1 Nephi 1:2-4

1 Nephi 1:2-4

2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.
3 And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.
4 For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.

Quotes for Discussion

Hebrew Shorthand

Hebrew is a completely alphabetic language, whereas in Egyptian a symbol can represent an entire concept.
R. Millet and J.F. McConkie, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 1:20

Lehi a Prophet

Hugh B. Brown has defined eleven characteristics that “should distinguish a man who claims to be a prophet.” Lehi manifests them all: (1) He boldly claims that God has spoken to him; (2) he is a dignified man bearing a dignified message; (3) he declares his message without fear; (4) he bears witness without argument or concession; (5) he speaks in the name of the Lord; (6) he predicts future events that come to pass; (7) his message pertains to future as well as present generations; (8) he endures persecution; (9) he denounces wickedness fearlessly; (10) he does things that no man could do without God’s help; and (11) his teachings are in strict agreement with scripture. Other criteria can be added to this list; for example, (12) that he prophesies of Christ. Each of these characteristics are found in 1 Nephi 1:4-20 and in the life and courageous deeds of the prophet Lehi.

Why is the phrase “it came to pass” repeated so often in the Book of Mormon?

Instead of punctuation, the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon divides up its phrases by introducing each by an “and,” “behold,” “now,” or “It came to pass….” Simply outrageous—as English literature, but it is standard Egyptian practice….In Egyptian these expressions were not merely adornments,…they are a grammatical necessity and may not be omitted.
Hugh Nibley, Collected Works, 7:150


Who was Zedekiah and What Were the Political Conditions When Lehi Began His Ministry?

In the year 608 B.C.—which marks the era immediately preceding the opening of the Book of Mormon—[the kingdom of] Judah faced its crucial hour. Necho, Pharaoh of Egypt, had dispatched an army against Assyria, and the path of the Egyptian advance lay through Palestine. Josiah, King of Judah, resolved to resist the approaching army and went out to meet it at the head of a plucky little Judean force. In the battle that followed, the Hebrews were beaten and King Josiah was slain. The Jews then chose one of Josiah’s sons, Jehoahaz, for their king; but after a three-month term of office the Egyptians replaced him with another of Josiah’s sons, whose name was Jehoiakim. For three years the Pharaoh of Egypt exercised political control of the kingdom of Judah through the puppet Jehoiakim. Then in the memorable year 605 B.C. the Babylonians marshaled a mighty army and crushed the Pharaoh’s cohorts in the battle of Carchemish and, in so doing, took the Jewish nation out of Egypt’s grasp. (The biblical account of this era is found in 2 Kings, chaps. 23-25; 2 Chronicles, chap. 36; Jeremiah, chaps. 26-39.)

But the Jewish people did not gain their freedom. Instead of Egyptian foreigners ruling their country, Babylonian foreigners took their place. Southern Palestine became a Babylonian vassal state. Unfortunately for all concerned, they allowed the quisling Jehoiakim, Jewish appointee of Egypt, to retain his throne. Before long the new monarch and his subjects were in revolt. In response, King Nebuchadnezzar moved an army to Jerusalem and laid siege against the rebellious city. About this time Jehoiakim either died or was taken captive by the enemy, for Jehoiachin, his son, is spoken of in the biblical account as surrendering to the Babylonians.

These struggles between Assyria, Babylonia, and Egypt took place before the Book of Mormon record opens but during the lifetime of its early leading characters. When the account commences, twenty-one-year-old Zedekiah, the well-meaning but utterly weak uncle of the ill-fated King Jehoiachin, is spoken of as being in the first year of his reign. According to the book of 2 Kings, he was appointed to the throne by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It was a time of great wickedness. Immorality and corruption were rampant. Dishonesty, false swearing, and idolatry were common vices of the day. As if the sins of the people were not already enough to invite God’s judgments, Zedekiah chose to follow the disastrous course of Jehoiakim in seeking an alliance with Egypt and scheming a break from Babylonia. It was at this point that the prophet Jeremiah, whose gloomy prophecies had already brought him notoriety in Jehoiakim’s day, thundered forth anew the ominous pronouncement that Jerusalem and its temple were doomed for destruction and the entire nation would be led into captivity if they did not repent and heed the admonitions of the Lord. But the declaration that God would turn against his chosen people and allow his sacred temple and his holy city to be destroyed was considered an outrage. To the incensed priests and princes the prophecy was traitorous and bordered on blasphemy. Jeremiah’s arrest and imprisonment were ordered. [Had Lehi remained in Jerusalem, he likely would have received a similar fate or worse.]
Daniel H. Ludlow, A companion to Your Study of the book of Mormon, pp. 62-63

[Hemidakota]

How is it possible for Lehi to be learneth in the language of the Egyptians? Is it possible for Lehi originate from the land of Egypt, living in his father's house and later, at the age of accountability move to the Land of Jerusalem?

