“Behold He Eateth but He Awaketh and His Soul Is Empty”

Monte S. Nyman

2 And when that day shall come they shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm, and with tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire.7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.3 And all the nations that fight against Zion, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision; yea, it shall be unto them, even as unto a hungry man which dreameth, and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty; or like unto a thirsty man which dreameth, and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite; yea, even so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion. [2 Nephi 27:2–3]8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he isfaint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion. [Isaiah 29:7–8]

The spiritual famine of the latter days, described in these verses, were also described by Amos.

11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
13 In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. [Amos 8:11–13]

Nephi’s quoting of Isaiah has several variations from the King James text, but the most significant is the Book of Mormon’s usage of “Zion” in place of the KJV “Ariel.” In the JST, the Prophet Joseph Smith also made some slight changes in verse 8, but none in verse 7. This may indicate either that he did not complete the revision of this section in the JST or that the word “Ariel” may have a broader application than previously supposed. Note that the KJV verse 8 concludes with “mount Zion” and not “Ariel.”

Book of Mormon Commentary: I Nephi Wrote This Record

References