There are 2 thoughts on “Putting Down the Priests: A Note on Royal Evaluations, (wĕ)hišbît, and Priestly Purges in 2 Kings 23:5 and Mosiah 11:5”.

  1. Matt’s piece here is brilliant, short, and on point. However, the formulaic language parallels go much further, including

    Mosiah 6:6 “King Mosiah did walk in the ways of the Lord” || Ether 10:2 “And he [Shez] did walk in the ways of the Lord” – Mosiah 11:1 “And he [Noah] did not walk in the ways of his father” || I Ki 15:26 “walked in the way of his father,” 34 “he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam”

    Mosiah 11:2 “he did not keep the commandments of God” || Ether 10:5,16 “He did/did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord” || I Ki 12:2, “did that which was right in the sight of the LORD”

    Mosiah 11:2 “And he had many wives and concubines” || Ether 10:5 “for he did have many wives and concubines”

    Mosiah 11:2 “do that which was abominable…did commit whoredoms” || Ether 10:7 “with his whoredoms and abominations”

    Mosiah 11:3 “And he laid a tax” || Ether 10:5 “he did tax them with heavy taxes”

    Mosiah 11: 3,8-10 “gold..silver…ziff…copper…brass…iron | gold… silver… iron… brass…ziff… copper | gold and silver | copper…brass” || Ether 10:23 “gold and silver and iron and brass | gold… silver… iron… copper”

    Mosiah 11:8-9 “built many elegant and spacious buildings… a spacious palace” || Ether 10:5 “he did build many spacious buildings”

    Mosiah 11:10 “all manner of fine work” || Ether 10:7 “all manner of fine workmanship”

    Much of which has Deuteronomistic precursors.

    • Thank you, Bob! I think you’re right. Moreover, the royal evaluations seem to be levied in view of Deuteronomy 17:14-20, especially v. 17. In both Mosiah 11 and Ether 10, shadow of King Solomon looms large.

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