Jacob 6
People in this chapter
Jacob has just copied the longest chapter in the Book of Mormon onto metal plates. Now he tells his people what it means, and he does it in thirteen verses. Zenos's allegory must surely come to pass (v. 1). The Lord will set His hand the second time to recover his people, His servants will prune the vineyard one last time, and then the end will come (v. 2).
Tap any highlighted phrase to jump to the commentary that unpacks it.
Jacob 6:1-4He Remembereth the House of Israel, Both Roots and Branches
1And now, behold, my brethren, as I said unto you that I would prophesy, behold, this is my prophecy—that the things which this prophet Zenos spake, concerning the house of Israel, in the which he likened them unto a tame olive tree, must surely come to pass. 2And the day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard; and after that the end soon cometh. 3And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard; and how cursed are they who shall be cast out into their own place! And the world shall be burned with fire.
Jacob says Zenos's allegory is about the house of Israel and must surely come to pass. The last pruning of the vineyard is the day the Lord gathers His people the second time.
4And how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long; and they are a stiffnecked and a gainsaying people; but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God.
Jacob 6:5-7Cleave unto God as He Cleaveth unto You
5Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.
Jacob asks his people to cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. God is already holding on. His arm of mercy is extended, and Jesus Christ later uses those very words (3 Nephi 9:14).
6Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die? 7For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?
Jacob quotes a psalm: today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Then he brings the allegory home. After all the Lord's nourishing, will they bring forth evil fruit?
Jacob 6:8-10Will Ye Reject These Words?
8Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?
Jacob lists what his people could reject: the prophets' words about Christ, the power of God, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the great plan of redemption.
9Know ye not that if ye will do these things, that the power of the redemption and the resurrection, which is in Christ, will bring you to stand with shame and awful guilt before the bar of God? 10And according to the power of justice, for justice cannot be denied, ye must go away into that lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of fire and brimstone is endless torment.
Jacob describes the fate of the unrepentant as a lake of fire and endless torment. Justice cannot be denied. The Lord later explained that endless describes God's punishment because Endless is His name (D&C 19:10-12).
Jacob 6:11-13O Be Wise; What Can I Say More?
11O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life.
Jacob's answer is the same as Nephi's: enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, all the way to eternal life.
After all his teaching, Jacob has eight words left: O be wise; what can I say more?
13Finally, I bid you farewell, until I shall meet you before the pleasing bar of God, which bar striketh the wicked with awful dread and fear. Amen.
Jacob says farewell until I shall meet you before the pleasing bar of God. Moroni closes the whole Book of Mormon with the same phrase (Moroni 10:34).
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.
- ZenosLists every scripture that quotes or mentions Zenos, including Jacob's explanation of his allegory in Jacob 6:1-10.
- Olive TreeNotes that the olive tree is used most often in scripture to symbolize the house of Israel, and gathers the passages that use it, including Jacob 5-6.
- Why Does Jacob Quote So Much from the Psalms?Scholars note how often Jacob draws on the Psalms, including Psalm 95 behind Jacob 6:6.
Where this echoes in Scripture
He Remembereth the House of Israel, Both Roots and Branches
- Isaiah 11:11-12The Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people.
- 2 Nephi 25:17The Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state.
- Romans 10:21All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.Paul's words for the Lord's patience with Israel.
- Jacob 5:47I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long.
- 2 Nephi 28:32Mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts.
Cleave unto God as He Cleaveth unto You
- Deuteronomy 10:20Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave.
- 3 Nephi 9:14Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive.The Savior uses Jacob's words.
- Psalm 95:7-8To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart.
- Hebrews 3:7-8To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
- Alma 34:31Now is the time and the day of your salvation.
Will Ye Reject These Words?
- 2 Nephi 9:22That the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.Jacob's earlier teaching.
- John 5:28-29All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth.
- Mosiah 3:27Their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable.
- D&C 19:10-12Endless is my name. Wherefore… Eternal punishment is God's punishment.
- D&C 19:16I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent.
O Be Wise; What Can I Say More?
- 2 Nephi 31:17-18The gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water… then are ye in this strait and narrow path.
- Matthew 7:13-14Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
- Moroni 10:34To meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead.Moroni closes with Jacob's phrase.
- Ezekiel 33:11Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?