Avraham Gileadi, an LDS Hebrew scholar, has spent most of his life translating the book of Isaiah into modern day English. I love this translation of Isaiah because it makes Isaiah so much easier to understand! It is called the “Isaiah Institute Translation by Avraham Gileadi Ph.D.”
Hugh Nibley, a mentor to Avraham, wrote a forward in one of Avraham’s books praising him and saying that “Dr Giliadi is the only LDS scholar I know of who is thoroughly competent to teach the words of Isaiah”.
To read Dr Gileadi’s translation you can get it for free here on his website: IsaiahExplained.com. My favorite part of his website he calls his “Analytical Commentary“. On his website he has written his translation of Isaiah one chapter at a time. And next to each chapter there is a button you can click on to hear and audio recording of Avraham’s analytical commentary played to you in his own voice.
He takes you verse by verse through each chapter and analyzes it and gives you the meanings and how it ties into every other part of Isaiah. It is fascinating and really makes Isaiah understandable. I love it!
Avraham Gileadi Interview
This is an interview with Avraham in 2015. I think it is important to watch because it will allow you to get to know him a little bit. When you click on the video below it will open up a new tab in your browser and then open up the video in Vimeo so that you can watch it there. It is a great interview. Not only does he have a powerful testimony of Isaiah, but also of the Book of Mormon.
Avraham Gileadi
Avraham Gileadi spent 5 years living in Israel and learning Hebrew. Even though he always believed in the divinity of Jesus Christ, he became a citizen of Israel and went to rabbinical school where he was taught “after the manner of the jews”(see 2 Nephi 25:5).
While living in Israel Avraham was given a copy of the Book of Mormon and read it solely out of curiosity. He became immediately converted to the book by the spirit that he felt while reading it.
Avraham later traveled to Provo Utah where he joined The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. He was offered a scholarship to attend Brigham Young University.
When the church was working on translating the Book of Mormon into Hebrew, because of his knowledge of Hebrew, Avraham was a key participant in that translation.
Avraham’s life’s work has been translating Isaiah into modern day English. He used all three of the oldest copies of the ancient text that are still in existence.
Great Are The Words Of Isaiah
In 3 Nephi 23:1 the savior gives us a commandment to search the words of Isaiah because they are so great. He says “1 And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.
Then in 2 Nephi 25:7 Nephi says that in the days that Isaiah’s prophecies come to pass, people will know when they come to pass. The exact quote is: “nevertheless, in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall come to pass.” I have often wondered if Avraham’s translation helps out in the fulfilling of this prophesy.