The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls: The ... - josephprestonkirk

JOSEPH L. TRAFTON 439
4Q285, after quoting Isa 10:34–11:1 (frag. 5.1–2), provides a similar
commentary:
3 […] the bud of David will go into battle with […] 4 […] and the Prince of
the Congregation will kill him, the b[ud of David…] and with wounds.
And a priest will command […] 6 […] the destruction of the Kittim […] (frag
5.3–6).
1Q28b (= 1QSb), Blessings, when describing the prince of the congregation,
picks up the language of Isa 11:1–5 as well:
11:2: “[May he send upon you a spirit of] counsel and of everlasting fortitude,
a spirit [vacat] of knowledge and of fear of God” (1Q28b [= 1QSb]
5.25)
11:4cd: “May you [strike the peoples] with the power of your mouth.
With your sceptre may you lay waste [vacat] the earth. With the breath of
your lips may you kill the wicked” (1Q28b [= 1QSb] 5.24–25)
11:5: “May your justice be the belt of [your loins, and loyalty] the belt
of your hips” (1Q28b [= 1QSb] 5.25–26)
The following comparative observations can be made:
1. only the NT (Acts, Romans) uses the reference to Jesse in Isa 11:1;
2. the Scrolls (4QpIsa a [= 4Q161], 4Q285) and the NT (Revelation) use the
“root” / ”bud” expression from Isa 11:1; the Pss. Sol. does not;
3. the Pss. Sol. and the Scrolls (1Q28b [= 1QSb], 4QpIsa a ?) use Isa 11:2; the
NT does not;
4. only the Pss. Sol. use Isa 11:3a;
5. only the Scrolls (4QpIsa a ) use Isa 11:3bc;
6. the Pss. Sol. and the NT (Revelation) use Isa 11:4a; the Scrolls do not
(except possibly 1Q28a [= 1QSa]);
7. all three sets of writings (1Q28b [= 1QSb], 4Q285, 4QpIsa a , 2
Thessalonians, Revelation) use Isa 11:4cd;
8. the Pss. Sol. and the Scrolls (1Q28b [= 1QSb]) use Isa 11:5; the NT does
not.
Thus, we can see that
1. all three sets of writings (the Pss. Sol., the Scrolls, and the NT) interpret
Isa 11:1–5 messianically;
2. different parts of Isa 11:1–5 are used by more than one;
3. no two, however, use all of the same parts of Isa 11:1–5;
4. all three use Isa 11:4cd.
It is also noteworthy that both the Pss. Sol. and the NT (Revelation) add
to Isa 11:4c material from Ps 2:9, which reads: