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Book of Mormon Commentary
2 Nephi Chapter 11
11:16 Amos declared, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, until he revealeth the secret unto his
servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).
"Destroyed" does not always signify utter extinction. This could not happen "from generation to
generation" (15). It here is more properly interpreted as "brought to ruin, overthrown." Such a
destruction occurred shortly after Lehi left Jerusalem in the Babylonian captivity (18).
2 Ne 11:22 Behold, they will crucify him, and after he is laid in a sepulcher for the space of three days,
he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings, and all those who shall believe on his name, shall
be saved in the kingdom of God;
11:22 The rejection of the Messiah by the Jews was "because of their iniquities, and the hardness
of their hearts, and the stiffness of their necks" ( 21) .This figurative language had its fulfillment in
their persistent demand that an innocent man suffer the most horrible and degrading death known
in that age (John 19:8-18). They clamored for the release of a known criminal in order that they
might humiliate an innocent man who had condemned their sins and their hypocrisy.
They might have inflicted death by stoning, according to Hebrew law, as they did in the case of
Stephen; but this would have been relatively humane, and only hanging would satisfy these angry
Jews. They intimated to Pilate that a charge of disloyalty to Caesar (John 19:12) would be
preferred against him in Rome. Nephi's prophecy of "hardness of heart" seems fully justified.
"In a sepulcher for the space of three days" raises a point of accuracy. Its answer depends upon
whether we insist on English literalism or Hebrew colloquialism. It is generally thought that the
trial was on Thursday, the crucifixion on Friday, the fourteenth of Abib, shortly after 3:00 P.M.
Christ was taken to the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea before sunset. He was in the tomb all
day Saturday the fifteenth, but had risen early Sunday morning, the sixteenth, when the women
came to the tomb to anoint his body. "After eight days" from Easter Sunday (John 20:26) is
conceded to mean "on the eighth day after." Weymouth translates it "a week later."
Mark and Luke both record that he should rise the third day (Mark 9:28; Luke 24:6, 20). This
confirms the history as we have just stated it. The version which reads "three days" or "three days
and nights" in the tomb is likely based on a misunderstanding of Hebrew colloquialism. Justin
Martyr, A..D. 140, asserts that the Christians had a custom of assembling on the first day of the
week. John refers to this as "the Lord's day" (Rev. 1:10). Tertullian (A.D. 200) spoke of Sunday as
the day of resurrection of our Lord.
NEPHI PROPHESIES CONCERNING CHRIST, VER. 24-69
2 Ne 11:24 And behold, it shall come to pass, that after the Messiah hath risen from the dead, and hath
manifested himself unto his people, unto as many as will believe on his name, behold, Jerusalem shall be
destroyed again: for wo unto them that fight against God and the people of his church.
11:24 This occurred A.D. 70 under Titus. It was at a time of celebrating one of their holy festivals,
and the city was filled to overflowing with visitors. Suddenly the gates were closed, and the Jews
were trapped. Soon their food supply was exhausted, and a civil war developed. Cases of
cannibalism were observed. When Titus was lauded for his victory, he disclaimed all honor for it.
"1 am only an instrument," he said, "of divine retribution."