Deseret News | Reader comments: BYU professor will serve as editor for new edition of Hebrew Bible

Reader comments
BYU professor to work on Hebrew Bible

Shiz | 1:24 a.m. July 11, 2009

I wonder if he will work on figuring out how Laban had a copy of the tanakh (brass plates) hundreds of years before it was ever compiled.

John Pack Lambert | 8:58 a.m. July 11, 2009

If Laban had the brass plates and Nephi took them then they were not around. So finding textual evidences of them in what was left behind is impossible. To me it seems the extreme of arrogance to claim people could not have compiled the scriptures in 600 BC.

Extreme Arrogance | 3:04 p.m. July 11, 2009

To me, John Pack Lambert, extreme arrogance is to assume that HUMAN historians are GODS and know everything exactly accurately.

Comments continue below

Anonymous | 3:42 p.m. July 11, 2009

I hope this guy has Christian oversight with his duties.

Isaiah translation | 3:58 p.m. July 11, 2009

Isaiah 29:14 Not "A Marvelous work and Wonder" but a modern scholarship translation(NIV) is "Wonder upon Wonder" or the Hebrew translates it "to do Marvelous and Marvelous thing" this is not about the BOM but God' judgement.
Isaiah 29: 4 "familiar spirit" is translated by modern translation as a medium or a spiritist. The Book of Mormon has afamiliar Spirit!

Anonymous | 4:07 p.m. July 11, 2009

John,

You have the extreme of arrogance turned back to front. It is the pinnacle of arrogance to assert that the Hebrew Old Testament (in ANY form) had been compiled as early as 600 BC. There have NEVER been any references or evidence of such a thing. NEVER!

But you keep on wishing your fairy tales were true, and we will try not to bother you and your kind with the facts and truth!

Re: Anonymous 3:42 | 6:21 p.m. July 11, 2009

I agree with you ,The BYU Prof. needs Christian supervision, The Book of Isaiah(sometimes called the 5th Gospel) is replete with prophecies of Christ, if left alone the Prof might discover
prophecies about Joseph Smith,like: his name ,place of birth,the Book of Mormon,his death in a gun battle,polygamy,and his return.

On Brother | 6:57 p.m. July 11, 2009

Wasn't Joseph Smith's "inspired translation" enough? Will someone please pass me the Urim and Thummin.

LukeAir2009 | 1:48 a.m. July 12, 2009

Christian oversight? You mean lets make sure the Holy Ghost has no part in this process and just debate the final result. Donald Parry is a renowned scholar of Hebrew and has the Gift of the Holy Ghost and the Holy Priesthood. He's the best this project is ever going to get. Shiz, the last time I read the Book of Mormon it said that Laban had the five books of Moses and a record of the Jews to that time and a genealogy of his Fathers. You're saying that they couldn't have existed in 600 BC? Thank goodness you're not translating the new Hebrew bible!

Re: Luke Air | 8:42 a.m. July 12, 2009

Better translation of Holy Ghost is Holy Spirit He should have mentioned that and made it clear that the KJV is fine but there are several modern translations of the New Testament that are good and insightful. Scholars of Christian Churches do not hide this truth. The gift of the Holy Spirits guides one to TRUTH.

John Pack Lambert | 10:23 a.m. July 13, 2009

Who claims that the Brass Plates were the Hebrew Bible? They obviously did not have the writtings of the likes of Maachi, and had the writings of Zenos. However, it is a major assumption to say how closely they resenbled the modern Bible. Did they have Job?
Also, Latter-day Saints see Isaiah as a Messianic preacher, and reject the notion that either the references to Jesus Christ are false interpolations of Isaiah or post-exilic additions.
If people would open their minds, they would see that the Latter-day Saint and Fundementalist Christian perspective of Isaiah is very similar, and it is the modern abvocates of higher critica approaches to the Bible who represent a different and divergent phylosophy.

LDS Doctrine | 11:05 a.m. July 13, 2009

To John Pack Lambert,

"Who claims that the Brass Plates were the Hebrew Bible?"

Many Church leaders have done so over the years. Many Gospel Doctrine teachers teach this every year in Church classes.

"Latter-day Saints see Isaiah as a Messianic preacher, and reject the notion that either the references to Jesus Christ are false interpolations of Isaiah or post-exilic additions."

This claim has no basis in fact. NOWHERE has it been established as official LDS Church doctrine that this is the case. You are trying to pass off as doctrine ideas that are not doctrine. You need to stop doing that.

Congrats Dr. Parry | 12:36 p.m. July 13, 2009

I think this is wonderful news. It is obvious that the Mormon haters and critics are having heartburn about this because it destroys their ridiculous little claim that there are no real LDS scholars or that LDS scholars are really pseudo-scholars not taken serious by "mainstream" scholars, etc, etc.

Fact is that Dr. Parry is highly qualified for this position. He is an internationally respected authority on the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Hebrew Bible. He will do excellent as a editor of the new Hebrew Bible.

To "LDS doctrine":

I find it highly amusing that your best evidence offered is that "many Gospel Doctrine teachers" have taught that every year, etc. LOL. Yes, since what some random Gospel Doctrine teacher teaches is binding on what the Book of Mormon text says and what official LDS doctrine its. Get real.

"great are the words of Isaiah" | 2:41 p.m. July 13, 2009

Biblical and BOM scholars have always earnestly looked forward to a second witness of Isaiah 55:3 thru 66:24, which are the most choice scriptures not corroborated in the BOM as are Isa.2-14;29;48-55:2, but are currently only corroborated in the Dead Seas Isaiah Scroll.

God speed to Dr. Parry and the other 24 translators in their scholarly work.

Anonymous | 3:43 p.m. July 13, 2009

If God doesn't change then why does it need to be retranslated?

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