2 Nephi 21
People in this chapter
Nephi is in the middle of copying thirteen chapters of Isaiah into his record, and he tells us why. Isaiah verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him, and Nephi wants his people to read these words and lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men (2 Nephi 11:2, 8). This chapter gives them plenty to rejoice about.
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2 Nephi 21:1-5A Rod out of the Stem of Jesse
1And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
In D&C 113 the Lord explained this chapter. The Stem of Jesse is Christ. The rod is a servant in Christ's hands, and the root of Jesse is a descendant of Jesse and Joseph who holds priesthood keys for the gathering in the last days.
2And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; 3And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.
The Spirit of the Lord rests on Him, bringing wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, and knowledge. He does not judge by appearances. He sees the heart.
4But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
He judges the poor fairly and stands up for the meek of the earth. His only weapon is His word: the rod of his mouth.
A girdle was a belt that held a person's clothes together for work. Righteousness and faithfulness are what hold this King together.
2 Nephi 21:6-9The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb
6The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den.
When the Savior reigns, even nature will be at peace. Wolves and lambs, lions and calves, children and snakes will live together without harm.
9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
Why will there be no more harm? Because the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Peace comes when people truly know Him.
2 Nephi 21:10-12An Ensign of the People
10And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek; and his rest shall be glorious.
11And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
The first time the Lord gathered Israel was the Exodus. The second time is the latter-day gathering. Nephi says the Book of Mormon is part of how it happens.
2 Nephi 21:13-16A Highway for the Remnant
13The envy of Ephraim also shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
Israel had split into two rival kingdoms, often called Ephraim and Judah. Isaiah promises the rivalry will end. The Book of Mormon and the Bible, records of Joseph and of Judah, now stand together.
14But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines towards the west; they shall spoil them of the east together; they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 15And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind he shall shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dry shod. 16And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Assyria, like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
The Lord will clear the way home, as He parted the Red Sea for Israel. There will be a highway for His people to return on.
Research trail
Sources & further study
These references support the historical, linguistic, manuscript, and contextual notes in this chapter. Scripture remains the primary text; external sources are provided so readers can inspect the research directly.
- Why Did Moroni Quote Isaiah 11 to Joseph Smith?Connects Moroni's 1823 use of Isaiah 11 with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon as an ensign for the latter-day gathering, and reviews how D&C 113 has been read.
- EnsignDefines an ensign as a flag or standard people rally around, and lists the scriptures that apply the word to the latter-day work of gathering.
- MillenniumThe Church's summary of what the scriptures teach about the thousand years of peace that verses 6-9 describe.
Where this echoes in Scripture
A Rod out of the Stem of Jesse
- D&C 113:1-6Who is the Stem of Jesse...? Verily thus saith the Lord: It is Christ.The Lord's own answers about this chapter.
- Revelation 22:16I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.Jesus names Himself with Isaiah's image.
- Joseph Smith-History 1:40He quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled.Moroni's use of this chapter in 1823.
- 1 Samuel 16:7Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.Said in Jesse's house, when David was chosen.
- Luke 4:18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.
The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb
- D&C 101:26The enmity of man, and the enmity of beasts, yea, the enmity of all flesh, shall cease from before my face.
- Isaiah 65:25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock.Isaiah returns to the same picture.
- Habakkuk 2:14The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
- John 17:3This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
- Articles of Faith 1:10Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and... the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
An Ensign of the People
- Romans 15:12There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.Paul quotes verse 10 of Jesus.
- John 3:14-15As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.
- 2 Nephi 29:1I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them... that I may set my hand again the second time.The Book of Mormon applies verse 11 to itself.
- 2 Nephi 10:20The Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea.Nephi's family among the remnants in the islands of the sea.
- D&C 45:9I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people.
A Highway for the Remnant
- Ezekiel 37:16-17Take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah... then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph.
- 2 Nephi 3:12That which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together.
- Exodus 14:21-22The children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground.The first time the Lord made a way through the sea.
- D&C 133:26-27An highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.
- Isaiah 35:8An highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness.