He Suffereth It

A few years ago, I noticed the alliteration in 1 Nephi 19:9, which divides the verse into three parts, each marked by a repeated consonant:

1. The world’s impression of Jesus, represented by the letter N or the beginning syllable IN:

And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught.

2. Their actions, and His reaction, represented by the letter S:

Wherefore, they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it,

3. Why He reacted that way, represented by the letter L:

because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.

I don’t know why that works so effectively in English. Nephi obviously wrote in a different language. Was he inspired to choose words which would render beautifully in English, or was Joseph Smith inspired to translate the verse in such a poetic way, or both?

Regardless, the heart of the verse is the repetition of the phrase, “he suffereth it.” This phrase captures the essence of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, partly because of the dual meaning of the word “suffer.”

The word “suffer” comes from the Latin words sub (“under”) and ferre (“to bear” or “to carry”). We most commonly use the word to refer to the pain we endure, generally involuntarily. But particularly in the scriptures, the word also has the meaning of “allow” or “permit.” For example:

• When John the Baptist questioned the propriety of baptizing Jesus, the Savior responded, “Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).
• When He healed the daughter of Jairus, Jesus “suffered no man to go in” to the house “save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden” (Luke 8:51).
• When the Savior’s disciples tried to prevent parents from bringing their children to Jesus, He said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14; see also Matthew 19:14, Luke 18:16).

In all of these instances, the Greek word translated “suffer” is aphiemi (ἀφίημι), which means to send something away or to let it go. (In other contexts, that Greek word is translated as “forgive.” See, for example, Matthew 6:14.)

Other times, the word appears in the scriptures with the more familiar meaning:

• Jesus prophesied that “he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21, see also Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22).
• At the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples, “With desire have I desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15).
• As the resurrected Savior walked on the road to Emmaus, He asked two of His disciples, “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26).

In these cases, the Greek word is pascho (xπάσχω), which means to be acted upon, usually in a painful way.

I love how 1 Nephi 19:9 combines these meanings into one. Jesus endured unimaginable pain on our behalf, and He did it willingly. He allowed it to happen. “He suffered it.” Why? “Because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering.”

When He appeared in the Americas following His death and resurrection, the Savior told the people that He had “suffered the will of the Father in all things” (3 Nephi 11:11).

Today, I will be grateful for the Savior’s willingness to endure pain on my behalf. I will be grateful that when He was scourged, smitten, and spat upon, He suffered it.