The theme of the future gentiles declaring that they already have a Bible is expanded to a discussion of the source of that Bible. Nephi understood that there would be a time when Jews would be persecuted. He had quoted Zenos’s prophecy that the Messiah would be crucified in 1 Nephi 19:10. It appears that Zenos had also prophesied that Jews would be
“scourged by all people,” and that they would be “hated among all nations” (see 1 Nephi 19:13–14).
Knowing that history, and very clearly understanding that he himself was a Jew, Nephi rails against that future disdain by reminding his future readers that the Bible, which they revere, came to them through the Jews. Not only was the Old Testament written and preserved by the Jews, Jesus of Nazareth was certainly himself a Jew. His gospel was preached to and recorded by Jews. The early congregations of Christians were Jewish.
Remembering the prophecies of how the Jews would be treated in the future, Nephi asks “what thank they the Jews for the Bible?