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Book of Mormon Commentary
Alma Chapter 8
This charge intensified the feelings of the people against the speaker. Zeezrom, a noted lawyer,
was the chief spokesman. According to their laws, the lawyers and judges were paid according to
the business they could get and the time given to a trial.
This led the historian to discuss their money system. The names of their coins and their value are
interesting. While the standard of value was "a measure of barley," the size of the measure is not
indicated. In the following table, the United States dollar is used only to give a more concise idea
of the relative value of their coins, but should not be taken literally.
Nephite Money Values
Gold
Silver
Senine = $1.00 Senum = $1.00
Seon = 2.00 Amnor = 2.00
Shum = 4.00 Ezrom = 4.00
Limnah = 7.00 Ont = 7.00
Antion = 1.50 Shiblon = .50
Shiblum = .25
Leah = .12 ½
Additional data on their money is found in the following,
The names of these coins seem to be identical with or derived from those of familiar persons or
places, The custom of naming coins after well-known or distinguished persons is a practice not
confined to the Nephites, Other nations have done the same, as for instance the Napoleons of
France, also the Louis d'ors, and the So1'ereigns of England. Limnah, however, may be related to
the Hebrew maneh, meaning, number, portion, weight, with a performative 1, which is for, Maneh
is the mina of the ancient Greeks, and from it comes our money, mint, and their derivatives, Seon
may be from the Hebrew seah, a corn measure, (Genesis 18:6, K.J.V.) Shium seems to be the
Hebrew shum, to value. Shiblon and Shiblum may be related to the Hebrew shibolim, ears of corn,
since grain, among the Nephites, was the standard of value.
ANIULEK ANSWERS ZEEZROM AND TALKS OF JUDGMENT, VER. 67-109
Alma 8:67 And this Zeezrom began to question Amulek, saying: Will ye answer me a few questions
which I shall ask you?
Amulek discerned his spirit, and cautiously answered, "I will if it be according to the Spirit of the
Lord which is in me" (69).Then Zeezrom offered him six onties "if thou wilt deny the existence of
a supreme being" (70) . When Amulek rebuked him for this, he asked a negative question to the
same effect, "Believest thou that there is no God?"