Four years ago, when Sunday school last covered D&C, I puzzled over the phrase “sharper than a two-edged sword”. I have little-to-no experience with swords but it just didn’t make sense to me that the blade of a double-edged sword would be any sharper than a single edge. There was just more sword that was sharp. Why say “sharper than a two-edged sword” rather than simply a sword (e.g. Isaiah 49:2) or a razor blade (e.g. Psalm 52:2) or a scalpel? I had to learn bit about swords and a bit about sharpness to figure out the answer.
Behold, I am God; give heed unto my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my words.
D&C 6:2
Swords
A sword is a kind of bladed weapon used to cut or thrust that is longer than a knife or dagger. My guess is that “the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow” would involve cutting rather than thrusting. A katana is an example of a sword with a curved single front-edge blade. Double-edged swords, like long swords, broad swords, or short swords, take more work, more skill, and can cost more to forge. It also takes more work to sharpen. Even with a double-edged sword, however, the front edge is predominantly used. One might switch if the front edge becomes blunt, or one might use doubles-edge techniques, but apparently usage doesn’t change a whole lot. Some thrusting swords like the rapier, have almost no edge at all and aren’t even used for cutting, but for piercing by thrusting. Rapiers’ lack of edge allow them to be among the lightest of swords. Having an edge and strength takes extra metal. For an equally-long equally-sharp katana and short-sword, the short-sword will be weigh more. Alternatively, for swords of the same width, you can have a finer edge on a single-edged sword because the angle at which you can sharpen a one edged sword is smaller than for a double-edged sword. The more I read about swords, the more I realised it was a complicated world of trade-offs. Which sword is ideal really depends on what it’s being used for.
Sharpness
- the cutting ability of an edge, which partially depends on the fineness of the edge
- the fineness of the point a pointed object
Swords can have a sharp edge or edges, or a sharp tip. In D&C, “the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow” only appeared to me to require a sharp edge. However, there are sharper things than swords. Scalpels are sharper. Obsidian can fracture down to a single atom, so obsidian blades are considered the sharpest blades and have even been used for surgical operations. Just being sharp isn’t enough though. An obsidian blade is very thin and cannot withstand lateral force on the blade. Surgeons can only cut soft tissue with an obsidian scalpel. Cutting or scraping against bone could break it, potentially leave obsidian flakes inside the patient, which would be painful and difficult to find. More trade-offs. God’s does not just say that his word sharper than a two-edged sword but also that is which is quick and powerful. I have no experience using either, but in a fight, I’d choose a double-edged sword over a scalpel. It seems more powerful and durable. Durability allows more force can be used to make the cut, it makes it more powerful. The larger the sharpening angle (the angle at which a knife is held to the whetstone), the more durable the edge. More trade-offs. The sharpness of an edge is not just about the fineness, it’s about cutting ability.
| Blade | Angle |
| Sword, Machete, Cleaver, Axe | 30+ Degrees |
| Hunting Knives, Pocket Knives | 25 – 30 Degrees |
| Chef’s Knives, Kitchen Knives, Carving Knives | 17 – 25 Degrees |
| Fillet Knives, Paring Knives, Sushi Knives | 12 – 17 Degrees |
| Scalpels, Razor Blades | 7 to 12 Degrees |
Pointy Sharp
The second definition of sharpness mentioned earlier describes the sharpness of a point rather than an edge. I didn’t see anything in D&C 6, 11,12,14, or 30 about this kind of pointy sharpness. It talks about cutting action, dividing, making distinctions, discerning of the thoughts and intents of the heart. However, D&C often presents in allusion to the King James Bible, and the phrase “sharper than a two edged sword” occurs in Hebrews in a way that closely matches D&C usage but includes a need for the pointy kind of sharp; piercing.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
The way I read it, D&C import this imagery from Hebrews, but doesn’t explicitly retain it. I can see why. While God’s word is described as piercing elsewhere (e.g. 3 Nephi 11:3), it’s not immediately clear what piercing has to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, or thoughts and intents. After some thought though, I have come to this conclusion: God’s word being quick, powerful, cutting, and pointy, is kind of violent and gruesome, and makes for rough-and-ready communication. Unlike we sometimes assume, God’s revelation may be dished out with less than surgical precision. Piercing requires tough pointy tip and dividing joints and marrow with requires tough less-fine blade that can be used forcefully. This is why it’s a two-edged sword. Hebrews and D&C present God’s word as efficient and effective, for a range of situations; God’s word is practical. Sometimes God’s word is simpler at an acceptable accuracy cost (as I discuss a bit in this earlier bog post) but is still impactful and blessing. This view of God’s word allows us to accept inter-scriptural or inter-prophetic contradictions with greater ease. It allows for a variety of a approaches to scripture. It may reduce our certainty, but it can also help us to stop fixating on certainty and perfectionism.
I’m a nit-picking word-level-analysis sort of guy, but scriptures like this remind me to occasionally put down my magnifying glass, step back from the trees, and try to see the forest. Much discussion has been made of the small differences in the JST, Bible, and Book of Mormon (e.g. sermon on the mount). Instead of small differences like piercing being omitted in D&C compared to Hebrews, perhaps it’s just not a big deal unless I want to know why they specify a two-edged sword. As I’ve not heard others discuss this nitty gritty detail much before, but I’ve heard these verses quoted and discussed, it appears to be very functional, despite the omission. Maybe I don’t need to know precisely which are my thoughts and which are my intents, or what a soul or spirit is, or whether it’s the Holy Spirit or just me. Maybe it’s ok to feel uncomfortable about and question the details, when we know that the edges are rough. We can get through life without resolving everything, we can do good with the knowledge we already have, starting now, before we know the precise details (I’m still a fan of details though).
What do you think about God’s word being sharper than a two-edged sword?
Josiah Reckons 