Allen & David Richardson and Anthony Bentley note that the Book of Mormon makes use of the authentic Hebrew usage of two prepositions that introduce a single prepositional phrase. For example, 1 Nephi 4:28 tells of some that “fled from before my presence.” Jacob 5:30 indicates that “the servant went down into the vineyard.” Also in Mosiah 7:6 “they went down into the land of Nephi.” Mormon 2:24 speaks of those who “did not flee from before the Lamanites.” Angela Crowell cites the following observation by William Gesenius:
Hebrew syntax calls for compound prepositions rather than the single preposition common in English. This usage is traced back to the literal translation of the Hebrew text. Compound prepositions are used to indicate the location and direction of the action as well as the action itself. (William Gesenius, Hebrew Grammar, p. 377, cited by Crowell in “Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon,” Zarahemla Record, p. 4:)
The example “from before” is a literal translation of the Hebrew words mippene and milliphen. The writer found that it was used twenty-three times in the Old Testament Hebrew text, but that it was translated into English (KJV & IV) only four times (for example, Genesis 23:4; Exodus 4:3; 1 Chronicles 11:13; Judges 11:23). The other verses all translate it “from,” giving us a more precisely worded English sentence, even though in the Hebrew text it reads, “from before.” It would have been quite difficult for Joseph Smith to have copied this Hebraism from the King James Version of the Bible when the construct only appears four times in the entire English text. Yet there are at least ten instances where the combination “from before” is found in the Book of Mormon. In this instance, the Book of Mormon contains a Hebraism “more literally” translated than its counterpart from the King James Version of the Bible. How can we account for this? It is remote that Joseph Smith on his own would have been able to identify this construct as a Hebraism. Rather, we see original Hebraic authorship and a correct translation through divine aid. [Allen H. Richardson, David E. Richardson, and Anthony E. Bentley, Voice from the Dust-500 Evidences Supporting the Book of Mormon, p. 267]
Note* The phrase “from before” is actually found at least 21 times: 1 Nephi 4:28, 30; 11:12, 29; 20:19; 2 Nephi 9:8; Mosiah 17:4; Alma 2:32; 44:12; 3 Nephi 4:12; 9:5,7,8,9,11; Mormon 2:24,25; 4:20,22; Ether 13:22; Moroni 9:15. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]