Alma 27:3 Textual Variants

The original manuscript here has the singular enemy, which Oliver Cowdery copied into the printer’s manuscript as enemies. In the Book of Mormon text, the plural enemies occurs almost four times more frequently than the singular enemy. In general, either singular or plural is possible, as in Alma 58:8, where both occur: “to defend ourselves and our country from falling into the hands of our enemies / yea to contend with an enemy which was innumerable”.

Elsewhere, when referring to the enemy/enemies of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, the text generally prefers the plural:

• Alma 27:5 and flee out of the hands of our enemies
• Alma 27:24 and we will guard them from their enemies
• Alma 53:16 to defend themselves against their enemies by our armies

Even so, there is one other case of the singular enemy that involves the Anti-Nephi-Lehies:

• Alma 26:32 they had rather sacrifice their lives than even to take the life of their enemy

Yet in this case the context seems to imply the life of an individual enemy, which is somewhat different from what is implied in Alma 27:3 (namely, the whole opposing Lamanite army is referred to as “their enemy”).

In general, the text has examples of the singular enemy and the plural enemies, although the plural is considerably more frequent. The critical text will in each case of enemy/enemies follow the reading of the earliest textual sources, thus enemy here in Alma 27:3. For two other examples involving variation in the number for enemy, see under Alma 49:28 and 3 Nephi 3:26.