Isaiah 5 — Dead Sea Scrolls
30 verses • 15 variants • Columns IV–V of 1QIsaiah-a contain Isaiah chapter 5.
Scroll Overview
Summary
Isaiah 5, the Song of the Vineyard and the six woe oracles, is well preserved in 1QIsaiah-a. The vineyard parable (vv. 1-7) reads almost identically to the MT. The woe oracles (vv. 8-23) contain several minor orthographic variants. The march of the distant nation (vv. 26-30) agrees closely.
Notable Variants
No theologically significant variants. A few plene spellings and one or two instances of different conjunctions appear in the woe oracles. The vineyard song is remarkably stable between the two traditions.
Scroll Condition
Good to excellent condition. Fully legible.
Let me sing for my beloved — a song of my loved one about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. IV, line 29
He dug it up and cleared its stones, and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in its center and even cut out a winepress. He waited for it to yield good grapes — but it yielded worthless ones.
Masoretic (WLC)
וַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ
and he dug it up
Dead Sea Scroll
ויעזקהו
and he dug it up
Identical consonantal text. The vineyard preparation imagery is the same.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 1
And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
Masoretic (WLC)
שֹׁפְטוּ
judge
Dead Sea Scroll
שופטו
judge
Plene spelling with waw. The invitation to judge between God and his vineyard is identical.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 2
What more could have been done for my vineyard that I have not already done? Why, when I waited for good grapes, did it yield worthless ones?
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 3
And now, let me tell you what I am about to do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be devoured. I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled.
Masoretic (WLC)
אוֹדִיעָה
I will tell
Dead Sea Scroll
אודיעה
I will tell
Identical consonantal text.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 4
I will make it a wasteland — it will not be pruned or hoed, and thorns and briers will overrun it. I will command the clouds to withhold their rain from it.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 5
For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are the planting of his delight. He waited for justice — but look: bloodshed! For righteousness — but listen: a cry of anguish!
Masoretic (WLC)
מִשְׂפָּח
bloodshed
Dead Sea Scroll
משפח
bloodshed
The wordplay between mishpat ('justice') and mispach ('bloodshed'), and between tsedaqah ('righteousness') and tse'aqah ('a cry'), is preserved identically in 1QIsaiah-a. This is one of the most famous wordplays in the Hebrew Bible, and both traditions preserve it perfectly.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 6
Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no space left and you dwell alone in the land.
Masoretic (WLC)
מַגִּיעֵי
who join
Dead Sea Scroll
מגיעי
who join
Identical consonantal text. The first woe oracle against land-grabbers reads the same.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 7
In my hearing, the LORD of Hosts has declared: "Surely many houses will become desolate, great and fine houses left without anyone living in them."
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 8
For ten acres of vineyard will produce only one bath of wine, and a homer of seed will yield but an ephah of grain.
Masoretic (WLC)
בָּתִּים
houses
Dead Sea Scroll
בתים
houses
Identical consonantal text.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 9
Woe to those who rise early in the morning chasing strong drink, who linger late into the evening while wine inflames them!
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 10
Lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine fill their feasts — but the work of the LORD they do not regard, and the deeds of his hands they do not see.
Masoretic (WLC)
יַדְּפֵם
inflames them
Dead Sea Scroll
ידפם
inflames them
Identical consonantal text.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 11
Therefore my people go into exile for lack of understanding. Their nobles are starving, and their masses are parched with thirst.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 12
Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond all limit. Down go her splendor and her crowds, her tumult and her revelers.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 13
Humanity is brought low, each person humbled, and the eyes of the arrogant are cast down.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 14
But the LORD of Hosts is exalted through justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy through righteousness.
Masoretic (WLC)
וַיִּשַּׁח
and is brought low
Dead Sea Scroll
וישח
and is brought low
Identical consonantal text.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 15
Then lambs will graze as in their own pasture, and strangers will feed among the ruins of the wealthy.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 16
Woe to those who drag iniquity with cords of deceit, and sin as with cart ropes!
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 17
-- who say, "Let him hurry! Let him speed up his work so we can see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, so we may know it!"
Masoretic (WLC)
בְּחַבְלֵי
with cords of
Dead Sea Scroll
בחבלי
with cords of
Identical consonantal text.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 18
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Masoretic (WLC)
הָאֹמְרִים
who say
Dead Sea Scroll
האומרים
who say
Plene spelling with waw. The woe against those who call evil good and good evil reads identically in meaning.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 19
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own estimation!
Masoretic (WLC)
חֲכָמִים
wise
Dead Sea Scroll
חכמים
wise
Identical consonantal text.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 20
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, champions at mixing strong drink!
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 21
-- who acquit the guilty for a bribe and strip the innocent of their rights!
Masoretic (WLC)
מַצְדִּיקֵי
who acquit
Dead Sea Scroll
מצדיקי
who acquit
Identical consonantal text.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 22
Therefore, as a tongue of fire devours stubble and dry grass collapses in the flame, so their root will rot and their blossom blow away like dust -- for they have rejected the Torah of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 23
Therefore the anger of the LORD blazes against his people. He has stretched out his hand against them and struck them; the mountains trembled, and their corpses lay like refuse in the streets. For all this, his anger has not turned back, and his hand is still stretched out.
Masoretic (WLC)
תוֹרַת
the instruction of
Dead Sea Scroll
תורת
the instruction of
Identical reading. The reference to rejecting the torah of the LORD of Hosts is the same.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 24
He raises a signal flag for a distant nation and whistles for it from the ends of the earth -- and look, it comes swiftly, in haste!
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 25
Not one of them is weary, not one stumbles; none slumber, none sleep. No belt is loosened at the waist, no sandal-strap is broken.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 26
Their arrows are sharpened, all their bows are strung. Their horses' hooves are like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.
Masoretic (WLC)
יָנוּם
slumber
Dead Sea Scroll
ינום
slumber
Identical consonantal text. The description of the approaching army reads the same.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 27
Their roar is like a lioness; they growl like young lions. They snarl and seize the prey and carry it off -- and no one can rescue.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 28
On that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land -- only darkness and distress; even the light is swallowed by its clouds.
Masoretic (WLC)
כַּיָּם
like the sea
Dead Sea Scroll
כים
like the sea
A shorter spelling in 1QIsaiah-a. The comparison of the enemy's roar to the sea is preserved.
1QIsaᵃ col. V, line 29