Hebraism: Suffix "NESS"

Adding "ness" to word endings is a type of Hebraism

When we translate words from Hebrew to English, sometimes we need to add "-ness" to make them easier to understand.

Hebrew has different ways of talking about things like kindness or mercy than we do in English.

So, by adding "-ness" to certain words, conveys these ideas in a way that makes sense to English speakers.

The reason we do this is because Hebrew and English are different languages with their own expression.

In Hebrew, they might use special word forms or sounds to talk about feelings or ideas. But in English, we often add "-ness" to make it clear we're talking about a big idea or feeling.

1 Nephi 3:216
Either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal,

Or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts

And the blindness of their minds,

Unto their being brought down into captivity and also unto destruction,

Both temporally and spiritually,

According to the captivity of the devil of which I have spoken.'"
(LDS: 1 Nephi 14:7)

Jarom 1:6
Behold, it is expedient that much should be done among this people.

Because of the hardness of their hearts,

   And the deafness of their ears,

   And the blindness of their minds,

   And the stiffness of their necks;
(LDS: Jarom 1:3)

Alma 9:67
And thus they having been called to this holy calling on account of their faith –

While others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds,

While, if it had not been for this,

They might have had as great privilege as their brethren;
(LDS: Alma 13:4)

Alma 14:107
Do ye suppose that ye can convince the Lamanites of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers, as stiff-necked a people as they are?

Whose hearts delighteth in the shedding of blood?

Whose days have been spent in the grossest iniquity?

Whose ways have been the ways of a transgressor from the beginning?'
(LDS: Alma 26:24)

Helaman 5:100
"And now because of their steadfastness –

When they do believe in that thing which they do believe –

For because of their firmness when they are once enlightened,

Behold, the lord shall bless them and prolong their days,

Notwithstanding their iniquity;
(LDS: Helaman 15:10)

3 Nephi 3:57
Therefore, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds.

Went forth among them in that same year and began to testify boldly repentance and remission of sins through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
(LDS: 3 Nephi 7:16)

Ether 1:111
Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness and hardness of heart and blindness of mind,

Then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you …
(LDS: Ether 4:15)

Ether 6:92
But behold, the Spirit of the Lord had ceased striving with them

And Satan had full power over the hearts of the people,

For they were given up unto the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds that they might be destroyed;

Wherefore, they went again to battle.
(LDS: Ether 15:19)