3 Nephi 22
People in this chapter
This chapter is one of the most tender in Isaiah, and Jesus quotes all of it. He introduces it with one line: And then shall that which is written come to pass (v. 1). Then points back to what He has just described: Israel gathered, the Gentiles who repent numbered with them, the New Jerusalem built, and the Lord in the midst (3 Nephi 21:22-29).
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3 Nephi 22:1-6Enlarge the Place of Thy Tent
1And then shall that which is written come to pass: Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.
Jesus quotes Isaiah. Israel is pictured as a childless woman who is told to sing, because she will have more children than anyone.
2Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes; 3For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
A growing family needs a bigger tent: longer cords and stronger stakes. The Lord later used the word stakes for the units of His Church that hold up Zion.
4Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5For thy maker, thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel—the God of the whole earth shall he be called. 6For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
The Lord tells Israel not to fear. She will forget the shame of her past. The Book of Mormon version adds one more line about forgetting the reproach of thy youth.
3 Nephi 22:7-10With Everlasting Kindness
7For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
The Lord admits Israel felt forsaken for a short time. Then He promises to gather her with great mercy and everlasting kindness. The time apart is short; the kindness lasts forever.
9For this, the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee. 10For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
The Lord compares His promise to the promise He made after the flood. Just as the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth, He will not be angry with His people again.
3 Nephi 22:11-17All Thy Children Shall Be Taught of the Lord
11O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted! Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. 12And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
To a city battered by storms, the Lord promises to rebuild with beautiful stones: sapphires, agates, and precious gems.
13And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. 14In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee.
The Lord promises that all of Zion's children will be taught by Him, and that their peace will be great. Jesus quoted this promise in His ministry in Galilee.
15Behold, they shall surely gather together against thee, not by me; whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. 16Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. 17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
Enemies will gather against Zion, but the Lord did not send them, and they will fall. The Lord made the smith who makes weapons, so no weapon formed against His people will succeed.
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.
- IsaiahBackground on Isaiah and a list of the places the Book of Mormon quotes him, including Isaiah 54 in this chapter.
- StakeHow Isaiah's tent image in verse 2 gave the Church its word for a stake of Zion.
- ZionScriptures on the people and the city the Lord addresses in this chapter.
- IsraelThe scattering and gathering of Israel, the backdrop for the Lord's promise with great mercies will I gather thee (v. 7).
Where this echoes in Scripture
Enlarge the Place of Thy Tent
- Galatians 4:27Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not.Paul quotes verse 1.
- D&C 101:21They shall be called stakes, for the curtains or the strength of Zion.
- D&C 82:14Her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened.
- Moroni 10:31Strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever.
- Hosea 2:19I will betroth thee unto me for ever.
With Everlasting Kindness
- Psalm 30:5Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
- Genesis 9:11-13Neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth... I do set my bow in the cloud.
- John 14:27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
- Ephesians 2:14For he is our peace.
- 3 Nephi 8:10In the place of the city there became a great mountain.This people had just seen the earth itself change.
All Thy Children Shall Be Taught of the Lord
- Revelation 21:18-21The foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones.
- John 6:45It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God.Jesus quotes verse 13.
- D&C 71:9There is no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper.
- 3 Nephi 23:1A commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.What Jesus says right after quoting this chapter.