Comparison: The Book of Mormon text is different from KJV Isaiah, which reads: “Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil” (Isa. 9:3). The Book of Mormon removes “not,” thus reversing the meaning. The Masoretic manuscripts (the preserved Hebrew text) have l’ (“not”), while there are twenty copies of the Masoretic text that have lw (“for him”). Tvedtnes notes that both words are pronounced the same; the discrepancy can be explained as scribal changes.
Both Gileadi and the NIV remove “not,” making the message positive. As with the contextual reading of the first verse, which acknowledges the contrasts between darkness/light and former/latter as the governing structure, the contrasting structures here juxtapose the future state of increased joy to contrast with the previous state of darkness and sorrow.
The Book of Mormon Isaiah also removes the final phrase of verse 4: “as in the day of Midian.” Tvedtnes notes that the phrase appears in the Masoretic manuscript and suggests that its omission from the Book of Mormon was either a textual variation on the brass plates or an “accidental deletion by Joseph Smith, his scribe, or the printer.” Isaiah is referring to God’s delivering the Midianites to Gideon (Judg. 7:7–25). The allusion thus supports the concept that God will eventually rescue the righteous from their enemies, who will be destroyed. Perhaps Nephi omitted it because his people, especially after the first generation, would not understand the allusion, but there is no evidence that he made a similar decision about equally obscure allusions. There is, however, some indication that this could be due to Joseph Smith’s active “translation” of the English text of Isaiah. (See 3 Nephi, Part 1: Context,Chapter 3 “Notes on the Translation Process.”) Joseph Smith’s translation of the Sermon on the Mount follows and interacts with the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew. Joseph Smith is similarly interacting with the KJV text and makes changes that remove obvious Old World references (though certainly not all of them). The parallel between what Joseph was doing with the Sermon on the Mount and what he does in Isaiah would suggest that Joseph removed the phrase rather than Nephi. Given other evidence of Joseph Smith’s translation method where there is a clear KJV model, I see this as an intentional deletion rather than rather than a scribal accident.
Literature: Isaiah’s phrase, “land of the shadow of death,” may be echoing Psalm 23:4: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
Scripture: The hopeful note sounded in verse 2 is amplified in this passage. There are at least two ways to read the prophecy—as an imminent act and in a future not tied to human timelines. Verse 4 speaks of throwing off the oppressor’s yoke. This prophecy was fulfilled during Hezekiah’s reign (716/715–687/686). The unspecified future of verse 3 correlates deliverance to a harvest. While the image loosely fits the political redemption, it seems more eschatological than imminent, as the final victory, not victory in a single battle of an ongoing war. Thus, these verses continue to sustain a dual reading—simultaneously applicable to immediate events and to a far-distant future.
Symbolism: The rod and staff are symbols of political and military power. In Psalm 23, Yahweh provides the government and protection. The rod is a shorter stick used in defense, while the staff is not only a longer defensive weapon, but also represents the bearer’s authority. (See commentary accompanying 1 Nephi 3:29.)
Isaiah 10:15 also uses rod/staff imagery: “Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.” Shaking the rod suggests that it is used as a threat. Raising the staff evokes the image of Moses raising his staff to sustain his troops in battle (Ex. 17:9–13). The angel who gave Gideon his mission as judge and military leader came bearing a staff: “Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock” (Judg. 6:21).