Swords and Stains in King Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s Covenant Text in Alma 24

The King’s Speech in Alma 24.7-17: His Use of Sevens

Corbin Volluz analyzes the speech of King Anti-Nephi-Lehi in Alma 24 and makes some astute observations.

He writes:

King Anti-Nephi-Lehi gave a brief but poignant address to his people (Alma 24:7–16), in which he dwelt upon the theme of burying their swords in order to take away the staining blood-guilt that came from having committed so many murders. In so doing, this new king uses the word stain or its variants seven times and the term our swords seven times (stain—24:11, 12, 13; stained—24:13, 15; stains—24:12, 15; our swords—24:12 [2 times], 13 [2 times], 15 [2 times], 16). Because this speech led directly to the people being assembled, their making a covenant with God to retain their purity, and as a testimony burying their swords deep in the earth (24:17), this text must be understood in a ceremonial context. The sevenfold repetition of these words in these five verses invokes the memory of the sevenfold blood sacrifices, dippings, and sprinklings that accompanied purification and cleansing rituals and covenants under the law of Moses, which these Ammonites were especially careful to keep as they looked forward to the coming of Christ (Alma 25:15). 1

It is interesting that the Hebrew word for swearing an oath is, “sheba.” שָׁבַע Sheba literally means “to seven oneself.” In the place where the king reminds his people of their oath, he invokes the words stain and sword each in a pattern of sevens (Alma 24.7-17).

7 Lamanite Convert Groups

We see this pattern elsewhere in the text. For example, we have 7 groups or churches of converted Lamanites in the Book of Alma. From the text we read:

For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren. Now, these are they who were converted unto the Lord: The people of the Lamanites who were in [1] the land of Ishmael; and also of the people of the Lamanites who were in [2] the land of Middoni; and also of the people of the Lamanites who were in [3] the city of Nephi; and also of the people of the Lamanites who were in [4] the land of Shilom, and who were in [5] the land of Shemlon, and in [6] the city of Lemuel, and in [7] the city of Shimnilom. And these are the names of the cities of the Lamanites which were converted unto the Lord; and these are they that laid down the weapons of their rebellion, yea, all their weapons of war; and they were all Lamanites. (Alma 23:7–13)

Indeed, Corbin Volluz makes the assertion:

The juxtaposition of the seven churches of the Nephites in Zarahemla with the seven cities or lands of converted Lamanites may be intended to suggest a parity between the Nephites and Lamanites, and that once converted, all are equally acceptable with God, the number seven symbolizing perfection and fullness. Additionally, adding the seven Nephite churches to the seven Lamanite cities or lands totals fourteen such convert clusters, emphasizing and reinforcing their symbolic significance. 2

Other “sevens” in the Book of Mormon Volluz identifies

7 rebellions in 1 Nephi

7 tribes throughout the Book of Mormon – Jacob 1.13

Nephite monetary system based on “sevens”

Seven killed by Ammon at the Waters of Sebus

Alma’s 7 companions to the Zoramites – Alma 31.6-7

Sevenfold Structure of the Whole Book of Alma

It has been observed by Grant Hardy that the book of Alma “divides fairly neatly into seven sections: the Amlicite Rebellion (Alma 2:1–3:19), the Nephite Reformation (4:6–16:21), the Missionary Journeys of the Sons of Mosiah (17:5–27:15), the Mission to the Zoramites (31:1–35:14), Alma’s Testimony to His Sons (35:15–42:31), the Zoramite War (43:1–44:24), and the Amalickiahite Wars (46:1–62:41).”40 Within this sevenfold architecture, additional seven-based structures may be seen. 3

More on the significance of SEVEN from Volluz:

Significance of the Number Seven

Many numbers are imbued with significance in cultures of the ancient world, including the Hebrew culture. “The symbolic significance of numbers (gematria) is important in much Jewish writing.” Not least of these is the highly symbolic number seven. As Gordon McConville has recognized: “The use of seven (and multiples) in religious texts is a feature not only of the [Old Testament] . . . but also of the ancient world. In the literature of Ugarit epic events often occur in seven-day cycles, with the climax on the seventh day. . . . The literary and theological character of the account means that no firm answer can be given to the question as to what actually happened. Yet it is by no means impossible that an actual event, remarkable in some way, might have come to be memorialized in this particular way.” 4

According to Udo Becker, “7 is a particularly important number in Judaism. In the Bible, 7 often appears, in positive as well as negative portents, yet also as an expression of totality.” And Didier Colin observes that the ancient “Jews and the first authors of the Bible felt [that the number seven] symbolized a sense of perfection and completeness in the holy Scriptures.” 5

My analysis of these patterns would concur with Volluz’s assessment of the use of seven in the text. Mormon is constructing his text in such a way as to emphasize the importance of the oath, and to allude to the fact that these converted Lamanites are on the same standing with their brethren the Nephites, due to the complete coverage of the Atonement of Christ and the power of the oaths or covenants that these people have made.

Notes

1. Corbin Volluz, “A Study in Seven: Hebrew Numerology in the Book of Mormon,” BYU Studies, Journal 53:2, p. 81.
2. Ibid., p. 69.
3. Ibid., p. 75
4. Ibid., p. 60. See also: J. K. Elliott, “Early Christian Literature,” in The Oxford Bible Commentary, ed. John Barton and John Muddiman (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), 1312–13. Gordon McConville, “Joshua,” in The Oxford Bible Commentary, 163–64.
5. Volluz, p. 61.