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Book of Mormon Commentary
Jacob Chapter 3
3:26 This prophecy is well put in understandable words. Jesus was the "chief corner stone" (Eph.
2: 20), "the stone which the builders rejected" (Matt. 21:44; see also I Pet. 2:7,8).
Because of this stumbling, Jesus told them, "Your house is left unto you desolate" (Luke 13:36).
They suffered that which no other ethnic group in history has ever endured, yet they have survived
and are gathering again to their homeland.
Jacob went on to unfold a mystery of how it was possible for the Jews to build on this sure
foundation, after having rejected it, so that "it may become the head of the corner" Ob. 3:27-29).
ZENOS' PROPHECY AND PARABLE OF THE OLIVE TREES, VER.30-153
Jac 3:31 For behold, thus saith the Lord, I will liken thee, O house of Israel, like unto a tame olive tree,
which a man took and nourished in his vineyard: and it grew, and waxed old, and began to decay.
3:31 Nephi has already used the allegory of the olive trees in I Nephi 3:16-19; 4:14-24. (See notes
under 3:16, 17) The remainder of this chapter contains the prophecy of Zenos. It is the prophetic
history of the house of Israel from the time God made the covenant with Abraham, and it
emphasizes the most important events of Israelite history and brings in the prophecy of their
destiny down to the millennial reign when Christ returns to earth.
Zenos was a Hebrew prophet whose writings were known to Nephi, Jacob, and Alma (I N. 5:242
if; Jb. 4:2; A. 16:177 if). Nephi, son of Helaman, knew of him (H. 3:53) and also Samuel (H. 5:
101). The Nephi who lived at the time of Christ's crucifixion spoke of the testimony of Zenos (III
N. 4:71). The prophet Zenos is not mentioned in the Bible or the Doctrine and Covenants.
Jac 3:32 And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and he saw that his olive tree
began to decay; and he said, I will prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot
forth young and tender branches, and it perish not.
3:32-153 In the parable, Israel, the tame olive tree, has grown old and is in a state of decay. The
Gentiles, the wild branches, are grafted in (40:42; Rom. 11:17-25).
Fresh young colonies of Israel would be scattered into many parts of the world Ob. 3:39, 48).
Some would be hidden "in poor spots" (63), where they would not be expected to bear much fruit;
but for a time they would do well (58, 67). Nephi tells of this dispersion and that some tribes
would write, and eventually their writings would be made available to the Jews (II N. 12:69-72).
For a time the Gentile branches which had been grafted in would produce well Ob. 3:52, 55, 56).
In a "good spot of ground”, perhaps America, only part of the tame trees brought forth good fruit,
and the other part produced wild fruit (68, 95). In this choice spot a tree had been "cut down"
(perhaps the Jaredites) to make room for a new planting (94).
After the Lord of the vineyard had been away "a long time," he returned to find that the Gentile
branches were producing "much fruit" and all of it bad (72-78). These wild, grafted branches "had
overcome the roots" (81-84).
An inspection of the "natural branches" in distant parts of the vineyard. revealed that they also
"had become corrupted" (85-92). In the whole vineyard (all the world) it was observed that
"loftiness of the vineyard" had become detrimental to the production of good fruit (105-108).
Wealth, popularity, political power, and pride had choked out spiritual development of the fruit.