In the early chapters of the Book of Mormon we are introduced to fascinating linguistic phenomena arising out of the Hebrew language and culture from which the record came. These expressions are called Hebraisms, sets of words or phrases that appear in English but with Hebrew-like construction. The small plates of Nephi especially, written mostly by Nephi and Jacob, who knew Hebrew, would understandably feature many examples of Hebraisms.
One of the most common Hebraisms is the cognate accusative, in which Hebrew verbs and their related nouns are used in the same phrase, something writers try to avoid in English. Old Testament examples with which these migrating Israelites would be familiar are “bloom blossoms” (Numbers 17:8); “sacrificed sacrifices” (1 Samuel 11:15); “divine divinations” (Ezekiel 13:23); and “preach the preaching” (Jonah 3:2).
Book of Mormon examples include “curse … with a curse” (1 Nephi 2:23); “dreamed a dream” (1 Nephi 3:2); “yoketh … with a yoke” (1 Nephi 13:5); “work a … work” (1 Nephi 14:7); “write the writing” (2 Nephi 3:18); “build buildings” (2 Nephi 5:15); “desire which I desired” (Enos 1:13); “taxed with a tax” (Mosiah 7:15); “peopled with a people” (Mosiah 8:8); “judge … judgments” (Mosiah 29:43); “warred a … warfare” (Alma 1:1); “number … not numbered” (Alma 3:1); “sing the song” (Alma 5:26); and “die a … death” (Alma 12:16).
These and many other examples corroborate the fact that the Book of Mormon originated from ancient Semitic cultures and languages.