the-bible-and-the-dead-sea-scrolls

436 THE BIBLE, THE PSALMS OF SOLOMON, AND QUMRAN
and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for me and I will
establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he
shall be my son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod
of men, with the stripes of the sons of men; 15 but I will not take my steadfast
love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before
you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever
before me; your throne shall be established for ever.
This promise is picked up in a number of later Old Testament writers
(e.g., Ps 18:50; Isa 9:7; Jer 23:5; 30:9; 33:15; Ezek 34:24; 37:24; Amos
9:11). The messianic section of Pss. Sol. 17 begins with this idea:
See, Lord, and raise up for them their king the son of David (17:21).
We also find it in the Scrolls:
A ruler shall [not] depart from the tribe of Judah when there is dominion
for Israel; [there will not] be cut off one sitting (on) the throne of David.
For the “staff” is the covenant of the kingdom; [and the thous]ands of Israel
are “the standards” until the righteous Messiah comes, the Branch of
David. For to him and to his seed has been given the covenant of the kingdom
(over) his people for everlasting generations [my translation]
(4QpGen [= 4Q252] 5.1-4).
And “YHWH de[clares] to you that he will build you a house. I will
raise up your seed after you and establish the throne of his kingdom [for
ev]er. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me.” This (refers to
the) branch of David, who will arise with the Interpreter of the law who
[will rise up] in Zi[on] in the last days, as it is written: “I will raise up the
hut of David which has fallen,” who will arise to save Israel. (4Q174 [=
4QFlor] frags. 1–3, col. 1, lines 10–13, quoting both 2 Sam 7:13–14 and
Amos 9:11).
Finally, the NT writers routinely connect this idea with Jesus:
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of
Abraham. (Matt 1:1; cf. 1:6, 17, 20; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30–31; 21:9, 15;
22:41–45)
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out
and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47; cf. 10:48;
12:35–37)
He will be great, and will be called
the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give to him
the throne of his father David. (Luke 1:32; cf. 1:27, 69; 2:4, 11; 3:31;
18:38–39; 20:41–44; Acts 2:29–31; 13:22–23, 34)