Word Pairs

A common element in Hebrew poetry is the use of word pairs. Kevin L. Barney explains, "Parallel lines are . . . created by the use of parallel words, that is, pairs of words bearing generally synonymous or antithetical meanings." Thus Hebrew poetry is often based on common or standard word pairs. Even though these pairs figure prominently in poetry, they also appear in regular speech and narratives. The Book of Mormon is mainly prose, but it contains numerous examples of word pairs. Because the authors of the Book of Mormon would have understood and been familiar with such word pairs, it is not surprising to find them in the basic language of that book.

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An extract from Hugh W. Pinnock, Finding Biblical Hebrew and Other Ancient Literary Forms in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1999), 52.

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