and that they might know concerning the prophecies which had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers which was delivered them by the hand of the Lord
One wonders here if there might be a preposition missing before the indirect object them, perhaps unto or to. Elsewhere in the text there are seven examples of the verb
deliver where an immediately following pronominal indirect object takes either the preposition unto or to:
- 1 Nephi 3:20 which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit
- Jacob 4:14 and delivered unto them many things
- Mosiah 2:31 which shall be delivered unto you by him
- Mosiah 4:1 which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord
- Mosiah 25:21 according as it was delivered to him by the mouth of Alma
- Mosiah 28:11 which was delivered to him by the hand of Limhi
- Alma 16:6 and there the Lord will deliver unto thee thy brethren
Yet there is one other example in the text where the verb deliver takes an immediately following pronominal indirect object without any preposition:
- 2 Nephi 27:24 the words that shall be delivered him
This usage is quite common in the King James Bible:
- Genesis 42:34 so will I deliver you your brother
- Leviticus 6:2 that which was delivered him to keep
- Leviticus 6:4 or that which was delivered him to keep
- Leviticus 26:26 and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight
- Deuteronomy 24:13 thou shalt deliver him the pledge again
- Judges 20:13 now therefore deliver us the men
- 2 Samuel 3:14 deliver me my wife Michal
- 1 Kings 20:5 thou shalt deliver me thy silver and thy gold
- 2 Kings 18:23 and I will deliver thee two thousand horses
- 2 Kings 22:10 Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book
- Luke 19:13 and he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds
- Acts 16:4 they delivered them the decrees for to keep
- Romans 6:17 that form of doctrine which was delivered you
The critical text will therefore retain the two cases where the pronominal indirect object takes no preposition, here in Mosiah 1:2 as well as in 2 Nephi 27:24.
