Sunday, December 11, 2011

Mosiah 7

1. Interesting that after two generations the Nephites didn't know how to get back to Lehi-Nephi.  These are record-keeping people; does their ignorance reflect the nature of their flight, hurried and arduous rather than the orderly exodus of 1 Nephi?

2. Of course, forty is a significant number.  It's how long one always spends in the wilderness -- forty years for the Israelites, forty days for Jesus.  It's also how long Jesus taught the disciples after the resurrection, and how long King David reigned, and idem Solomon, et cetera.

3. Amaleki is the first appearance of a triliteral root (M-L-K) name variants of which are going to recur throughout Nephite history, and frequently be associated with dissent.  Amlici, Amalickiah, Amulek, Mulekites, Amalekites, Amalickiahites and even "king men" all have this root in common, this last because melekh in Hebrew (M-L-K) means "king".  Interesting that Amaleki is in the expedition of Ammon, who was a descendant of Zarahemla.  I wonder if he and Ammon were kin -- brothers or cousins.

4. The encounter with Limhi in vv. 7ff looks judicial.  Verb of motion "surrounded", "taken and bound", brought before an authority, the stakes are capital punishment.  It's not identified as a trial, but it's narrated like one.

5. Who built this temple?  It's hard to miss the parallel between Benjamin summoning everyone to the temple in Zarahemla to invite his people to take upon them the name of Christ, and Limhi inviting his people to the temple in Lehi-Nephi to invite them to make a break for it.  Freeing the slaves is one of Isaiah's metaphors for the atonement.

6. Limhi reports Abinadi's prophesy in temple language.  As the Lord created Adam in his image (Genesis), he would take that image on himself.  It's also reminiscent of Lehi's vision (going forth upon the face of the earth).

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