Near the end of his psalm, Nephi offers the following plea, which was likely inspired by Isaiah 61:
O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness!
2 Nephi 4:33
The relevant Isaiah passage is a statement of gratitude for a blessing already received:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10
Nephi’s brother Jacob later used the same imagery to describe the possible outcomes of the Final Judgment, visualizing himself and his audience in the less-happy group:
Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness.
2 Nephi 9:14
Why is a robe a good metaphor for righteousness? Here are some thoughts:
- As Nephi wrote, robes “encircle” us, providing comfort and assurance. Nephi’s father Lehi used the same verb when he announced to his sons that he would soon die, “but behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love” (2 Nephi 1:15). In Nephi’s case, the robe could serve as a buffer against “the temptations and the sins” which “encompassed” him (2 Nephi 4:18).
- Clothing can represent allegiance and belonging. Allowing God to cover us with a robe is akin to taking upon ourselves the name of Christ (see Mosiah 5:7-10).
- A white robe can represent purity. When Jesus descended from heaven at Bountiful, “he was clothed in a white robe” (3 Nephi 11:8). Alma used the metaphor of garments “washed white” in the Savior’s blood to represent the Savior helping us overcome our sins (Alma 5:21; 13:11).
Isaiah had already described God-given clothing earlier in the same chapter. In a list of bad things the Savior replaces with good ones, he includes “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Then, he adds, “that they might be called trees of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:3). The Savior makes our righteousness possible. Perhaps that’s why Nephi pleads for “the robe of thy righteousness” instead of his own. The righteousness symbolized by the robes in these passages originates with the Savior. He shares His righteousness with us, enabling us to become righteous by His grace.
Today I will ask God to cover me with the robe of His righteousness, so that I can be protected from sin, counted among His disciples, and pure.
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