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.
People which fought against God, & from that time forth, there was wars & bloodshed among them; But the Lord came & dwelt with his people, And they dwelt in righteousness. & the fear of the Lord was upon all Nations, so great was the glory <of> the Lord which was upon his people. </> & the Lord blessed the land, & they were blessed upon <9/> the mountains, & upon the high places, & did flourish. & the Lord called his people Zion; because they were of one heart, & of one mind, & dwelt in righteousness. & there were no poor among them. </> & Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto <10/> the people of God. </> And it came to pass, in his days, that he built a City that was called the City of Holynenss, even Zion. And it came to pass, that Enoch talked with the Lord, & he said unto the Lord, Shurely, Zion shall dwell in safety forever. But <and> the Lord said unto Enoch, Zion have I blessed, but the residue of the people have I cursed. </> And it came to pass, that the Lord <11/> shewed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the Earth, & he beheld, & Lo! Zion, in process of time was taken up into Heaven And the Lord said unto Enoch, behold mine abode forever. & Enoch, also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam, And they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam, save it were the seed of Cain; for, the seed of Cain were black, & had not place among them. & after that Zion was taken up into Heaven, Enoch beheld, & lo! all the Nations of the Earth were before him, And there came generation upon generation, & Enoch was high & lifted up, even in the bosom of the father, (And the son of man;) And, behold, the powers of Satan were upon all the face of the Earth; And he saw Angels decending out of Heaven & he heard a loud voice, saying, wo! wo! be unto the inhabitants of the Earth. And he beheld Satan & he had a great Chain in his hand, And it <he> veiled the whole face of the Earth with darkness, & he looked up & laughed, & his Angels rejoiced. & Enoch beheld Angels decending out of Heaven, bearing testimony of the father, & of the Son. & of the Holy Ghost fell on many, & they were caught up by the power of Heaven into Zion. </> And it came to pass, that the God of Heaven <Enock> look<12/>ed upon the residue of the people & wept. And <he> Enoch bore record of it Saying how is it the heavens weep <beheld and <lo!> the heavens wept also> & shed forth their tears as the rain upon the Mountains And Enoch Said unto the heavens how is it that thou canst weep Seeing [p. 21]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
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Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [38]
TEXT: Line numbers written down left margin in graphite: 7, 8, 15, 26, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39.
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