thereof, * * and

the city of Gadiandi and the city of Gadiomnah * * have I caused

to be sunk, and made hills and valleys in the place thereof, and the

inhabitants thereof have I buried up in the depths of the earth, * *

and that great city Jacobugath have I caused to be burned with fire."

—III. Ne.aii 9:3-9.

In these passages the abrupt transition from one species of

verb to another is remarkable. Beginning with the simple active,

the causative passive next occurs, then we find a return to the

simple active, which is followed by the causative passive, a num-

ber of times, but succeeded again by the simple active, and that

once more by the causative passive. Once again, in verse 9, the

latter verbal form appears; and also once in verse 10. not here

quoted. Tn verse 11, a return is made to the simple active, and in

verse 12 the causative active form is found, and thus closes this

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HEBREW IDIOMS IX THE BOOK OF MORMON 625

noticeable series of transitions from one verbal form to another,

and illustrating the employment of a species of Hebrew verb

whose use, in these instances, is not required by any principle of

our own language.

• • "in my anger I did cause [command] my people to come up

lo war."— Mos. 20:15!

"And he did cause his people to commit sin." — Mos. 11:2; 26:6.

Our ideas of the individual responsibility on the part of him

who commits sin would lead us in these latter passages to sub-

stitute some word for "did cause" which should imply the exercise

of less power over the people. Other examples of the use of

"cause," subject to a like criticism, are found in Mos. 10:4, 5, etc.

This use of the word "cause" is analogically proper, however,

according to the Hebraic meaning given to it sometimes, as ex-

amples already submitted make manifest.

Lest the reader become wearied, examples affecting this mat-

ter are now concluded. Those supplied, showing as they do the

use of a causative form of expression, or of causative verbal

compounds, which are identical with certain Hebraic practices or

verbal form, as the case may be, make it appear that such con-

structions and forms were as familiar to the writers of the Book

of Mormon as they could possibly have been to any Hebrew who

ever lived. Such usages or constructions involving the idea of

causation are not noticeable features of English composition, and

we leave them with the Jew or Jews who gave them being. In a

number of these examples the use of the infinitive is discarded.

9. The verb "to begin," a copulative.

Prof. Greene says that the predicate of a sentence in Hebrew,

if a substantive, adjective or pronoun, may be connected with its

subject without an intervening copula, or the use of certain men-

tioned words may be employed, or "verbs which denote some mod-

ification of being are sometimes employed in the same way."

Hebrew Grammar, par. 258:3. a.

Thus (omitting the Hebrew which the professor supplied)

—

we have, "his eyes began [to be] dim" I. Sam. 3:2; and, "Noah

—

began [to be] a husbandman" Gen. 9:10. Another example oc-

curs in Matt. 26:37, which reads, "And he took with him Peter,

and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very

heavy." So in Mark 14:19, "And they began -to be sorrowful,

and to say unto him one by one, Is it I ?"

Book of Mormon examples :

"And we began to be exceeding sorrowful." — I Nephi 3:14; 17:19;

Alma 4:15; IT I. Nephi 1:7.

"I began to be desirous." —

I. Nephi 8:12; Mos. 21:6.

"It began to be exceeding difficult." —

I. Nephi 16:21.

—

"And we began to be frightened exceedingly." I. Nephi 18:13.

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626 IMPROVEMENT ERA

"And thus he slew a certain number of them, insomuch that they

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began to he astonished." Alma 17:36, 37.

• •                          —
    

"they began to he offended." Alma 35:15.

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"My faith began to he unshaken." Enos 1:11.

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"The people began to be astonished." Alma 10:12.

• •                           —
    

began again to he astonished." Alma 11:46.

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"began to he more astonished." Alma 12:19.

