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ABRIDGMENT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

But neither Mormon nor Nephi invented the concept of abridging records. It was already a common phenomenon evidenced in the Bible. Specific phrases and anachronisms, as well as reference to earlier writings containing greater detail, provide evidence for the abridgment of earlier records to produce our current Bible.

One such phrase is “unto this day,” which refers to an historical event marking the establishment of something that remained in place at the time of the individual who made the final record. We find the expression in works attributed to Moses (Genesis 19:37-38; 26:33; 32:32; 35:20; 47:26; 48:15; Deuteronomy 2:22; 3:14; 10:8; 11:4; 34:6) and to Joshua (Joshua 4:9; 5:9; 6:25; 7:26; 8:28-29; 9:27; 14:14; 15:63; 16:10), as well as various historical books (Judges 1:21, 26; 6:14; 10:4; 15:19; 18:12; 19:30; 1 Samuel 5:5; 6:18; 27:6; 30:25; 2 Samuel 18:18; 1 Kings 8:8; 9:13, 21; 10:12; 12:19; 2 Kings 2:22; 8:22; 10:27; 14:7; 16:6; 17:23; 1 Chronicles 4:41,43; 5:26; 2 Chronicles 5:9; 10:19; 20:26; 21:10). It is even found in Matthew 27:8 in reference to the purchase of a field with the money Judas had returned to the chief priests in Jerusalem.

Often, this expression denotes an anachronism in the text. For example, in Deuteronomy 3:14, we read of an event that occurred in the days of Moses: “Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashan-havoth-jair, unto this day.” It seems obvious that this expression would have been inappropriate in Moses’ own day and that it must have been added at a later date. Many Bible scholars see this as evidence that Moses did not write the books of the Pentateuch, but this need not be so. The phenomenon can just as easily be attributed to later editors of works originally prepared by Moses.

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