Comments on Mosiah 5 v1-5 Unlike the end of his previous speech the people do not give him an obvious sign of the impact of what he has said (cp. 4:1), so king Benjamin sends messengers out among the people to see what the consensus is (v. 1). The people in general respond saying they believe everything Benjamin has said. They know it is true because the Holy Spirit has brought about a change in them such that they no longer want to do evil, but do good (v. 2). The Spirit has manifested to them what is to come and they themselves could testify of the things Benjamin has spoken (v. 3), because they have obtained the "great knowledge" Benjamin has referred to (v. 4, cp. 4:12). The result is the people are willing to covenant with God to be obedient to His commands all their lives so they will not end up suffering the wrath of God at Judgement which was spoken of earlier (v. 5, cp. 3:25-27). v2 The people have been changed from carnal to spiritual by yielding to the Spirit per 3:19. Their statement indicates they understand what Benjamin has said to them in the previous chapter concerning making the change permanent, and not just a passing thing. v3 One would assume when the people say they could testify of things to come they are speaking in the same vein as was Benjamin, concerning the consequences of sin and Judgement and presumably the mortal ministry of Christ and so forth. The people spiritually perceive the reality of what Benjamin has told them of concerning the future. Taking the ambiguity of the "all things" to mean other things outside of the context of the Benjamin's speech and their own confessions is speculative. "prophesy", unlike the vernacular English usage which has come to mean "predict", the Scriptural definition means "testify in an authoritative manner". Predicting things is only incidental to bearing testimony. v6-15 Benjamin's reply can be divided into two blocks based upon subject. First, he tells the people the covenant they have made (v. 6, 8) makes them children of Christ, being spiritually born again (v. 7). Second, he discusses the matter of Judgement as one of being before God and having him choose to place you either on His right hand or his left hand. Those who accept Christ and covenant with God (v. 9), and remain steadfast in the faith will receive eternal life (v. 15). However, those who do not accept Christ and covenant with God (v. 10), or those who fall into sin after making the covenant will be found on God's left hand (v. 11). So, Benjamin exhorts them to remember and know the voice of the Lord (v. 12) by serving Him and doing His works (v. 13). Because if a person is not the Lord's, then the Lord will send them where they belong (v. 14). v6 "the covenant which ye have made", normally there is some kind of formal act associated with making a covenant, but in this case it appears there was none. The people just said they were making one and that was that. However, I would assume the lack of a formal act is at least part of the reason why Benjamin decides to document names of covenant makers in 6:1. v7 The concept of being spiritually born again is one that is commonly considered a NT theme, but is in fact one that has its source in the OT, cp. Deut. 10:16, Deut. 30:6, Isa. 44:3, Isa. 53:8-10, Isa. 66:7, Jer. 4:4, Jer. 24:7, Ezek. 18:31. v9 "the right hand of God", Benjamin is probably playing on his own name here. The Hebrew "ben yamin" means "son of the right hand". He may be holding himself up as an example of one that has endured to the end as he is close to the end of his natural lifetime. v13 "how knoweth a man", The Hebrew term "yada" is translated to "know" in the KJV. But the Hebrew term includes much more than the common English usage of "know" which largely focuses on intellectual or academic knowledge. The Hebrew term is very much couched in the concept of knowledge by experience. You know someone well because you have spent a lot of time with them. That is the idea here. You know the Lord and He knows you because of experience, you have done His will and therefore know His desires and thoughts. v15 "the Lord God Omnipotent", the term "Omnipotent" is only used once in the Bible (cf. Rev. 19:6) and is only used in the BofM in this quotation of the angel (v. 3:3, 3:17, 3:18, 3:21), twice by Benjamin (v. 2, and here), and then it is never used again. Naturally, there are other statements saying effectively the same thing, but the term itself is not used anywhere else. "seal", the concept is that of having a king place his seal upon you, as a signet ring being pressed into hot wax on a letter to prove it has the king's approval. The Hebrew term is as follows: 02856 chatham {khaw-tham'} a primitive root; TWOT - 780; v AV - seal 18, seal up 6, marked 1, stopped 1, variant 1; 27 1) to seal, seal up, affix a seal 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to seal, affix one's seal 1a2) to seal up, fasten up by sealing 1b) (Niphal) to seal 1c) (Piel) to lock up 1d) (Hiphil) to be stopped For context, it is used in Deut. 32:34, 1 Ki. 21:8, Neh. 10:1, Esther 3:12, and in the Prophets as well. The Greek term, as appearing in Rom. 4:11 carries the same meaning, as follows: 4973 sphragis {sfrag-ece'} probably strengthened from 5420; TDNT - 7:939,1127; n f AV - seal 16; 16 1) a seal 1a) the seal placed upon books 1b) a signet ring 1c) the inscription or impression made by a seal 1c1) of the name of God and Christ stamped upon their foreheads 1d) that by which anything is confirmed, proved, authenticated, as by a seal (a token or proof) So, when the Scriptures talk about a person being sealed it means the person has had the Lord stamp His seal upon them. It doesn't mean "seal" in the English sense of "seal an envelope". Copyright © 2001 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.