Bad English = Good Hebrew

Bad English is Good Hebrew

Critics claim Book of Mormon language follows Joseph Smith's country English.

'A Coming,' 'A Going,' 'A Marching' resemble bad English, perhaps unrefined grammar.  The indefinite article 'a' certainly colloquializes the speech.

A deeper look reveals this 'bad English' is not colloquial but comes from 'good Hebrew.'

Joseph Smith was not inserting (his) bad grammar; he was simply translating the Hebrew record.

The occurrence of certain phrases like "a" preceding a verb ending "ing" turns out to be a good translation of formal Hebrew. 

The type of Hebrew construction is often called the "infinitive construct with preposition" or simply "construct with preposition."

In Hebrew grammar, this construction consists of an infinitive form of a verb followed by a preposition, such as "ל" (lamed), which corresponds to "to" in English. When translated into English, this construction often results in phrases like "a coming," "a journeying," "a marching," or "a begging."

For example:

"בוא" (bo) means "to come," and "ל" (lamed) is the preposition "to." Together, "בוא ל" (bo l-) translates to "to come to" or "a coming to."

"הלך" (halakh) means "to walk" or "to go," and "ל" (lamed) is the preposition "to." Together, "הלך ל" (halakh l-) translates to "to walk to" or "a walking to."

This construction is commonly found in biblical Hebrew texts and is used to convey actions or activities in a more abstract or generalized sense. It is a distinctive feature of Hebrew grammar and can present unique challenges in translation into English.

Unfortunately the '1908 Book of Mormon' edition removed the what it thought was an unnecessary 'a' preceding many words:  going, journeying, marching, begging, mourning, etc.  Book of Mormon readers were quick to question these as Joseph Smith's bad grammar.  Removing these became mistranslations.

The RCE researchers read the original manuscript and reinserted the 'a' according to the manuscript.  These were not 'bad English.'  These were 'good Hebrew.'

Here are some of the 'a' phrases formerly thought to be mistakes in the Book of Mormon, but were restored in the RCE Book of Mormon:

a begging

a coming

a going

a howling 

a lamentation

a journeying

a marching

a mourning

a pointing

a pouring

a preaching

a preparing

a scoffing

a seeking

a shedding

(note: the LDS version fails to include the indefinite article 'a' as did the 1908.  The RCE is the most reliable translation as it most closely follows the original manuscript)

Ultimately these Hebrew words translate to these Book of Mormon colloquial (to modern English readers) phrases:

1.     תְחִנָּה (techinah) - means "a begging" in Hebrew.

2.     בָּא (ba) - means "a coming" in Hebrew.

3.     הֹלֵךְ (holekh) - means "a going" in Hebrew.

4.     נְהִילָה (nehilah) - means "a howling" in Hebrew, but better aligns with "a lamentation."  A Howling and A Lamentation are coupled together in Ether 6:88 

5.     הַלִּיכָה (halikhah) - means "a journeying" in Hebrew.

6.     הִלְיכָה (hilikhah) - means "a marching" in Hebrew.

7.     אֵבֶל (evel) - means "a mourning" in Hebrew.

8.     מַצְבִּיעַ (matsbi'a) - means "a pointing" in Hebrew.

9.     שְׁפִיכַת (shefikhat) - means "a pouring" in Hebrew.

10.קִירוּשׁ (kirush) – means "a preaching" in Hebrew.

11.הָכִין (hakhin) - means "a preparing" in Hebrew.

12.לַעֲגָה (la'agah) - means "a scoffing" in Hebrew.

13.בִּקְשָׁה (bikshah) - means "a seeking" in Hebrew.

14.שְׁפִיכַת (shefikhat) – means  "a shedding" in Hebrew.

Also Found in Strong's Concordance:

A MARCHING

Alma 26:109 And they cried unto us, saying: "Behold, the armies of the Lamanites are a marching toward the City of Cumeni; And behold, they will fall upon them and will destroy our people!"

(LDS: Alma 57:31)

A BEGGING

Alma 16:72 And it came to pass that the curse was not taken off of Korihor, But he was cast out and went about from house to house a begging for his food.

(LDS: Alma 30:56)

Alma 16:75 And Korihor did go about from house to house a begging food for his support.

