Mormon 9:33 Textual Variants

The 1837 edition dropped the definite article the in both examples of the phrase “in the Hebrew”, probably because in current English we usually say “in Hebrew” (and similarly for any other language). Here in Mormon 9:33, the use of the the is not that difficult since we would normally interpret “in the Hebrew” as an ellipsis for “in the Hebrew language” or “in the Hebrew tongue”. Yet as David Calabro points out (personal communication), the ellipsis more reasonably stands for “in the Hebrew characters” (that is, “in the Hebrew writing system”). He notes that in the preceding verse Moroni specifically refers to writing in reformed Egyptian characters:

• Mormon 9:32
  • and now behold we have written this record according to our knowledge in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian being handed down and altered by us according to our manner of speech

So in verse 33, when Moroni refers to the Hebrew being altered, he could be referring to the Hebrew characters being altered rather than the spoken Hebrew.

In the King James Bible, we have examples of “in the Hebrew tongue” (six times), “in the Syrian tongue” (twice), and “in the Greek tongue” (once). There are also two examples of “in the Syrian language”. Even so, the head noun is sometimes ellipted, namely, in two examples of “in the Hebrew”; in these two cases, the ellipsis appears to refer to the spoken language since the verb is call:

• John 19:13
  •   he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment seat
      in a place that is called the Pavement
    → but in the Hebrew Gabbatha
• John 19:17
  •   and he bearing his cross went forth
      into a place called the place of a skull
    → which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha

It should also be pointed out that in one case in the King James Bible the definite article is lacking:

• John 19:19–20
  •   and Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross
      and the writing was Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews
      this title then read many of the Jews
      for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city
    → and it was written in Hebrew and Greek and Latin

In this case, the ellipsis could be either characters or language. In any event, from the perspective of the King James style, “in the Hebrew” is acceptable in Mormon 9:33; the critical text will restore this usage.