2 Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.

[Heather]

You've got me on that one.

[skalenfehl]

I have to assume, Hemi, that this wasn't a rhetorical question. Would an Egyptian have the lineage of Joseph as Lehi did? Joseph was sold into Egypt, though, and he did move his family to Goshen after forgiving his brothers. I'm not sure how much of the Egyptian culture the Israelites adopted until the great exodus, though. Lehi definitely displayed a cosmopolitan personality as did Nephi.

cos·mo·pol·i·tan (kzm-pl-tn)
adj.
1. Pertinent or common to the whole world: an issue of cosmopolitan import.
2. Having constituent elements from all over the world or from many different parts of the world: the ancient and cosmopolitan societies of Syria and Egypt.
3. So sophisticated as to be at home in all parts of the world or conversant with many spheres of interest: a cosmopolitan traveler.
4. Ecology Growing or occurring in many parts of the world; widely distributed.

[rameumptom]

Hugh Nibley suggests that Lehi was a traveling salesman, or merchant. The names of his sons seem to suggest different periods in his life: Laman and Lemuel are Arab, Nephi and Sam are Egyptian, and Jacob and Joseph are Hebrew.

It may be that Lehi began a traveler on the Incense Trail, trading with Arabs, and naming his sons in their language and custom. Later, he would make travels to Egypt, naming 2 more sons after this period of time (Nephi and Sam). Finally, in his Abrahamic sojourn in the wilderness, he would return to his patriarchal roots, and name his youngest sons Jacob and Joseph.

Given that Lehi seems to have had tents and provisions already prepared for a trip into the wilderness, I believe he continued to trade. Interestingly, the route Lehi took from Jerusalem down to Nahom is the spice/Incense trade route, suggesting he may have previously used some of the stopping off locations in the past and was aware of his surroundings.

[DeborahC]

Hebrew is a completely alphabetic language, whereas in Egyptian a symbol can represent an entire concept.
R. Millet and J.F. McConkie, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 1:20

I'm not sure I agree with this if I'm reading it correctly. Having studied a bit of Hebrew, I know that each letter is also a symbol and has deep meaning of its own. There's just too much information to explain, but here is one website I found with a quick search that explains some of the meanings of (A) or Aleph. The Letter Aleph

So, I'm not sure I agree.

BUT, that said, for me it makes the BOM even more rich, because there are precious things hidden there, in plain sight.

[DeborahC]

Originally Posted by Hemidakota

How is it possible for Lehi to be learneth in the language of the Egyptians? Is it possible for Lehi originate from the land of Egypt, living in his father's house and later, at the age of accountability move to the Land of Jerusalem?

Well, I think we have this idea that this was the stone age or something. But these people were more modern than we think. There were well-established roads, trade routes, libraries, schools, and information was shared between people of varying cultures. I tend to agree with Hugh Nibley. Salesmen often know many languages, especially international salesmen.

[Hemidakota]

Good point and I am aware of Hugh's thought on this subject. If we could unlock history of that time frame in determining which tribe did make that return journey back to the land of Egypt as 'smiths' of that day, whether or not this has weight on Lehi's background in metallurgy and short-hand version of the Egyptian writings.

[Islander]

Originally Posted by Hemidakota

Good point and I am aware of Hugh's thought on this subject. If we could unlock history of that time frame in determining which tribe did make that return journey back to the land of Egypt as 'smiths' of that day, whether or not this has weight on Lehi's background in metallurgy and short-hand version of the Egyptian writings.

That is a very good point. It should be noted that since early in the 6th Century BCE the Assyrian kings have been harassing the northern tribes of Israel and large influx of Jews have been migrating back and forth to Egypt and today's Jordan. The ancient world was a lot more fluid and mobile than the current geopolitical arrangements we have today. Writing scripts were utilized depending on circumstances, writing material, space available, skill of the scribe and the like.

It could be said, for example, that I am utilizing the language of the Scotts, the learning of the Anglo-Saxon and the writing of the Latins to leave this post.

[DeborahC]

Sometimes I feel like I'm invisible on this forum...

maybe I am!