Gazelem and Liahona

K. Douglas Bassett
“Gazelem is a name given to a servant of God. The word appears to have its roots in Gaz—a stone, and Aleim, a name of God as a revelator, or the interposer in the affairs of men. If this suggestion is correct, its roots admirably agree with its apparent meaning—a seer.
Liahona. This interesting word is Hebrew with an Egyptian ending. It is the name which Lehi gave to the ball or director he found outside his tent… .
L is a Hebrew preposition meaning ‘to,’ and sometimes used to express the possessive case. Iah is a Hebrew abbreviated form of ‘Jehovah,’ common in Hebrew names. On is the Hebrew name of the Egyptian ‘City of the sun.’ … L-iah-on means, therefore, literally, ‘To God is Light’; or, ‘of God is Light.’ That is to say, God gives light, as does the Sun. The final a reminds us that the Egyptian form of the Hebrew name On is Annu, and this seems to be the form Lehi used.” (G. Reynolds and J. Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 4:162, 178.)

Latter-Day Commentary on the Book of Mormon

References