Syrians

People of Semitic origin living in the ancient realm of Syria

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Syrians

The Syrians, known as a Semitic people from the ancient region of Syria, are mentioned briefly in the Book of Mormon in the context of a quotation from the prophecies of Isaiah. Their only mention occurs when the prophet Nephi, in the second book of Nephi, recalls the words of Isaiah pertaining to a judgment against the house of Israel. This verse, found in 2 Nephi 19:12, alludes to a time of tribulation for Israel, characterized by invasions from surrounding nations, including the Syrians from before and the Philistines from behind. This symbolic encirclement represents the consequences of Israel’s spiritual and moral failings, leading to a state of vulnerability to their enemies. Despite this severe warning, the passage underscores the continued, though disciplinary, presence of God through the idiom “his hand is stretched out still,” indicating divine anger paired with a sustained offer of potential redemption, should the people turn back from their iniquities. The Syrians themselves are thus depicted indirectly as an instrument in the broader narrative of Israel’s prophetic history, serving as a part of the milieu of regional powers that interacted with and shaped the fortunes of the house of Israel.

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