Mosiah 16:1 Textual Variants

Royal Skousen
and now it came to pass that after Abinadi had spoken these words he stretched forth his [hands 1|hand ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST] and said …

Here the 1830 typesetter changed the plural hands to the singular hand, probably because he expected the singular in the expression “to stretch forth one’s hand(s)”. It is quite possible that for Mosiah 16:1 the plural hands in 𝓟 is a scribal error for hand. There are many other examples, especially in the manuscripts, where the text shows variation in the number for hand:

(For each of these cases of variation, see the respective passage for analysis.) Most of these examples involve writing the singular hand in place of the plural hands. But the example in Alma 46:24 clearly shows that the plural hands can be a mistake for hand. (In addition, Alma 46:7 may also be an example of such an error in the early transmission of the text.) Thus there is some scribal evidence that in Mosiah 16:1 hands could be an error for hand.

Elsewhere in the Book of Mormon text, when someone starts speaking (or starts speaking again) to others, there are only examples of the singular hand in the expression “to stretch forth one’s hand(s)”:

Thus the 1830 typesetter’s change from hands to hand in Mosiah 16:1 is wholly consistent with all parallel examples in the Book of Mormon.

In other contexts, the phrase “stretch forth one’s hand(s)” usually occurs in the singular, but there are a few examples in the plural. We typically get the singular hand in situations where one would normally use only one hand (as in striking or touching):

to strike or use power against

to touch

There is also one occurrence in the parable of the olive tree where the Lord of the vineyard stretches forth his hand as he works in his vineyard, perhaps as he works with tools:

If the text refers to more than one individual doing an action with the hand, we can get the plural:

In this passage Amulek refers to both Alma and himself as stretching forth their hands, but presumably each one would stretch forth his own hand, not both of his hands, which is precisely what Alma says in reply:

On the other hand, beseeching and praying seem to involve stretching out both hands:

Yet the singular is also possible, especially in the case of Zeezrom when he is in a weakened condition:

The examples involving beseeching suggest that in Mosiah 16:1 Abinadi might have extended both hands in an act of pleading with king Noah and his priests, although it is also possible that here Abinadi simply extended both hands as he continued speaking. In other words, the use of the plural hands in Mosiah 16:1 is possible, even though it would be a unique reading in the text; elsewhere we have only “stretch forth one’s hand” when a person begins speaking (or begins speaking again) to others. The critical text will accept the plural hands here in Mosiah 16:1, although it could very well be an error for hand.

Summary: Accept in Mosiah 16:1 the plural hands, the reading of the earliest textual source (the printer’s manuscript): “he stretched forth his hands and said …”; although this plural usage may be an error for hand, it is also possible that Abinadi actually extended both hands as he continued speaking to Noah and his priests.

Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, Part. 2

References