3 Nephi 22

3 Nephi 22:1

1 And then shall that which is written come to pass: Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

In this discourse, the Savior has been discussing the events of the final days. At the end of chapter 22, our last verse was a reference to Isaiah that reprised that same verse from earlier in the discourse. As the Savior ends his entire subject, he concludes with the literary technique he has been using where a scriptural passage is used to provide closure to an argument. In this case, we have an entire chapter of Isaiah entered as the crowning piece of the discourse. This chapter of Isaiah deals with that final time, and is intended as the summation of the entire discourse.

As a summation, it will take the major themes of the discourse and highlight them. This chapter is entered as crowning evidence of the goodness of God because it fits the context of the discussion.

This discourse began with the question of the gathering of Israel. In particular, the Nephites are aware that they are part of the scattered, so their interest is in returning. As the future history is unfolded, the Lord explains that there are two balanced events that will come to pass. The first is that the gospel will go to the Gentiles and while they have it (and are righteous) they will prosper and scatter Israel. Then will come a time when the gospel will be taken from the Gentiles because of unrighteousness. At that time all Gentiles who believe in the gospel will be adopted into the covenant, and the gathering of the literal and spiritual house of Israel will begin. At the end of time, the Triumphant Messiah will return and destroy the wicked, and the house of Israel will be his victorious army. This is the basic outline. This chapter of Isaiah fits perfectly as a final reference to those events.

[Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear]: The immediate reference is to the cultural sadness of the woman without children. The literal address is to a barren woman, one who “didst not bear [children].” For a woman this would have appeared to be a sign of reproach. Of course this chapter is not addressed to a woman, but uses that metaphor for Israel. In the context of the Savior’s discourse in Bountiful, the barren woman is the Nephites, and refers to their question of the gathering. As a people separated from the house of Israel, that separation becomes the symbolic lack of children. Even though the condition of a barren woman would be assumed to be a sad one, the proclamation is that this woman should rejoice and sing. The contrast is between the apparent sadness and the coming joy.

[more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife]: The reason for joy is that the barren state is not forever. The barren woman is “the desolate.” The contrast between the “desolate woman” and the “married wife” suggests separation. In the Bountiful setting, the Nephites are the “desolate” woman, or the woman who is alone. Of course there are no children because of the separation from the husband. Of course the Nephites feel a longing for the gathering, as they are the separated. Nevertheless, something is going to happen that will take the currently barren woman and provide her with more children than the woman who has a husband. That “married wife” is Israel in the Old World. This chapter of Isaiah is being used to indicate great blessings to the descendants of the Nephites.

Textual: Other than the introductory “And then shall that which is written come to pass,” Isaiah 54 is reproduced in 3 Nephi just as it is in the King James Version of the Bible. The only minor change from the 1830 text is the chapter break that separates this chapter from the end of Jesus’ discourse in chapter 21. While this allows the modern reader to more readily compare the text with Isaiah 54, as the verses are identically noted, it does remove the text from its position as the summation of Jesus’ discourse. Since it is unusual for the modern writer to use scriptural texts in this way, the function of the chapter in the context of the Savior’s appearance can be easily lost.

3 Nephi 22:2

2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes;

3 Nephi 22:3

3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Because the metaphor is marriage, the blessings are the children. To change the sadness of barrenness into joy, children will come. Not only will they come, but they will come in number. Therefore, the home needs to be made larger. The “place of they tent” is a reference to the home, and it must be enlarged to hold all of the children. The children of this barren woman will “break forth” and “shall inherit the Gentiles.”

This echoes the reversal theme of the Savior’s discourse. When the final times come, the Nephites as representative of a branch of Israel will participate in the triumph of the final days, and they will be among the victorious who destroy the wicked (represented by the unrepentant Gentiles).

3 Nephi 22:4

4 Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

3 Nephi 22:5

5 For thy maker, thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel—the God of the whole earth shall he be called.

Verse 4 shows a transformation. It admits that there was a time of shame, but indicates that the time of shame will not only be over, but it will be forgotten. The blessings will be so great that they will overshadow the temporary time of shame. This “time of shame” is the time the Nephites are separated from the main body of Israel. This separation is the concern of the people that has been the impetus for this discourse, and while the time of separation is not yet over, there will come a time when it will end, and then will the great blessings cause the time of shame to be forgotten.

This message is given in two sets of three phrases. The first set emphasizes the contrast to the current condition, and the second set emphasizes the forgetting of the current condition:

Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed

neither be thou confounded

for thou shalt not be put to shame

for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth

and shalt not remember the reproach of thy youth

and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

The reason for this removal is the return of the husband. This absent husband is none other than the Lord of Hosts. In the context of the Bountiful Sermon, this is a self-declaration. Jesus in their midst is declaring himself to be that husband to them. The timing of this is yet in the future, so the “husband” will not be the Atoning Messiah, but rather the Triumphant Messiah.

