Synthetic Parallelism

Synthetic Parallelism.

Synthetic parallelism involves the construction of parallel lines where the second line completes or extends the thought of the first line. It goes beyond mere repetition and adds new information or elaboration to the initial idea. The lines work together to convey a more comprehensive message.

The Book of Mormon contains beautiful Hebrew Synthetic Parallelism.

1 Nephi 3:4

(Synthetic parallel of Prophet, Messiah, Savior. This is also Emblematic parallelism.)

Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem,

A Prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews.

Yea, even a Messiah.

Or in other words a Savior of the world.

(LDS: 1 Nephi 10:4)

1 Nephi 3:11-1 Nephi 3:12

This is a beautiful example:

And my father saith that he should baptize in Bethabara beyond Jordan,

And he also spake that he should baptize with water,

Yea, even that he should baptize the Messiah with water;
And after that he had baptized the Messiah with water,

he should behold and bear record that he had

baptized the Lamb of God which should take away the sin of the world.

(See the synthetic progression:

· Baptize,

· Baptize with Water,

· Baptized the Messiah with Water,

· Baptized the Lamb of God which should take away the sin of the world.)

(LDS: 1 Nephi 10:10)

2 Nephi 6:46

(Living creature defined emblematically as men, women, children. This is a synthetic parallelism)

For behold, He suffereth the pains of all men,

Yea, the pains of every living creature

both men and women and children.

which belong to the family of Adam;

(LDS: 2 Nephi 9:21)

2 Nephi 7:35-2 Nephi 7:37

(Emblematic parallelism explains that the Lords great promises extend to Israelites. Isle of the Sea is a Hebrewism defining lands across the ocean (from Israel). The parallelism is also synthetic).

For the Lord hath made the sea our path

And we are upon an isle of the sea.
But great are the promises of the Lord unto they which are upon the isles of the sea.
Wherefore, as it saith isles,

There must needs be more than this.

And they are inhabited also by our brethren;
(LDS: 2 Nephi 10:21)

2 Nephi 11:15

And as one generation hath been destroyed among the Jews

Because of iniquity,

Even so have they been destroyed from generation to generation

according to their iniquities;

(LDS: 2 Nephi 25:9)

2 Nephi 13:3-2 Nephi 13:4

(Another beautiful synthetic progression)

Wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth me,

save it be a few words which I must speak concerning the doctrine of Christ;

Wherefore, I shall speak unto you plainly,

according to the plainness of my prophesying,
For my soul delighteth in plainness.

For after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men.

(Synthetic progression:

· Plainly

· Plainness of prophesying

· Delighting in plainness

· Plainness is what God uses)
(LDS: 2 Nephi 31:3)

2 Nephi 3:31

Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord in showing me His great and marvelous works,

My heart exclaimeth

O wretched man that I am.

Yea, my heart sorroweth

because of my flesh,

My soul grieveth because of mine iniquities;

(LDS: 2 Nephi 4:17)

2 Nephi 11:116

(This emblematic parallelism is extremely important. It defines 'last days' as 'days of Gentiles.' This can be enlightening to read Old Testament Joel's writings, restated on the day of Pentecost. This explains what biblical people understood, that last days meant 'days where the gospel goes to the Gentiles.' This is why it was said on the day of Pentecost. It was a Hebraism understood by the Hebrews. Last days did not mean, as we Gentiles misunderstand the biblical record, to mean the 'end of days.'

Also note the synthetic parallel contained within of 'this land, other lands, all lands.' This is powerful writing. )

But behold, in the last days,

or in the days of the Gentiles,

Yea, behold, all the nations of the Gentiles,

and also the Jews –

Both they which shall come upon this land,

And they which shall be upon other lands,

yea, even upon all the lands of the earth

Behold, they will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations.

(LDS: 2 Nephi 27:1)

Alma 5:20-Alma 5:23

And He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind,
And this that the word might be fulfilled which saith He will take upon Him the pains and the sicknesses of His people.

And He will take upon Him death,

That He may loose the bands of death which bind His people.
And He will take upon Him their infirmities,

That His bowels may be filled with mercy according to the flesh,

That He may know, according to the flesh how to succor His people according to their infirmities.
Now the Spirit knoweth all things.

Nevertheless, the Son of God suffereth, according to the flesh,

That He might take upon Him the sins of His people,

That He might blot out their transgressions according to the power of His deliverance.

And now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
(Janus parallelism on 'taking upon him'. But also:

Synthetic Parallelism:

And He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind,

And this that the word might be fulfilled which saith He will take upon Him the pains and the sicknesses of His people.

Synonymous Parallelism:

And He will take upon Him death,

That He may loose the bands of death which bind His people.

And He will take upon Him their infirmities,

That His bowels may be filled with mercy according to the flesh,
That He may know, according to the flesh, how to succor His people according to their infirmities.

Nevertheless, the Son of God suffereth, according to the flesh,

That He might take upon Him the sins of His people,
That He might blot out their transgressions according to the power of His deliverance.)

(LDS: Alma 7:13)

Alma 8:16-Alma 8:17

(Me, women/children, Father/kinsfolk/all. Parallelism progresses, summarized by Epistrophe conclusion)

For behold, he hath blessed mine house;

He hath blessed me

and my women and my children

and my father and my kinsfolk.
Yea, even all my kindred hath he blessed.

And the blessing of the Lord hath rested upon us according to the words which he spake.
(LDS: Alma 10:11)

Alma 17:25-Alma 17:26

And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind,

yea, and in all manner of afflictions,

Yea, God hath delivered me from prisons and from bonds and from death,

Yea, and I do put my trust in Him and He will still deliver me.
And I know that He will raise me up at the last day to dwell with Him in glory.

Yea, and I will praise Him forever.

For He hath brought our fathers out of Egypt –

And He hath swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea –

And He led them by His power into the Promised Land,

(LDS: Alma 36:28)

Helaman 2:59-Helaman 2:60

And they saw they had become weak like unto their brethren the Lamanites

And that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them,

Yea, it had withdrawn from them because the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples.
Therefore, the Lord did cease to preserve them by His miraculous and matchless power,

For they had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness.

And they saw that the Lamanites were more exceeding numerous than they,

And except they should repent unto the Lord their God, they must unavoidably perish.

(The synthetic parallelism progresses from weakness, to loss of preservation, to perishing)
(LDS: Helaman 4:25)

2 Nephi 11:15

And as one generation hath been destroyed among the Jews

because of iniquity,

Even so have they been destroyed from generation to generation

according to their iniquities;

(The synthetic parallelism expansion from one to many generations)

(LDS: 2 Nephi 25:9)

Mosiah 8:76