"Alpha and Omega"
Alpha and Omega: Biblical Greek and Hebrew Linguistic Analysis
The Biblical Usage of Alpha and Omega
The phrase " Alpha and Omega " appears prominently in the Book of Revelation, where Christ declares Himself to be "the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end" (Revelation 1:8, 21:6, 22:13). Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, symbolizing completeness, eternality, and divine sovereignty over all creation. (LDS Guide to Scripture, Alpha, Omega)
In the Book of Mormon, similar language appears when Christ identifies Himself to the Nephites, using comparable terms of completeness and eternality, emphasizing His role as the eternal God who encompasses all things from their inception to their completion. (3 Nephi 9:18)
Usage in the Doctrine and Covenants
The phrase "Alpha and Omega" appears extensively throughout the Doctrine and Covenants, where the Lord repeatedly identifies Himself using this divine title. These revelations provide additional context and meaning to this sacred designation:
Key Passages and Contexts
Section 19:1 - "I am Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord; yea, even I am he, the beginning and the end, the Redeemer of the world."
Section 35:1 - "Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday, and forever."
Section 61:1 - "Hearken unto me, saith the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, even he who looketh upon the wide expanse of eternity..."
Section 75:1 - "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye are blessed, for you have received unto yourselves the Spirit of truth; yea, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end."
in addition to:
D&C 38:1, D&C 45:7, D&C 54:1, D&C 68:35, D&C 81:7, D&C 84:120, D&C 112:34, D&C 132:66,
The Hebrew Connection: Aleph-Tav (את)
The Hebrew equivalent to the Greek "Alpha and Omega" is found in the Aleph-Tav (את), A contracted form of the Hebrew Aleph-Vav-Tav (אוֹת ʼôwth) , representing the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This combination carries profound theological significance that extends far beyond mere alphabetical symbols and sounds, at least as the are commonly understood.
Multiple Meanings of Aleph-Tav
In Hebrew, the Aleph-Tav (את) encompasses several interconnected meanings:
Sign - A mark or indication of divine presence
Oath - A covenant or solemn promise
Witness - Testimony or evidence of truth
Mark - A distinguishing characteristic or seal
These meanings collectively point to Christ as the divine signature throughout scripture, the covenant maker, the faithful witness, and the distinguishing mark of God's work.
The Definite Direct Object Marker (DDOM)
Grammatical Function
In Hebrew grammar, את (et) serves as the Definite Direct Object Marker (DDOM), a crucial grammatical element that appears thousands of times throughout the Hebrew Tanakh. However, this word is consistently left untranslated in English versions because translators view it as serving only a grammatical function.
According to academic Hebrew grammar resources, the DDOM serves to identify the definite direct object in a sentence, clarifying which noun receives the action of the verb. As explained by unfoldingWord Hebrew Grammar, "This particle immediately precedes the term that functions as the direct object of a verb... it usually appears in places where there might be confusion. Thus, the direct object marker is not strictly necessary in Biblical Hebrew."
This was essential in ancient Hebrew because:
Ancient languages relied less on structured word order to determine grammatical relationships
The DDOM provided clarity about whether a word functioned as subject or object
Modern languages developed structured word orders that made DDOMs unnecessary
The Untranslated Presence
While את appears repeatedly in the Hebrew text, English translations omit it entirely because modern grammatical understanding doesn't require explicit object markers. However, this omission may obscure deeper theological significance embedded in the original text.
John's Revolutionary Insight
Christ as Author and Finisher
This linguistic and theological analysis reveals Christ as:
The Author - The originating source and creative Word
The Finisher - The completion and fulfillment of all divine purposes
The Alpha and Omega - The encompassing presence from first to last
The Aleph-Tav - The divine signature marking God's direct involvement in creation and in His Covenant,
The Hebrew את thus serves as both a grammatical marker and a theological sign, pointing readers to recognize Christ's presence and agency throughout the Hebrew scriptures. While modern translations focus on the grammatical function, the deeper significance suggests that Christ, as the Word, is the divine direct object of God's creative and redemptive work—the one through whom and for whom all things exist.
This understanding transforms our reading of Hebrew scripture, revealing Christ not as a later addition to God's plan, but as the eternal Word present from the very beginning, marked by the untranslated את that appears throughout the sacred text.
Resource Links:
Et (Aleph Tav)
1. unfoldingWord Hebrew Grammar (Biblical Academic Resource)
URL: https://uhg.readthedocs.io/en/latest/particle_direct_object_marker.html
This is an authoritative biblical Hebrew grammar resource that explains: "This particle immediately precedes the term that functions as the direct object of a verb. As the name suggests, the direct object marker indicates the direct object of some verb. It does this by directly preceding the noun or phrase that functions as the direct object of a verb. The direct object marker does not occur before every direct object, but it usually appears in places where there might be confusion. Thus, the direct object marker is not strictly necessary in Biblical Hebrew." Particle Direct Object Marker — unfoldingWord® Hebrew Grammar 1 documentation
2. Glossa: Journal of General Linguistics (Peer-Reviewed Academic Journal)
URL: https://www.glossa-journal.org/article/id/5729/
This is a highly respected peer-reviewed linguistics journal. The article explains that "The morpheme et, often analyzed as an accusative case marker, attaches to some objects but not to others. The general assumption is that the property determining its distribution is definiteness: et is obligatory with definite objects but unacceptable with indefinite ones." Hacohen | Differential Object Marking in Modern Hebrew: Definiteness and partitivity | Glossa: a journal of general linguistics
3. Linguistics Stack Exchange (Academic Discussion Platform)
URL: https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/20553/is-there-any-declension-in-hebrew
A scholarly discussion explaining: "As a general rule, Hebrew employs what is known as the Definite Direct Object Marker (or DDOM), which is the untranslatable את (et). So long as the object of the verb is a direct object and so long as it is definite, it should be preceded by this particle. Should, but isn't always. In poetry, for example, it is frequently omitted. Otherwise, the object is indicated through word order alone." inflection - Is there any declension in Hebrew? - Linguistics Stack Exchange
4. BiblicalHebrew.org (Academic Biblical Hebrew Resource)
This academic resource specifically addresses Genesis 1:1: "In Biblical Hebrew, אֵת functions as the definite direct object marker, which means it marks the noun that receives the action of the verb when the noun is definite. Without אֵת, the sentence could be ambiguous, as Biblical Hebrew lacks accusative case endings like Latin or Greek. The אֵת clarifies that 'the heavens' and 'the earth' are the direct objects of the verb בָּרָ֣א ('created')." The Use of the Definite Direct Object Marker אֵת in Biblical Hebrew (Genesis 1:1) | Biblical Hebrew
John's Reference to Genesis 1:1