3 Nephi 22:6

6 For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

3 Nephi 22:7

7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.

The Lord recognizes that there has been barrenness. For the Nephites, this is a recognition that they have been separated from Israel for a long time. Nevertheless, he reminds them that to God this is “a small moment.” Even though the separation from Israel has taken time, at the end “with great mercies will I gather thee.” The promised reunification is going to come, and it will come with “great mercies,” also indicated as the metaphorical children.

3 Nephi 22:8

8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

[In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment]: While the “wrath” appears to indicate the reason for the entire separation, which does not describe the Lord’s position with respect to the Nephites, those in Bountiful might yet have felt resonance with this statement following the great wickedness that had destroyed them as a political entity. Their nation had become wicked in recent years, and the destructions at the time of Jesus’ death would certainly be seen as the “wrath” of God.

The important part of this verse is the turning of the condition. There Lord was hidden for a moment, but returns. The Lord was wrathful for a while, but returns with kindness. The poetry of the verse lies in this contrast.

3 Nephi 22:9

9 For this, the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee.

This verse is rendered a little clearer in the NIV:

To me this is like the days of Noah,

when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.

So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,

never to rebuke you again.

This is a declaration of the surety of this future promise. This promise is as binding as was the promise that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth, a promise that the hearers would know had been kept. Because God kept that first promise, they may be certain that he will keep this promise. The “anger” in this case is the cause of the separation, so the promise in the Bountiful context is that of the reunification.

3 Nephi 22:10

10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

One of the poetic forms in the Hebrew Bible is synonymous parallelism, in which the theme of one line is repeated in a different way in a second line (Roland Kenneth Harrison. Introduction to the Old Testament. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1969, p. 966). This verse is the synonymous parallel of the previous verse. The theme of both verses is the binding nature of God’s promise. In the first the permanence was indicated by comparison to a past promise. In this verse, the permanence is compared to the absurdity of the mountains and hills disappearing.

3 Nephi 22:11

11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted! Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

3 Nephi 22:12

12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

[O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted!]: The address is to the one in the current condition of affliction. For the Bountiful audience, it is this very audience in their state of separation from Israel.

[lay thy foundations with sapphires]: There follow various metaphors of building with precious stones. In the context of the Bountiful Sermon, this is the New Jerusalem that was promised.

Vocabulary: A carbuncle is any deep red gem.

3 Nephi 22:13

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

It should not be forgotten that the very fact of children is part of the redemption of sorrow. Not only will there be children, but they will be in the presence of the husband, their father. That father will teach them, because he is present. In the context of the Bountiful Sermon, this is a reference to the presence of the Triumphant Messiah in the New Jerusalem.

3 Nephi 22:14

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee.

The final days are the days of the Triumphant Messiah. He will be the one who establishes the government of God, and defeats the wicked nations. The reference to not fearing and being far from terror is a reference to the theme of reversal. Israel has been oppressed by other nations, but at the end of times, they will be so strong that they will have no fear.

3 Nephi 22:15

15 Behold, they shall surely gather together against thee, not by me; whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

The NIV renders this verse:

If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;

whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

Although there may be some wickedness in those last days, it will not affect the righteous.

3 Nephi 22:16

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

3 Nephi 22:17

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

This is the great promise of the Triumphant Messiah. He has created the means wherewith the final victory is assured. In the Bountiful context, this is again a self-declaration, that the next coming of this Messiah will be the one described for the final days.

Ludlow summarizes this chapter of Isaiah:

“In short, Isaiah 54 is a promise to Zion and her righteous members. It embodies various poetic forms to depict the relationship between the Lord and covenant Israel. The metaphor of the husband and wife is used throughout the chapter:

Husband provides wife:	Jehovah provides Israel:	Verses
Children	Great numbers	1-3
Love	Reconciliation	4-8
Commitment	Covenant relationship	9-10
Material comfort	Prosperity	11-12
Protection	Peace	13-17

The third element (a commitment and covenant relationship) becomes the pivot point for all the other promises and blessings. Because of the Lord's covenant relationship with Israel, he has an eternal commitment to bless those who want to become a part of covenant Israel. The Lord's goal in his commitment is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:38.)” (Victor L. Ludlow, Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 462.)

Textual: There is no chapter break at this point in the 1830 edition, even though this forms the logical conclusion of the formal discourse. After this conclusion, the next phase of the Savior’s visit with the people changes topics, even though no chapter break is given.