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.
<Genesis 1st Chapter>
A Revelation, given to Joseph the Seer, June, 1830.
<1/> The words of God which he spake unto Moses, at a time when Moses was caught up into an exceeding high mountain, & he saw <1> God face to face, & he taked with him, & the glory of God was upon Moses <him>; therefore Moses <he> could endure his presence, </> & God spake unto Moses, <2nd/> saying, Behold I I am God the Lord God Amighty, & endless is my name for I am without begining of days or end of years; & is this not endless. <3/> & Behold thou art my Son, Wherefore, look, & I will shew thee the workmanship of mine hands, but not all; for my works are without end, & also my words, for they never cease; wherefore, no man can Behold all my works except he behold all my Glory; & no man can behold all my glory, & afterwards remain in the flesh <on the earth>. </> & I have a <4/> work for thee, Moses, my Son; & thou art in the similitude of <to> mine only begotten; & mine only begotten is & shall be <the Savior>, for he is full of grace & truth; but there is none other God beside me; & all things are present with me, for I know them all. </> & now Behold <5/> this one thing I shew unto thee, Moses, my Son; for thou art in the World, & now I shew it thee. </> And it came to pass, that <6/> Moses looked, & beheld the world upon which he was Created, & as Moses beheld the World & the ends thereof & all the Children of men which was <are> & which was <were> created, of the same he greatly marveled & wondered, & the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon him Moses <him> & Moses was left unto himself & as he was left unto himself he fell unto the Earth. </> And it came to pass <7/> that it was for the space of many hours before Moses <he> did again Receive his naturall strength like unto man & he saith <said> unto himself Now for this once I know that man is nothing which thing I never had supposed But now mine eyes mine own eyes <have beheld God> but not mine <natural> eyes <but my spiritual>, for mine <natural> eyes could not have beheld for I should have withered & died in his presence But his glory was upon me & I beheld his face for I was transfigered before him. </> & <And> now it came <to pass> <8/> that when Moses had said these words B[e]hold satan came tempting him Saying Moses my Son of man worship me And it came to pass that <but> Moses <lifted up his eyes and> looked upon Moses Satan & saith <said> Who art thou for Behold I am a Son of God in the similitude of his only begotten & where is thy glory that I should worship thee for behold I could not look upon God except his glory should come upon me & I were <was> transfigered before him but I can look upon thee in the natural man! is if not is shurely blessed is <be> the name of my God [p. 1]
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Footnotes
Footnotes
- [1]
TEXT: Line numbers written down left margin in graphite: 6, 13, 17, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 33, 36, 37.
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