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
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.
Emma Smith Bidamon, Nauvoo, IL, to Joseph Smith III, Plano, IL, 10 Feb. 1867, CCLA.
Bidamon, Emma Smith. Materials, 1842–1871. CCLA.
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.
comest to my kindred, and if they give the not a wife for <12/> my son, thou shalt be clear from my oath. <12/> and I came this day unto the will, and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou wilt prosper my way which I go, behold i stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the vergin cometh forth to draw water, and i say to her, Give me i pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; and if she say to me, Both drink thou, and I also will <also> draw for thy camels; the same is the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my masters son. and before I had done speaking in my mine <my> heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shol<13/>der; and she went down unto the well, and drew water, <13/> and I said unto her let me drink, I pray thee; and she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also, so I drank, and she made the camels drink also, and I asked her, and said, whose daughter art thou? and she said, the daughter of Bethuil, Nahors son, whom Milcah bear unto him. And I gave the ear rings unto her, to put into her <14/> ears; and the bracelets upon her hands, <14/> And I bowed down my head, and worsheped the lord, and blessed the Lord god of my master Abraham, which <who> had led me in the rite way to take my brothers masters <brothe[r’]s daughter> unto his son. And <now> if thou wilt deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn <15/> to the right hand, or to the left. <15/> Then Laban and Bethuel answered, and said, the thing procedeth from the Lord; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good, Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her and go, and let her be thy masters sons wife, as the Lord hath <16/> spoken. <16/> and it came to pass, that, when Abrahams servant heard there words, he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. and the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and Jewels of Gold, and raiment; and gave to Rebekah. He gave also to her brother, & to her mother precious thing. And thay did eat, and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all <17/> night. <17/> And they arose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master, and her brother, and her mother said, let the damsel abide with us at the least ten days; after that she shall go, and he said unto them, hinder me not, seeing the lord hath prospered my way; send me away, that I may go <un>to my master, and they said send for the <we will call the> <18/> damsel and inquire at her mouth, <18/> and thay called Rebekah, [p. 59]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
End of John Whitmer’s transcription from Old Testament Revision 1, 5 April 1831. See his notation at the conclusion of Old Testament Revision 1 (page 61, line 5): “April 5th 1831 transcribed thus far”.
John Whitmer handwriting ends; Frederick G. Williams begins.
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