"But That Thou Wouldst Clear My Way Before Me": A Note on the Rendering of an Ancient Idiom in 2 Nephi Nephi 4:33

by Matthew L. Bowen

Overview

Abstract: The biblical Hebrew collocation pinnâ derek or pannû derek (cf. Egyptian Ἰr wꜣ.t [n]), often rendered "prepare the way" or "prepare a way" in English, is an evident stylistic feature of Nephi's writings. The most basic meaning of this idiom is "clear my way," which is how it is rendered in 2 Nephi 4:33. Zenos's use of "prepare the way" (Jacob 5:61, 64) in the context of "clear[ing] away" bad branches also reflects this most basic meaning.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940186559306
Publisher:	Interpreter Foundation
Publication date:	09/01/2022
Series:	Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship , #53
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	149,900
File size:	363 KB

About the Author

Matthew L. Bowen was raised in Orem, Utah, and graduated from Brigham Young University. He holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and is currently an associate professor in religious education at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He is also the author of Name as Key-Word: Collected Essays on Onomastic Wordplay and The Temple in Mormon Scripture (Salt Lake City: Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books, 2018). With Aaron P. Schade, he is the coauthor of The Book of Moses: From the Ancient of Days to the Latter Days (Provo, UT; Salt Lake City: Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book, 2021). He and his wife (the former Suzanne Blattberg) are the parents of three children: Zachariah, Nathan, and Adele.