2 Nephi 19 corresponds to Isaiah 9. Verse 1 is a transition between the previous and the following prophecy. In the Hebrew versions of Isaiah, it appears as the last verse of the previous chapter rather than the first verse of chapter 9. The 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon did not have a break here, so this division is not significant.
The Revised Standard Version (RSV) translates this verse as: “But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.” Victor Ludlow quotes this translation, then comments:
In this verse Isaiah immediately sets up a contrast between former and latter times. The former time refers to his own age when the Assyrians were punishing the Israelites in the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, two tribes located near the Sea of Galilee; the latter time is a future period when God will “be heavy” (from the Hebrew root, kaved) with the land. Translators differ as to the meaning of this term, saying variously that God will “make glorious,” “deal heavily” (NIV), or “grievously afflict” (King James Version) the area. Besides the unsurety of what the Lord’s actions will be, the precise time of this manifestation is not presented, and, for unknown reasons, the land area to be affected in the latter time is larger than that which was anciently attacked by the Assyrians. Also, the “way of the sea” is not identified, although the Book of Mormon includes a clarifying modifier, calling it the “way of the Red Sea” (2 Ne. 19:1).
The NIV and Gileadi, like the RSV, explicitly contrast former and latter times, while the King James Version might be read as two separate afflictions of the same area. The contrast between darkness and light that will be the theme of the next verse suggests, however, that the better reading for the first verse would also be a contrast. Given this broader context, the difficult translation of “more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea” would also better be read as “make glorious the way of the sea” (RVS), because it follows the contrast of former/latter and afflicted/ glorious. Ludlow explains the logic of this reading:
Verse 1 of chapter 9 bridges chapters 8 and 9, and its position might help clarify its meaning. In fact, it is included as the last verse of chapter 8 in the Hebrew versions of Isaiah but is made the beginning verse of chapter 9 in most English translations. Chapter 8 ends with a gloomy note of trouble and darkness, while, beginning in verse 2, chapter 9 speaks of light and joy. Therefore, it seems likely that chapter 9 verse 1 includes both a former time of darkness and a latter time when the Lord’s “heaviness” will provide blessings.
Isaiah takes the theme of the darkness at the end of chapter 18 and transforms it into not simply a future physical condition, but a future spiritual one. His first step in that transformation shifts the contextual dimness from the Assyrian invasion to something else. The transition hinges on the location of Zebulun and Naphtali because they were among the hardest hit in the Assyrian invasion. Their historical “darkness” may now be contrasted with a future state. The darkness/light transition is therefore hinged on a past/future transition effected in this first verse.
Redaction: This revelation apparently describes a later time than that of the previous revelation in chapter 18. Because the destruction in Zebulun and Naphtali appears in the past tense, this section of Isaiah was apparently written after the Assyrian destruction of Israel. The invasion was the subject of the previous prophecy but is now fulfilled.
However, the beginning of this revelation depends on the previous text. The closing verse of chapter 18 shows people in darkness. The darkness of chapter 19 continues that at the end of chapter 18. While one would suppose that the prophecy of the Assyrian conquest in chapter 18 was given and written separately, the form in which they currently exist was created after Isaiah enunciated them. In other words, Isaiah prophesied before the event, but he or someone else edited the prophecies once they became a body of work rather than individual pieces.
This literary and textual continuation between chapters 18 and 19 (Isa. 8–9) is illustrated in the 1830 text of the Book of Mormon, which does not place a chapter break between these more modern chapters.
Variant/Translation: The KJV has “afflict her by the way of the sea.” The Book of Mormon has “afflict by the way of the Red Sea.” It is not known why the addition of “Red Sea” is made in the Book of Mormon. It appears to be an attempt to clarify which “sea,” but it does not recognize that “way of the sea” was a known designation for a well-traveled route connecting Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Tvedtnes suggests that the addition of the “Red” Sea is clearly an error: “The [Book of Mormon] must be wrong in speaking of the “RED Sea”, which is certainly not “beyond Jordan, in Galilee”, nor near the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. This appears to be a case of scribal overcorrection, due to prior mention of the Red Sea in the [Book of Mormon] text.”
Another feature of the changes made between the KJV Isaiah and that of the Book of Mormon is the removal of “her.” This is an italicized word in the KJV, and italicized words appear to receive extra attention in the Book of Mormon translation. Joseph Smith appears to have understood that the italicized words were added by the KJV translators to make sense of the Hebrew. Combined with the addition of the “Red Sea,” these changes appear to suggest a modern interaction with the KJV text that intends to both “restore” by removing the italicized words that were not originally present, and by attempting to clarify which sea. Such changes warn us that we should be very cautious about suggesting a literal translation of the plates. The evidence suggests that Joseph’s intellect participated in the project (also suggested by D&C 9:7–10).