The Book of Mormon contains many examples of the word “the” being repeated unnecessarily. This sounds strange in English but perfectly normal in Hebrew.
Donald W. Parry explains:
Unlike English, in which a series of nouns can be introduced by a single definite article (the), Hebrew repeats the definite article for each noun. This kind of repetition is seen throughout the Book of Mormon. A prime example is “We did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord” (2 Nephi 5:10). Of course, it would be much more usual in English to render this as “We did observe to keep the judgments, statutes, and commandments of the Lord.”
– Donald W. Parry, “Hebraisms and Other Ancient Peculiarities in the Book of Mormon,” in Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon
Why would Joseph have dictated the text like this? Why did he repeat the definite article unless the words were provided to him?
See: