2 Nephi 12:16

[pam]

16 And upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.

Quotes for Discussion

“Ships…pleasant pictures”

The “ships of the sea”…represent the people’s commercial enterprises, especially the “ships of Tarshish,” which were noted for their ability to travel long distances, their strength as war vessels, and their large storage capacity as commercial carriers….The…”pleasant pictures”…were apparently the pleasure crafts or ships in which the wealthy traveled throughout the Mediterranean. Isaiah prophesies that the Lord will abase all these superficial symbols of wealth and power.

Victor L. Ludlow, Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 91

Tarshish, whose precise location is unknown, was probably a prosperous and bustling Mediterranean seaport. For instance, it was through Tarshish that Solomon imported such luxury items as gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks (1 Kgs. 10:22). Perhaps because of the city’s connection with wealth and affluence, the destruction of Tarshish and its ships symbolizes the Lord’s judgment on the proud and arrogant (Ps. 48:7).

Donald W. Parry, Jay A. Parry, and Tina M. Peterson, Understanding Isaiah [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 34

“Pleasant Pictures” refers to the standard or figure heads of the ships….In Acts 28:11 the student will find an illustration of the meaning of the expression, “pleasant pictures.” There we are informed that the ship in which Paul traveled from Malta to Rome had Castor and Pollux for a “sign.” Those mythical twin sons of Zeus were the supposed protectors of the ship, and their images were painted, or sculptured in a prominent place on the ship. Others had different protectors and therefore different images and standards. But idols, whether on land or sea will be utterly destroyed in the wrath of the day of the Lord.

George Reynolds and Janne M. Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, ed. Philip C. Reynolds, 7 vols. [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1955-1961], 325-26

Footnote a to 2 Nephi 12:16 notes that the Hebrew Masoretic text of Isaiah 2:16 reads “upon all the ships of Tarshish,” while the Greek Septuagint reads “upon all the ships of the sea.” The Book of Mormon text reads “upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish.” One can offer several speculations bout why both phrases appear in the Book of Mormon: (1) Perhaps Joseph Smith fabricated the Book of Mormon and somehow had access to the Septuagint. Discovering there was a discrepancy between the Septuagint and the Masoretic texts of this passage, he decided to include both text versions in the Book of Mormon to deceive readers into thinking he was actually translating a more complete ancient record, that is, the gold plates; or (2) Maybe while Joseph Smith was fabricating the Book of Mormon he accidentally, by chance, inserted into the Book of Mormon the very phrase left out of the Masoretic text; or (3) while the Prophet Joseph Smith was translating the Book of Mormon from the gold plates by the gift and power of God, he translated the phrase “upon all the ships of the sea, and upon all the ships of Tarshish” because that is exactly what the record said. Both phrases were on the gold plates Joseph Smith was translating because the brass plates of pre-600 B.C. origin, from which the gold plates text was taken, were a more ancient and complete text than either the Masoretic text (ca. A.D. 500-1000) or the Septuagint (ca. 250 B.C.). Apparently the Septuagint had lost the phrase “the ships of Tarshish” and the Masoretic text had lost the phrase “the ships of the sea.” The Book of Mormon restores both.

From a purely logical point of view, the last option, option 3, is the only tenable one. From personal conviction, I testify that option 3 is the truth.

Terry B. Ball, Voices of Old Testament Prophets: The 26th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 59