Keywords
biblical Hebrew, ancient idiom, personal and emotional rendering
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.
Recommended Citation
Bowen, Matthew L.
(2022)
"“But That Thou Wouldst Clear My Way Before Me”: A Note on the Personal and Emotional Rendering of an Ancient Idiom in 2 Nephi 4:33,"
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: Vol. 53, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/interpreter/vol53/iss1/5
