“Because of Their Iniquity, Shall Judge Him”

Brant Gardner

Reference: This passage may be a paraphrase of a Messianic passage in Isaiah 53:3–5:

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.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
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.

But it is also possible that Nephi drew this passage from his own vision. I find it even more likely that Nephi, familiar with Isaiah, used it in framing his description drawn from his vision but used his own phrasing. When Abinadi quotes this same passage (Mosiah 14:3–5), he is obviously quoting the brass plates. Nephi does not. Nephi’s recounting of the Passion diverges from the Isaiah passage and therefore is probably more strongly based on his vision. This conclusion is strengthened by the fact that Nephi certainly was not averse to quoting Isaiah.

Nevertheless, Nephi’s treatment of other brass plate texts (v. 10) shows him as more interested in the reference than the quotation, even though he quotes plenty later.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1

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