According to Kevin Barney, Hebrew poetry is based on various patterns of parallelism. Parallel lines are in turn created by the use of parallel words, that is, pairs of words bearing generally synonymous or antithetic meanings. Since the 1930's, scholars have come to realize that many of these "word pairs" were used repeatedly in a formulaic fashion. . . . One example (among many) is the word pair "deliver/destroy." 3 Nephi 6:29 says the following:
and enter into a covenant to destroy them,
and to deliver those who were guilty of murder
[Kevin L. Barney, "Poetic Diction and Parallel Word Pairs," in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Fall 1995, p. 41]