Jacob's preface to Zenos' allegory

Sometimes, Book of Mormon prophets take the role as scriptural commentators rather than scripture producers. When Nephi or Jacob or even Jesus in 3 Nephi quote Isaiah, it is interesting to see how they frame, interpret and comment on it. I have made several posts about it, like here, here, here and here. The scriptural commentary is often seen in the text following a quote from the Brass Plates. We see that in Jacob 6 too. He has just finished quoting Zenos' allegory of the olive tree. As he tries to "liken all scriptures unto us", he repeats a lot of the Zenos language. As an example

7 For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?

"Nourish", "all day long", "evil fruit" and "cast into the fire" are all expressions from Zenos' allegory but he applies it on the people he addresses. I came across this article. Tangential to the main message there perhaps, I was intrigued by this statement

As he sets up the Allegory of the Olive Tree in chapter 4, Jacob includes anticipatory echoes of phrases that Zenos will use in the allegory, e.g., “according to his will and pleasure“ (Jacob 4:9; 5:14), “first fruits” (Jacob 4:11), and “seek not to counsel the Lord” (Jacob 4:10; 5:22). Jacob here anticipates the corrupting effects of the lofty branches in his discussion of how the Jewish elites look beyond the mark, equating themselves with God by supplanting his plain truth with unsearchable mysteries of their own device (Jacob 4:8, 14). In mentioning these phrases and parallels, Jacob frames and comments upon the action in the allegory.

So it's not only a commentary in Jacob 6, but also an anticipatory preview in Jacob 4. Here are the examples that are mentioned in the article:

Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure? (Jacob 4:9)

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard went his way, and hid the natural branches of the tame olive tree in the nethermost parts of the vineyard, some in one and some in another, according to his will and pleasure. (Jacob 5:14)

Because the vineyard is the world (see Jacob 5:77 and 6:3), Jacob conveys the same idea in these two verses, one in direct terms before he starts quoting Zenos and one in allegorical terms when quoting Zenos. Another parallel expression:

Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. (Jacob 4:10)

And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not (Jacob 5:22)

This is directly linked to the previous pair of phrases. Since the Master of the vineyard/Creator of the world knows what is best, there is no reason to counsel him.

Since we see that Jacob already is preparing for Zenos at this stage, it is not difficult to view "first-fruits unto God" in Jacob 4:11 in the vineyard context 

Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God (Jacob 4:11)

ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself (Jacob 5:72)

Jacob 5:72 is just one of many examples. Those of us who enter into covenants and keep them are a part of a branch on the olive tree that bears good fruit. The common term, "unto God" in these verses remind me of the fact that His work and glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." The good fruit is something that is a benefit to Him as well as to ourselves.

To me, this is another demonstration of the depth and complexity of the Book of Mormon. Small subtle phrases that connect and add meaning and context. Also the fact that Jacob in this case through his writing shows that he already had planned to quote Zenos.