This is Part 3 of the series locating the extent of dependence of the Book of Moses on the text of the KJV Genesis. You can see Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 4 here. All of these posts are based on the textual analysis of Kent P. Jackson, The Book of Moses and the Joseph Smith Translation Manuscripts (Provo: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2005). Each of these posts looks at each specific chapter, the chapter number synonymous with that of the “Part” number.
Chapter 3 is a revision of Genesis 2. As noted in Part 2, Gen. 1:1-2:4a is widely recognized by critical scholarship (especially those in the European school, as well as those in America and Israel) as the priestly account of creation. That means that from Moses 2:1:b-3:4a the text of the Book of Moses is dependent on the priestly account of creation in its KJV English edition. Beginning in 3:4b the text of Moses is dependent on the Yahwist’s (J source) version of creation. Although many scholars in Europe no longer recognize J as an actual document, there is still consensus that these two creation stories in Genesis are separate from one another. I do find the arguments of American and Israeli scholars (and a few in Europe) of the existence of J convincing, and I therefore assign this creation account to J.
To what extent is the text of Moses dependent on the KJV is the question this post and the series aims to answer. Below the data has been collected to show where the text of Moses meets the text of the KJV, not only Genesis, but other places throughout the bible as well. These initial posts are meant to provide data, with very little commentary or interpretation of the data. Each reader is invited to work through the material and to come to their own conclusions. I will only analyze the data once I have made it to the last post.
This comparison, like Part 2, has been made directly with a version of the 1828 Phinney printing of the bible, and readers are directed to Part 2 where they will find a link to a digital version of the 1828 Phinney. This edition was used in producing the Inspired Version or Joseph Smith Translation.
Moses 3
(OT2 Page 6; Moses 2:31-3:12)
[1] Thus the Heaven[1] and the Earth were finished, and all the host of
them. [2] and on the Seventh day I[2] God ended my[3] work and all things[4]
which I[5] had made and I[6] rested on the Seventh day from all
my[7] work and all things[8] which I[9] had made were finished. And I
<God> saw that they were good.[10] [3] And I,[11] God, blessed the seventh day,
and
Sanctified it because that in it I[12] had rested from all my[13]
work which I[14] God had[15] created and made. [4] And now Behold[16] I say
unto you that[17] these are the generations of the Heaven[18]
and of the Earth when they were created n the day that I[19]
the Lord God made the Heaven[20] and the Earth[21] [5] and every plant of
the field before it was in the Earth and every herb of the field
before it grew, for I[22] the lord God Created all things of which
I have spoken Spiritually, before they were naturally upon the
face of the Earth, For I the Lord God[23] had not caused it to rain
upon the face of the[24] Earth. and I the Lord God had created all
the Children of men[25] and[26] not yet[27] a man to till the ground,
for in Heaven created I them. And there was not yet flesh
upon the Earth[28] neither in the water neither in the air[29] [6] but I the
Lord God Spake and[30] there went up a mist from the Earth and
watered the whole face of the ground [7] and I[31] the Lord God formed,
man from[32] the dust of the groun and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life, and man became a living soul the first flesh
upon the Earth the first man[33] also. nevertheless all things were
before created, but Spiritually were they created and made accor-
ding to my word,[34] [8] and I[35] the Lord God planted a Garden eastward
in Eden and there I[36] put the man whom I[37] had formed.
[9] And out of the ground made I[38] the Lord God to grow every
tree naturally that is pleasant to the sight of man and man
could behold it and they <it> became also a living soul[39] for it was
spiritual in the day that I created it[40] for it remaineth in the
sphere <in> which I <God> created it yea, even all things which I
prepared for the use of man[41] and man saw that it was good for
food. and I the Lord God placed <planted>[42] the tree of life also in the midst
of the garden and also[43] the tree of knowledge of good and evil
[10] and <I the Lord God caused>[44] a river went <to go>[45] out of Eden to
water the garden and from thence
it was parted and became into four heads. [11] and I the Lord God
called[46] the name of the first[47] Pison and[48] it[49] compasseth the whole
land of Havilah where there were <I the Lord> created much[50] gold
[12] and the
(OT2 Page 7; Moses 3:12-4:3)
Gold of that land was good and there was[51] bdellium and the Onyx stone
[13] And the name of the Second River was called[52] Gihon the same
was[53] it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia [14] And the
name of the third River was[54] Hiddekel that was[55] it which goeth
towards[56] the East of Assyria And the fourth River was[57] Euphra-
tes. [15] And I[58] the Lord God took the man and put him into the
Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it [16] and I[59] the Lord God com-
manded the man saying, Of every tree of the garden thou
mayest freely eat, [17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose
for thyself, for it is given unto thee.[60] But remember, that
I forbid it,[61] for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt sur-
ely die. [18] And I[62] the Lord God said unto mine only Begotten[63] that
it was[64] not good that the man should be alone Where[65] I will make
an[66] help meet for him. [19] and out of the ground I[67] the Lord God
formed
every beast of the field and every fowl of the air and commanded that
they should be[68] brought <come>[69] unto Adam to see what he would call
them
and they were also living souls and it was <for I, God,> breathed into
them the breath
of life[70] and <commanded that>[71] whatsoever Adam called every living
creature that was <should be>[72]
the name thereof. [20] and Adam gave names to all cattle and to the fowl
of the air and to every beast of the field but <as>[73] for Adam there
was not found an[74] help meet for him. [21] and I,[75] the Lord God, caus-
ed a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and I[76] took one of his
ribs and closed up the flesh in the[77] stead thereof, [22] and the rib which
I,[78] the Lord God had taken from man, made I[79] a woman, and broug-
ht her unto the man. [23] and Adam said, This I know now is[80] bone of
my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman, because
she was taken out ofm an. [24] Therefore shall a man leave his father and[81]
mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh.
