Category: Old Testament

How does a premier Dead Sea Scrolls translator bridge the gap between ancient Hebrew manuscripts and modern Old Testament scripture study for Latter-day Saints? Donald W. Parry’s new translation of the book of Isaiah avoids early modern English archaisms in favor of contemporary clarity, while carefully preserving authentic Hebraisms and visually restoring over 1,000 instances of original prophetic, two-lined parallelistic poetry. By integrating textual variants from the Great Isaiah Scroll alongside insights from the Book of Mormon and the Joseph Smith Translation, this volume provides a specialized companion resource for analyzing complex biblical dialogues. In this interview, Donald W. Parry discusses how these ancient and Restoration texts harmonize to illuminate Isaiah’s witness of Jesus Christ.

In the Bible, ḥesed signifies a bond of steadfast loyalty and kindness that defines a relationship’s enduring commitment. While the word is often rendered as “mercy” in the King James Version, it more accurately describes a “pact” requiring mutual fidelity between Israel and God. This bilateral bond is especially exemplified in the Book of Ruth and the Psalms, where human devotion mirrors the unbreakable nature of God’s covenant: even in moments of exile or despair, ḥesed offers a reassuring promise of God’s empathetic concern. In this interview, translator Robert Alter discusses the nuanced meanings of ḥesed in the Hebrew Bible.

Finding Jesus Christ in the Old Testament often involves learning to discern the ancient music of the Hebrew Bible. In Seven Songs, Rosalynde Welch and Adam Miller explore the “Tanakh” as a literary masterpiece, organizing seven specific poems into a narrative arc that mirrors the lifecycle of a believer’s faith. From the fiery devotion of the Song of Miriam to the “salty tears” of divine absence in the Psalms, this approach treats the text as a living witness of Jesus’s own spiritual formation. In this interview, Rosalynde Welch explains how these poetic voices offer a theology of providence that remains sufficient even when God feels far away.

BYU scholar Kent P. Jackson has produced a modern translation of Genesis for Latter-day Saints. Published as a standalone hardcopy book, it features a literal translation of the Hebrew text formatted alongside the Joseph Smith Translation and Jackson’s personal commentary. While the author had long planned to translate Genesis to help Latter-day Saints become familiar with modern translations, the book’s publication coincided with the Church’s updated instructions on Study Bibles in late 2025. In this interview, Jackson sheds light on his translation process, provides examples from the book, and highlights details especially important to church members.