Filled -- Part 1

This verse stood out to me

And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled (3 Nephi 27:16)

Filled with what? It doesn't say. Just filled. From the context and based on other similar Book of Mormon verses, we would naturally suggest filled with the Holy Ghost. When a person is filled with something positive in the Book of Mormon, it is almost exclusively either joy or the Spirit/Holy Ghost. Sometimes people can be filled with something negative, like guilt or anger, but this is less common.

The Hebrew root, "male", is the word usually translated as "fill". It can also be translated as "complete", "accomplish", "endow", "consecrate" or "ordain". When it is translated to consecrate or ordain in the Old Testament, the "male" is coupled with "yod", meaning "hand". In that case, it is always related to the temple in the Old Testament. This is for instance repeated several times in Exodus 28-29, where Aaron and his sons are consecrated/ordained (depending on the translation). According to Hugh Nibley, the background for this male-yod combination comes from temple sacrifice.

Incense was often burned in special holders made in the form of a cupped hand, the “golden spoons” of Exodus 25:29 . . . the “filled hand” (the Hebrew letter kaph כ means “palm”) is the widespread sign of offering sacrifice

I'm not saying that this is necessarily the background for the "filled" in the quoted verse, as this is not directly related to the temple (although we looked at some interesting temple links in 3 Nephi 27-28 yesterday). But I think it is worth noting that "filled" in some contexts may have a broader meaning and be associated with an ordinance. The implied meaning of "filled with the Holy Ghost" in the quoted verse, leads me to Moroni 2

1 The words of Christ, which he spake unto his disciples, the twelve whom he had chosen, as he laid his hands upon them—

2 And he called them by name, saying: Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles.

3 Now Christ spake these words unto them at the time of his first appearing; and the multitude heard it not, but the disciples heard it; and on as many as they laid their hands, fell the Holy Ghost.

This shows that receiving the Holy Ghost was an ordinance that was practiced at least after the coming of Christ.

Even when we don't consider the consecrate/ordain aspect of the word, "filled", there are some interesting learning points in the Book of Mormon and other scriptures. We will have a closer look at those in tomorrow's post.