Old Testament Revision 2
Old Testament Revision 2
Source Note
Source Note
Old Testament Revision 2, ca. 8 Mar. 1831–5 Apr. 1831 and late July 1832–July 1833; handwriting of , , and ; 119 pages; CHL.
The Bible revision manuscripts remained in JS’s possession throughout his life—except during a brief period in 1838 and another in 1839. Upon the death of JS, the manuscript was in possession of his wife for over twenty years, until 1867 when she gave it to her son so that the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS church) could publish it. It was in the possession of the RLDS church (now Community of Christ) until 2024, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acquired it. The manuscript is now held at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City.
Note: The transcript of Old Testament Revision 2 presented here is used with generous permission of the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center. It was published earlier, with some differences in style, in Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds., Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 583–851.
Footnotes
- [1]
Call, “Copied from the Journal of Anson Call”; Cooper, “Spiritual Reminiscences, No. 2,” Autumn Leaves (January 1891): 9, 18.
Call, Anson. “Copied from the Journal of Anson Call,” 1879. CHL. MS 4783.
Cooper, F. M. “Spiritual Reminiscences.—No. 2,” Autumn Leaves 4, no. 1 (Jan. 1891): 17–20.
- [2]
Emma Smith Bidamon, Nauvoo, IL, to Joseph Smith III, Plano, IL, 10 Feb. 1867, CCLA.
Bidamon, Emma Smith. Materials, 1842–1871. CCLA.
- [3]
The Holy Scriptures: Translated and Corrected by the Spirit of Revelation ([Plano, IL]: [Reorganized] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1867).
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
In June 1830, JS and began recording a revelation related to Moses and other prominent Old Testament figures. (See Visions of Moses, June 1830 [Moses 1].) Over the next three years, this work expanded into what is now designated the Book of Moses and a complete revelatory re-reading of the Bible, an endeavor that came to be known as JS’s “New Translation,” or Bible revision. Initially, JS and his scribes, including Cowdery, , , and , created a sixty-one-page manuscript containing a narrative account of the visions of Moses and a revised version of the Old Testament book of Genesis, from the beginning to chapter 24, verse 41. This manuscript is currently designated Old Testament Revision 1.
JS set aside work on the new translation of the Old Testament when instructed in a March 1831 revelation to instead begin work on New Testament texts. (Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831 [D&C 45:60–61].) Shortly thereafter, was directed by revelation to “write & keep a regulal [regular] history & assist my servant Joseph in Transcribing all things which shall be given him.” (Revelation, ca. 8 Mar. 1831–B [D&C 47:1].) Among other undertakings, he proceeded to create a duplicate copy of the existing sixty-one-page Old Testament manuscript. This second manuscript, featured here, is now designated Old Testament Revision 2. At the same time, JS commenced work on the New Testament and continued until July 1832 (Letter to William W. Phelps, 31 July 1832), resulting in two manuscripts, currently designated as New Testament Revision 1 and New Testament Revision 2.
After the completion of his new translation of the New Testament in late July 1832, JS resumed his revision of the Old Testament, now assisted by as scribe. When this work resumed, it was ’s copy, Old Testament Revision 2, that became the working manuscript for the rest of the Old Testament. A year later, Frederick G. Williams noted the completion of work on the text, writing at the end of Malachi, “Finished on the 2d of July 1833.”
Old Testament Revision 2 contains 119 pages. The first fifty-nine pages contain ’s copy of Old Testament Revision 1. At first, JS continued his earlier practice of having entire verses written out in the manuscript to record a change. After several pages, however, he switched to a procedure that he had adopted during his translation work on the New Testament. Rather than record an entire verse, JS marked his copy of the Bible as he read in it, indicating where a change should be made. In the manuscript, wrote the scripture reference and the specifics of the revisions, thus saving time and space. In effect, the notations made in JS’s Bible, coupled with his scribes’ inscriptions in Old Testament Revision 2, now constituted the revision project.
In total, JS made changes to about 1,300 Old Testament verses (Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 5). The introduction to Old Testament Revision 1 on the Joseph Smith Papers website notes some of the significant passages in the Book of Moses and JS’s revision of Genesis chapters 1–24. Some of the more prominent revisions, clarifications, and corrections JS incorporated into Old Testament Revision 2 included important material related to Joseph of Egypt added to the latter chapters in Genesis; a clarification in Exodus regarding the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart; and additions to Isaiah 29 foretelling the coming forth of the Book of Mormon (Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 589).
Note: The transcript of Old Testament Revision 2 presented here is used with generous permission of the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center. It was published earlier, with some differences in style, in Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds., Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 583–851.
and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? and she said, I will go. and thay sent away Rebekah there sister, and her nurse, and Abrahams servant, and his men and they blessed Rebekah and said unto her, O thou our sister, be thou blessed of thousands <19/> of millions; and let thy seed possess the gate <of those> who hate them. <19/> And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man; and the servant took rebekah, and went his way. and Isaac came from the way of the well, La-hairoi; for he dwelt in the south country, and Isaac went out to meditate in in the field, at even tide; and he lift up his eyes, and saw <and behold> the camels coming. and Rebekah lift up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel, for she said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? and the servant said, it is my master; Therefore she took a <20/> veil and covered herself. <20/> and the servant told Isaac all things that he had done, and Isaac brought her into her <his> Mothers Sarahs tent; and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. and Isaac was comforted after his mothers death.
Editorial Note
At this stage in the Old Testament Translation, JS ceased dictating the entire text to his scribe . Instead, he dictated only replacement words or words to be added, and in his printed Bible he marked the locations for revisions and additions. The marking in the Bible was done sometimes in graphite but generally in ink with bold strokes. Most of the ink writing bled to some degree through the porous paper, and thus much of the ink that is visible now came from writing on the opposite side of the page. On the handwritten manuscripts, the scribes recorded the chapter and verse numbers along with the dictated words.
— (Geneces XXV. Chapter)——
verse 7— And these are the number of the years of Abrahams life which he lived, a hundred three score and fifteen years.
" 17th and these are the number of the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years; and he gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people.
" 21st and Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, that she might bear children, because she was barren. And the Lord was entreated of of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
" 22d and the children struggled together within her womb; and she said, if I am with child, why is it thus with me? and she went to inquire of the Lord.
" 32d and Esau <said,> behold, I am at the point of dying, and what shall this birthright prophet <proffet> me.
— (XXVI Chapter.)——
7th Verse and the men of the place asked him, concerning his wife; and he said, she is my sister; for he feared to say she is my wife, least the men of the place should kill him for to get Rebek[a]h because she was fair to look upon.
" 9th And Abimelech called Isaac and said, behold, of a surity Rebekah is thy wife; and how saidst thou she is thy sister [p. 60]
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