Alma 4:17 Textual Variants

Here scribe 2 of 𝓟 started to write “and he sat upon the judgment seat”, but after writing the preposition upon, he immediately crossed it out and wrote inline the correct preposition in. In all, there are four passages in the text that refer to “sitting in /upon the judgment seat”, but as David Calabro points out (personal communication), there is a clear difference. When the preposition is in, the text refers to a judge functioning in his office:

• Alma 4:17
  • now this man’s name was Nephihah and he was appointed chief judge and he sat in the judgment seat to judge and govern the people
• Helaman 8:27
  • yea go ye in unto the judgment seat and search and behold your judge is murdered and he lieth in his blood and he hath been murdered by his brother who seeketh to sit in the judgment seat

But when the text refers to the judge literally sitting in his judgment seat, the preposition is upon:

• Helaman 1:9
  • and behold they sent forth one Kishcumen even to the judgment seat of Parhoron and murdered Parhoron as he sat upon the judgment seat
• Helaman 6:15
  • behold Cezoram was murdered by an unknown hand as he sat upon the judgment seat

Thus the preposition in is undoubtedly correct in Alma 4:17.