1 Nephi 5:8 Textual Variants

Here the 1920 LDS edition interpreted the original gave as a perfect form, under the assumption that the text intended to conjoin three past participial forms: “the Lord hath protected … and [hath] delivered … and [hath] gave”. Since “hath gave” would be unacceptable in standard English, gave was edited to given in the 1920 edition. Of course, it is possible to interpret both delivered and gave as instances of the simple past tense (equivalent to “the Lord hath protected … and [he] delivered … and [he] gave”). A similar conjunctive example involving the verb form gave is found later on in the text:

• 3 Nephi 18:6
  • even as I have broken bread and blessed it and [gave 1ABCDEFGHIJKLNPS|gave > given M|given OQRT] it unto you

Also see the discussion under 1 Nephi 1:14, where the saw of “my father had read and saw many great and marvelous things” was replaced by seen in the 1920 LDS edition.

Although infrequent, the original text has clear examples of the simple past-tense form gave being used as a past participial form:

• Alma 47:13 (reading in 𝓞)
  • Amalickiah desired him to come down with his army in the nighttime and surround those men in their camps over whom the king had gave him command
• Alma 55:20 (reading in 𝓞)
  • for he had armed those prisoners of the Nephites which were within the walls of the city and had gave them power to gain possession of those parts which were within the walls

For a complete discussion, see past participle in volume 3.