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.
Mighty one in the Earth he was a mighty hunter in the land. Wherefore, <it is said, evn & Nimrod as mighty hunter in the Land &> he began a Kingdom. </> And & the begining of his Kingdom <4/> was Babal, And Enoch <Eroc>, & Accad, & Calnach, in the land of Shenar Out of that land went forth Ashur And builded Ninevah & the City Rehoboth And Calah & Resen between Ninevah & Calah the same was a great City. </> And Mizraim begat Ludim & Anam <5/> im & Lehabim & Neaphtuhim & Pathusim & Casluhim out of whom came Philistim, & Caphtorim. </> & Canaan And begat <6/> Sidon, his first born, & Heth, <&> the Sebusite <Jebusite>, & the Amorite & Gurgasite & <the> Hivite, & the Arkite, & the Sinite, & the Arradite <Arvadite>, & the Zemarite, & the Hamathite, And afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the borders of the Canaanites were from Sidon as thou cometh <comest> to Gorar unto Gaza; as thou goest to Sodom & Gomorah, And Admah, & Teboiim, even unto Lasha, These were the sons of Ham, after their families, after the same tongue, in their Countries, & in their Nations. </> Unto Shem also, which was the Elder Children were born; And he was the <7/> Father of Eber, & even to him were Children born. & And these are the Children of Shem; Eber, & Elam, & Asshur, & Arphaxed, & Lud, & Aram. And these are the Children of Aram; Us, & Hul, & Gether, & Mash, & Arphaxed. </> And Arphaxed begat Salah; & Salah begat <8/> Eber; & unto Eber was <were> <born> two Sons, the name of the one was Peleg the other Sohtan <Joktan>. And Peleg was a mighty man, for in his days was the Earth divided. </> And Johtan <Joktan> begat Almodad, & Sheleph, & <9/> Hazarmaveth, & Jarah; & Hodoram <Hadoram>, & Wiel <Uzal> & Diktah <Diklah>; & Ebal <Obal>, & Abram Abrmel <Abimael>, & Sheba, & Ophar, & Havilah, Sobaball <Jobab> <all> These were the Sons of Johtan <Joktan> & their dwelling <was> from Mesha, <as> thou goest unto Sephar, a mount of the East. </> These were the Sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their <10/> Nations. these were the families of the Sons of Noah, after their generations, in their Nations; And by these were the Nations divided on the Earth after the flood.
Chapter IX <13> <11th>The building of Babal the confounding their Language the generations of Shem &c Abrams travel to Canaan &c
<1/> And the whole Earth was of the same language, & of the same speech. And it came to pass, that many Journeyed from the East & as they Journeyed from the East, they found a plain in the land of Shinar; And dwelt there in the plain of Shinar, [p. 33]
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