[25] and they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not asha-
med.
[1] The KJV has “heavens.”
[2] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[3] The KJV has “his.”
[4] The phrase “and all things” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[5] The KJV has “he.”
[6] The KJV has “he.”
[7] The KJV has “his.”
[8] The phrase “and all things” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[9] The KJV has “he.”
[10] The line “were finished. And I<God> saw that they were good.” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen. This does hearken back to Gen. 1, especially to the construct “God saw that it was good” in the KJV and its expansion in Moses 1 to “I God saw that they were good.”
[11] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[12] The KJV has “he.”
[13] The KJV has “his.”
[14] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[15] The word “had” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[16] The phrase “And now behold” appears exactly 12 times in the KJV (9 OT; 3 NT).
[17] The phrase “I say unto you, that” appears exactly 37 times in the KJV (all NT).
[18] The KJV has “heavens.”
[19] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[20] The KJV has “heavens.”
[21] The KJV has “the earth and the heavens.”
[22] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[23] The line “Created all things of which I have spoken Spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the Earth, For I the Lord God” has no precedent here in the KJV.
[24] The phrase “face of the” has no precedent here in the KJV. The phrase “the face of the earth” appears exactly 29 times in the KJV (28 OT; 1 NT).
[25] The phrase “the children of men” appears exactly 22 times in the KJV (all OT).
[26] The phrase “I the Lord God had created all the children of men and” has no precedent here in the KJV.
[27] The KJV has “and there was not a man to.”
[28] The construct “flesh…upon the earth” is found only in Gen. 6:12; 7:21; 9:16, 17.
[29] The line “for in Heaven created I them. And there was not flesh upon the Earth neither in the water neither in the air” has no precedent here in the KJV.
[30] The phrase “I the Lord God spake and” has no precedent here in the KJV.
[31] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[32] The KJV has “man of the dust.”
[33] The phrase “the first man” appears exactly 3 times in the KJV (1 OT; 2 NT).
[34] The line “also. nevertheless all things were before created, but Spiritually were they created and made according to my word” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen. The phrase “according to my word” is based on the construct “according to [the/thy/this/my] word,” which appears 53 times (49 OT; 4 NT).
[35] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[36] The KJV has “he.”
[37] The KJV has “he.”
[38] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[39] The phrase “became also a living soul” points back to Gen. 2:7.
[40] The construct “in the day that…created” appears 3 times in the KJV (Gen. 5:1; Ezek. 28:13, 15).
[41] The text spanning from “of man and man…and man saw that it was” has no precedent here in the KJV.
[42] The phrase “and I the Lord God placed <planted>” has no precedent here in the KJV.
[43] The word “also” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[44] The phrase “I the Lord God caused” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen. The phrase “the Lord God caused” is an echo (E.) of Gen. 2:21.
[45] The phrase “to go” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[46] P. Gen. 3:9; Amos 7:4.
[47] The KJV has “the first is Pison.”
[48] The word “and” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[49] The KJV has “the first is Pison: that is its which compasseth.”
[50] The KJV has “where there is gold.”
[51] The KJV has “that land is good: there is bdellium.”
[52] The KJV has “second river is Gihon.”
[53] The KJV has “the same is it that.”
[54] The KJV has “third river is Hiddekel.”
[55] The KJV has “that is it which.”
[56] The KJV has “toward.”
[57] The KJV has “fourth river is Euphrates.”
[58] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[59] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[60] E. Matt. 13:11.
[61] The line “nevertheless thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee. But remember, that I forbid it” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[62] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[63] P. John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; Heb. 11:17; 1 John 4:9.
[64] The KJV has “the Lord God said, It is not good.”
[65] The KJV has “be alone: I will make.”
[66] OT1 has “a,” as does the KJV.
[67] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[68] The phrase “commanded that they should be” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[69] The KJV has “of the air, and brought them unto Adam.”
[70] The phrases “living souls” and “breathed into them the breath of life” point back to Gen. 2:7.
[71] The KJV has “call them; and whatsoever Adam called.”
[72] The KJV has “that was the name thereof.”
[73] The word “as” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[74] OT1 has “a,” as does the KJV.
[75] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[76] The KJV has “he.”
[77] The KJV has “flesh instead thereof.”
[78] The word “I” has no precedent here in the KJV Gen.
[79] The KJV has “he.”
[80] The KJV has “Adam said, This is now bone of my bones.”
[81] OT1 has “and his mother,” as does the KJV Gen.
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