What was a “Mosiah”? מֹושִׁיעַ

John Welch wrote this article many years ago that has interested me more lately as I am working to learn the languages associated with the Old and New Testaments. The word “Mosiah” was a word that was contained in the Old Testament, but not available in English as it was translated as “savior”… The word is מֹושִׁיעַ and in Psalm 17.7 on the Blue Letter Bible application the word is given as “savior” and is listed as יָשַׁע “savest” (H3467).^[1]The word Moshiah is a hiphil participle of the verb יָשַׁע yāšaʿ– meaning “to save.” A hiphil form of a verb in the Hebrew language expresses a causative effect. I see this use of the … Continue reading

John Welch writes:

The key meaning of the word môšia was “savior.” People in danger cry out, “But there is no môšia” (Deuteronomy 22.27). After examining all occurrences of this term in the Hebrew Bible, (John) Sawyer concludes that the term applied to a kind of person or role and was sometimes a title designating “a definite office or position.” Typical of this office are the following traits:

1. The môšia is a victorious hero appointed by God.

2. He liberates a chosen people from oppression, controversy, and injustice after they cry out for help.

3. Their deliverance is usually accomplished by means of a nonviolent escape or negotiation.

4. The immediate result of the coming of a môšia was “escape from injustice, and a return to a state of justice where each man possesses his rightful property.”

5. On a larger scale, “final victory means the coming of môšiim [plural, pronounced moe-shee-eem] to rule like Judges over Israel.”

Thus, the term also had judicial, legal, or forensic connotations, similar to the word advocate.” A môšia gives refuge to those on his “right hand” from their accusers in court (Psalm 17:7).^[2]John Welch, “What was a Mosiah?” Re-exploring the Book of Mormon, 1991, p. 105-107.

From my perspective, after reading both John Welch and John Sawyer’s articles, I see a direct parallel between the concept of a “Mosiah” מֹושִׁיעַ and the non-violent deliverers portrayed in the book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith had no way of knowing this word in the Ancient Near Eastern context, and yet here it is in the Book of Mormon, published in 1829, translated by a 23 year old young man in upstate New York.^[3]For John Sawyer’s article, see: John Sawyer, “What Was a Mošiaʿ?” Vetus Testamentum 15 (1965): 475–86.

Benjamin was a “Mosiah” in the sense that he fought for his people, was a just leader, and established equity. Alma the Elder was an inspired “Mosiah” who tirelessly worked to peaceably save his people from the evil clutches of king Noah and the Lamanite slave masters who temporarily ruled over them. Limhi worked to save his people in a peaceful manner (eventually- he had to fail three times first) by escaping in a daring night time breakout under the cover of darkness in Mosiah 22. Zeniff worked to establish Nephite control over their land of inheritance in Mosiah 9-10, but was not entirely successful, as he had continual strife with the surrounding Lamanites (Mosiah 9.10-10.1-22).

The efforts of Zeniff most likely failed due to the wickedness of his son and successor, Noah. Due to Noah’s lack of justice, Zeniff’s grandson Limhi eventually acted in the role of a “Mosiah” by leading his people in their escape back to Zarahemla in Nephite territory. At the end of the book of Mosiah, the reign of judges was established, a fitting development for a people that had been well served by righteous “Mosiahs” for 100 years. In this manner the Book of Mosiah is an appropriate title for this book.