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Old Testament Revision 2

Source Note

Old Testament Revision 2, ca. 8 Mar. 1831–5 Apr. 1831 and late July 1832–July 1833; handwriting of
John Whitmer
27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...
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,
Frederick G. Williams
28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...
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, and
Sidney Rigdon
19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...
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; 119 pages; CCLA.

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
Emma
10 July 1804–30 Apr. 1879. Scribe, editor, boardinghouse operator, clothier. Born at Willingborough Township (later in Harmony), Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania. Daughter of Isaac Hale and Elizabeth Lewis. Member of Methodist church at Harmony (later in Oakland...
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for over twenty years, until 1867 when she gave it to her son
Joseph Smith III
6 Nov. 1832–10 Dec. 1914. Clerk, hotelier, farmer, justice of the peace, editor, minister. Born at Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio. Son of JS and Emma Hale. Moved to Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri, 1838; to Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, 1839; and to Commerce ...
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in order for the RLDS Church to publish The Holy Scriptures.

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.
Historical Introduction

In June 1830, JS and
Oliver Cowdery
3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...
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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,
John Whitmer
27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...
View Full Bio
,
Emma Smith
10 July 1804–30 Apr. 1879. Scribe, editor, boardinghouse operator, clothier. Born at Willingborough Township (later in Harmony), Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania. Daughter of Isaac Hale and Elizabeth Lewis. Member of Methodist church at Harmony (later in Oakland...
View Full Bio
, and
Sidney Rigdon
19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...
View Full Bio
, 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,
John Whitmer
27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...
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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
Frederick G. Williams
28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...
View Full Bio
as scribe. When this work resumed, it was
John Whitmer
27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...
View Full Bio
’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
Whitmer
27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...
View Full Bio
’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,
Williams
28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...
View Full Bio
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.

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1 Samuel, Chapter 19

" Chapter XIX——

" Verse 9th. which was not off <of>——

1 Samuel, Chapter 28

" —— Chapter XXVIII,——

9 Verse And the woman said unto him, behold, thou know est what Saul that <hath> done, how he hath cut off those that hath familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land; wherefore <then> layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? also, who have <hath> not a farmiliar spirit? and Saul sware unto her by the Lord, saying, as the Lord liveth, then shall no punishment hapen to thee for this thing Then said the woman, the words of whom shall I bring up unto thee? and he said, bring <me> up the words of Samuel. And when the woman saw the words of Samuel, she cryed with a loud voice; and the woman spake to Saul, saying, why hast thou deceived me? for tho[u] art Saul. And the king said unto her, be not afraid for, what sawest thou? And the woman said unt[o] saul, I saw the words of samuel assending out of the earth, And she said, I saw Samuel also. And he said unto her, what form is he of? and she said, I saw an old man coming up, covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped his face to the ground, and bowed himself. And these are <the> words of Samuel unto Saul; why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? and Saul answered, I am sore distressesed, for the phalistains make war against me, and God is departed from me, and ans wereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make know unto me what I shall do,

1 Samuel, Chapters 29–31

" The rest of the first book of Samuel is Correct

2 Samuel, Chapter 12

" The Seccond Book of Samuel otherwise called

" The Seccond Book of the Kings

"— Chapter XII——

Verse 13— not—— that

2 Samuel, Chapter 24

XXIV Chapter——

" Verse 17 16th. And when the Angel streatched out his hand upon Jerusalem to distroy it, the Lord said unto him [p. 74]

1 Samuel, Chapter 19

" Chapter XIX——

" Verse 9th. which was not of——

1 Samuel, Chapter 28

" —— Chapter XXVIII,——

9 Verse And the woman said unto him, behold, thou know est what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that hath familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land; wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? also, who hath not a farmiliar spirit? and Saul sware unto her by the Lord, saying, as the Lord liveth, then shall no punishment hapen to thee for this thing Then said the woman, the words of whom shall I bring up unto thee? and he said, bring me up the words of Samuel. And when the woman saw the words of Samuel, she cryed with a loud voice; and the woman spake to Saul, saying, why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, be not afraid for, what sawest thou? And the woman said unto saul, I saw the words of samuel assending out of the earth, And she said, I saw Samuel also. And he said unto her, what form is he of? and she said, I saw an old man coming up, covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped his face to the ground, and bowed himself. And these are the words of Samuel unto Saul; why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? and Saul answered, I am sore distressesed, for the phalistains make war against me, and God is departed from me, and ans wereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make know unto me what I shall do,

1 Samuel, Chapters 29–31

" The rest of the first book of Samuel is Correct

2 Samuel, Chapter 12

" The Seccond Book of Samuel otherwise called

" The Seccond Book of the Kings

"— Chapter XII——

Verse 13— not—— that

2 Samuel, Chapter 24

XXIV Chapter——

" Verse 16th. And when the Angel streatched out his hand upon Jerusalem to distroy it, the Lord said unto him [p. 74]

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Old Testament Revision 2

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