Tf we pause a moment to weigh the meaning which "began"

implies in these passages, wc will plainly perceive that the sense

is wholly foreign to our modes of thinking, and, consequently, the

word "began" should be omitted from the text, if pruned to an

English standard. Thus, referring to the quoted passage, "they

began to be frightened exceedingly"— feelings which were occa-

sioned by a terrible storm which was encountered when Lehi and

his little company of colonists were crossing the seas in an untried

ship to the "land of promise" — the sense which the word "began"

conveys is that there was a fright of unusual intensity in prospect.

and the people were working themselves, or were being worked

up to it by degrees. Tt may be said with assurance that if any one

with English blood in his veins had been present on that occa-

sion, he would immediately have been frightened outright and ex-

ceedingly, without waiting for any varying or increasing stages

of fright to intervene. At any rate, when speaking of such ex-

periences we say that we "were" frightened exceedingly or

greatly. It certainly is a peculiar idiom which suffers a state of

oppressive fear, or of great astonishment, or of extreme difficulty,

to be referred to as a "beginning" of that state or condition. These

remarks also particularly apply, in their place, to the expression,

"began to be offended" for English "were offended."

10. Active for Passive Verbs.
    

"And I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant to the

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people, * * to cause to inherit the desolate heritages." Isa. 49:8',

for "to cause the desolate heritages to he inherited."

"There remaineth yet very much land to possess it" (to be pos-

sessed). —

Josh. 13:1.

Book of Mormon illustrations

"And Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given

them of old, * * and they were kept by the power of the devil, to

— —

administer these oaths unto the people." Ether 8:15, 16 to he admin-

istered.

"There are many who do add [have added] to their numbers

daily."— Hela. l5:6.

"How great the importance to make these things known." — II.

Nephi 2:8 —that these things shall be made known, or, "of making," etc.

11. Verbs with Cognate Nouns.

In some instances cognate nouns are governed directly by the

verb, while in others they follow a preposition.

Examples from the Bible :

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HEBREW IDIOMS IX THE BOOK OF MORMON 627

And slay and make ready"— literally "kill a killing."— Gen. 43:16.

'I

"All that enter in to perform the service," or, "war the warfare "

— Num. 4:23.

"And David fasted,"— "fasted a fast."— II. Sam. 12:16; "made a

conspiracy"— "conspired a conspiracy."— II. Chron. 25:27. "wept very

sore,"— "wept a great weeping."— Ezra 10:1; "feared a fear"—Job 3:

25; "fled a flight"—Jer. 46:5; "wall a wall"— Hos. 2:6; and in another

form we have, "stand upon my standing"— Dan. 8:18; "fashioner of his

fashion"— Hab. 2:18; "the desire of Solomon which he desired"— I-

Kings 9:19.

Those that follow are found in the Book of Mormon

— —

"peopled with a people" Mos. 8:8; "dreamed a dream" I. Nephi

3:2; 8:2; "warred a warfare" — —

Alma 1:1; "written a writing" I. Nephi

16:29; "write the writing" —

II. Nephi 3:18; "slew with slaughter" —

Mos.

10:20; Alma 2:18; see also Alma 2:19; 49:21 59:7; "curse with a curse"—

;

I. Nephi 2:23; "work a work"— I Nephi 14:7; III Nephi 21:9; "yoketh

— —

with a yoke" I. Nephi 13:5; "taxed with a tax" Mos. 7:15; Ether

10:5; "feared with fear" — —

Alma 18:5; "creature of his creating" Mos.

27:30.

In most of these examples qualifying terms which are not

essential to the illustrations, are omitted.

(to be continued)

The Potter's Field

There sleepeth here beneath the ever-changing sky

A city's unloved dead:

And all the world doth pass them by,

Yet earth doth pillow soft each weary head,

And like a mother crooneth low beside each humble btd.

Mayhap one hungered for the light of stars,

Yet blindly groped the upward way along,

Missing the radiance he sought,

But ever chanting one poor quavering little song

To strengthen some wayfarer on the road,

Who scarce could bear the burden of his load.

Mayhap upon the altar of some heart

A holy flame burned, dim and low;

While one departed hence to sound of music, soft and slow,

From unseen choir of angels

For Heaven, a soul's true worth doth know.

Yet, when vast cycles wheel their way around,

Unhonored dead, and those whom pomp laid in the ground,

Shall be as one beneath the gorgeous robe that nature spreads

So tenderly, above their beds.

Courageous deeds and thoughts most pure,

Alone, shall live forever and endure;

And heaven to each his meed shall yield —

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For God knows not nor recks the "Potter's Field!"

Maud Baggarley

waterloo, utah