(LDS: Alma 30:58)

A Begging Means 'Supplicating'

English words "a begging" means "supplicating"  is Hebrew word מתחנן

https://wikilanguages.net/Hebrew/supplicating.html

Just the word 'begging' is Hebrew word meaning 'begging'  פְּשִׁיטַת יָד

But the context of 'a begging' in the Book of Mormon was (correctly) literal supplicating.

A Coming

Alma 29:35 And it came to pass that when the Lamanites saw that Moroni was a coming against them, They were again frightened and fled before the army of Moroni.

(LDS: Alma 62:31)

The phrase 'a coming' presents a formal advance (against the Nephites) vs simply coming toward them.

'A coming' is derived from Hebrew words in Strong's Concordance online:

Although the word 'coming' exists 79 times in the RCE Book of Mormon, the phrase 'a coming' appears only once in the Book of Mormon.

And the Book of Mormon uses it in correct context of 8622, as Moroni was 'a coming around' completing a circuit.

A GOING

1 Nephi 3:66 And after that he had said these words, he said unto me: "Look!" And I looked and I beheld the Son of God a going forth among the children of men;

(LDS: 1 Nephi 11:24)

Alma 8:13 And as I was a going thither, I found the man which the angel said unto me, ' Thou shalt receive into thy house '; And behold, it was this same man which hath been speaking unto you concerning the things of God.

(LDS: Alma 10:8)

Alma 12:38 And it came to pass that after he had been in the service of the king three days, that as he was with the Lamanitish servants a going forth with their flocks to the place of water which was called the Waters of Sebus - and all the Lamanites drive their flocks hither that they might have water -

(LDS: Alma 17:26)

'A going' implies a purposeful journey.

Hebrew word 'Aliyah' associated with returning to the Holy Land Israel literally means 'a going up.'

https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Glossary/Common_Terms/Common_Terms.html

https://www.britannica.com/topic/biblical-literature/Exodus#ref651415

Exodus (in the Greek, Latin, and English versions) means "a going out," referring to the seminal event of the liberation of Israel from Egyptian bondage through the wondrous acts and power of God. The book celebrates and memorializes this great saving event in song and story and also the awesome revelation and covenant at Mt. Sinai.

A MOURNING

Mosiah 9:148 And now, there was a great mourning and lamentation among the people of Limhi: The widow a mourning for her husband, The son and the daughter a mourning for their father, And the brothers, for their brethren.

(LDS: Mosiah 21:9)

Notice how 'great mourning' is described by the acts of people as 'a mourning.'

This is the correct translation.

Jews call great mourning (as for the death of a loved one) 'Shiva,' and shiva commemorates a period of great or intense mourning.

These phrases are contextually correct within the Book of Mormon.

Alma 15:41 And thus the cry of mourning was heard among every one of them, a mourning for their kindred which had been slain;

(LDS: Alma 28:5)

The Hebrew word that most closely translates to the English phrase "a mourning" is "אֵבֶל" (evel). In Hebrew, "אֵבֶל" (evel) refers to the act or state of mourning, grief, or lamentation. It can describe the period of mourning or the expression of sorrow following a loss, such as the death of a loved one. When translated into English, "אֵבֶל" (evel) can be rendered as "a mourning" to convey the idea of mourning as an ongoing action or process.

Strong's Concordance

ebel: mourning

Original Word: אֵבֶל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ebel
Phonetic Spelling: (ay'-bel)
Definition: mourning

https://biblehub.com/hebrew/60.htm

The KJV gets the translation in Genesis 50:10 most accurately:

Genesis 50:10
HEB: וַיַּ֧עַשׂ לְאָבִ֛יו אֵ֖בֶל שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃
NAS: seven days mourning for his father.
KJV: and he made a mourning for his father
INT: observed his father mourning seven days

A POURING

Helaman 3:12 And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was a pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower;

And they ran and told the people what they had seen;

And the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people.

(LDS: Helaman 7:11)

The Hebrew word comes from another unused root in the Bible, but literally means 'a pouring' as in this translation:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2222/kjv/wlc/0-1/

 זַרְזִיף zarzîyph, zar-zeef';