Angela Crowell explains that in Hebrew thinking, an action is regarded as being either completed or incompleted. Hebrew, therefore, knows no past, present, or future tenses, but instead a Perfect and an Imperfect [form]. . . . The Hebrew Perfect [form] may be taken to represent action in the past (Weingreen 1959:56-57). The prophetic perfect [form] is a common usage in the language of the prophets. The prophet so transports his mind ahead "that he describes the future event as if it had been already seen or heard by him." This happens often in making promises or threats and also in the language of contracts. A good example is found in 1 Nephi 5:5, "But behold, I have obtained a land of promise . . ." The reader should note that this phrase was spoken while Lehi was still in the wilderness by the Red Sea. [Angela M. Crowell, "Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, Vol. 2, p. 7]
Note* Prophetic language is also covenant language. It is interesting that the idea of obtaining "a land of promise" was a covenant blessing not only for Lehi but for Nephi. So when did Nephi make any covenants with the Lord? Before Nephi ever accepted the task of recovering the plates of Laban. He says:
"having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me . . . And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart, And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands." (1 Nephi 2:16, 19-20)
Nephi then says that he returned to the tent of his father (1 Nephi 3:1) where Lehi was waiting with a commandment of the Lord to "seek the records and bring them down hither into the wilderness" (1 Nephi 3:4). It is then that Nephi said his famous words, which have been quoted as an example of faith, but are in actuality much more. They are an affirmation of a covenant with the Lord:
"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7)
[Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes][See the commentary on 1 Nephi 2:20; 1 Nephi 17:36-38; 2 Nephi 1:5; Ether 2:8] [See the commentary on Mosiah 15:12; 1 Nephi 31:8]