Alma 27:29 Textual Variants

Here the 1841 British edition accidentally omitted the repeated definite article the in “the sword or the scimitar”. This variant has been followed in all subsequent LDS editions. The use of the repeated determiner is a Hebraistic characteristic of the Book of Mormon text and should be restored wherever there is textual evidence to support such repetition. When we consider all other conjoined examples of sword and scimitar, we always get repetition of either (1) the determiner or (2) the preposition if there is no determiner:

• Mosiah 9:16 with swords and with scimitars
• Mosiah 10:8 with swords and with scimitars
• Alma 2:12 with swords and with scimitars
• Alma 43:18 with swords and with scimitars
• Alma 43:20 their swords and their scimitars
• Alma 43:37 with their swords and their scimitars
• Alma 44:8 his sword and his scimitar
• Alma 60:2 with swords and with scimitars
• Helaman 1:14 with swords and with scimitars

Thus the text consistently prefers some repetition when sword and scimitar are conjoined. For another example of the repetitive the, see the discussion under 1 Nephi 17:22 (which deals with the conjoining of statutes and judgments); also see the general discussion under conjunctive repetition in volume 3.