Alma 8:21–22 Textual Variants

The 1906 LDS edition added the definite article the before the second occurrence of bread, probably because the indefinite bread had already been introduced in the previous clause (“he brought forth bread and meat”). The occurrence of the definite article the before bread implies that Alma ate the bread but not the meat (here meat seems to mean flesh rather than food in general). In actuality, the phrase “Alma ate bread” as used here in Alma 8:22 simply means that ‘Alma ate (food)’. The only other instance in the Book of Mormon of “eating bread” with the general meaning ‘to eat (food)’ is in 2 Nephi 14:1 (which quotes Isaiah 4:1): “and in that day seven women shall take hold of one man saying : we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel”. There are quite a few other examples in the King James Bible of this usage, especially in Genesis:

• Genesis 31:54
  • then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount and called his brethren to eat bread and they did eat bread and tarried all night in the mount
• Genesis 43:24–25
  • and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water and they washed their feet and he gave their asses provender and they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon for they heard that they should eat bread there
• Genesis 43:31–32
  • and he washed his face and went out and refrained himself and said : set on bread and they set on for him by himself and for them by themselves and for the Egyptians which did eat with him by themselves because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians

The critical text will therefore maintain the use of eat bread in Alma 8:22, with the understanding that it simply means to eat.