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Prophetic Speech Forms
Donald W. Perry, 鈥淧rophetic Speech Forms,鈥 in Preserved in Translation: Hebrew and Other Ancient Literary Forms in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book), 93鈥96.
"thus saith the Lord" (2 Nephi 29:4)
Old Testament prophets used a number of speech forms, or formulaic expressions, when they revealed God鈥檚 word to their audiences. These speech forms, indicative of prophetic authority and prerogative, are largely unique to the prophets and their revelatory world. Forms such as 鈥淭hus saith the Lord,鈥 鈥淗earken to the word of the Lord,鈥 and 鈥淎s the Lord liveth鈥 signal a prophet鈥檚 mandate to speak in the Lord鈥檚 name. Those that do not invoke the Lord鈥檚 name are also authoritative since the Lord鈥檚 will is being revealed to his mouthpiece, the prophet.[1]
The following chart features five prominent prophetic speech forms found in the Old Testament and identifies their form and purpose.
Name of Form | Form | Purpose |
Messenger Formula | 鈥淭hus saith the Lord鈥 (Exodus 4:22; 8:20; Isaiah 7:7; 22:15; 29:22) | Indicates the origin and authority of the revelation that God gives to the prophets. |
Proclamation Formula颅 | 鈥淗earken to the word of the Lord鈥 (various phrasings, Joshua 3:9; 2 Kings 7:1; 20:16; 2 Chronicles 18:18) | An emphatic summons for people to hear the word of the Lord as it is revealed through the prophets. |
Oath Formula | 鈥淎s the Lord liveth鈥 (2 Kings 2:2, 4, 6) | Gives power to the prophets鈥 message since the oath is based on the Lord鈥檚 existence. |
Woe Oracle颅 | 鈥淲oe unto鈥 (Isaiah 3:9, 11; 5:8; Jeremiah 13:27; Ezekiel 13:3) | A prophecy or statement of impending anguish, misery, and judgment to warn the wicked; characteristically includes an accusation, the addressee, the intent of the accusation, and the promise of judgment. |
Revelation Formula | 鈥淭he word of the Lord came unto . . . , saying鈥 (various phrasings, Genesis 15:1; 1 Samuel 15:10; Isaiah 38:4; Jeremiah 1:4) | Emphasizes the revelatory process behind the message. |
The same revelatory speech forms are also present in the Book of Mormon鈥檚 prophetic discourse.[2] Here are some representative examples:
Messenger Formula:
鈥淏ut thus saith the Lord God鈥 (2 Nephi 29:4)
鈥淔or behold, thus saith the Lord鈥 (Jacob 2:23)
鈥淎nd thus saith the Lord鈥 (Mosiah 3:24)
鈥淭hus saith the Lord鈥 (Helaman 13:8, 11)
Proclamation Formula:
鈥淟isten to the words of Christ鈥 (Moroni 8:8)
鈥淗earken to the word of the Lord鈥 (Jacob 2:27)
鈥淗earken unto the voice of the Lord their God鈥 (Helaman 12:23)
鈥淗ear the words of Jesus鈥 (3 Nephi 30:1)
鈥淗earken unto the words which the Lord saith鈥 (Helaman 13:21)
Oath Formula:
鈥淎s the Lord liveth鈥 (1 Nephi 3:15, 4:32; 2 Nephi 9:16; 25:20; Omni 1:26; Alma 54:10)
鈥淎s surely as the Lord liveth shall these things be, saith the Lord鈥 (Helaman 15:17; compare Helaman 13:26)
Woe Oracle:
鈥淲o, wo, unto Jerusalem鈥 (1 Nephi 1:13)
鈥淏ut wo unto him鈥 (2 Nephi 9:27)
鈥淲o, wo unto him鈥 (Mosiah 3:12)
鈥淏ut wo unto him that repenteth not鈥 (Helaman 13:11)
鈥淵ea, wo unto this great city of Zarahemla鈥 (Helaman 13:12)
Revelation Formula:
鈥淭hus came the word [of the Lord] unto me, saying鈥 (Jacob 2:11)
鈥淭he word of the Lord came unto Alma鈥 (Alma 43:24)
鈥淏ehold, the voice of the Lord came unto him鈥 (Helaman 13:3)
鈥淭he word of the Lord came to Ether鈥 (Ether 13:20)
Notes
[1] For further study, see Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity, 88鈥100.
[2] See Parry, 鈥淗ebraisms and Other Ancient Peculiarities,鈥 169鈥70; and Parry, 鈥溾楾hus Saith the Lord.鈥欌
