Isaiah 59 — Dead Sea Scrolls
21 verses • 14 variants • 1QIsaᵃ column XLVI
Scroll Overview
Summary
Isaiah 59 contains 21 verses in columns XLVI of 1QIsaiah-a. The chapter moves from a catalogue of Israel's sins (vv. 1-15a) to a theophany in which God Himself intervenes as warrior (vv. 15b-19), culminating in the Redeemer coming to Zion (vv. 20-21). Verses 20-21 are quoted by Paul in Romans 11:26-27 and are therefore of high theological interest. The variants in this chapter are mostly minor, but the Redeemer passage deserves close attention.
Notable Variants
Verse 15b contains a moderate variant in the description of God seeing that there is no justice. Verse 19 has a notable reading regarding the Spirit of the LORD. Verses 20-21, quoted in Romans 11:26-27, show a reading in the scroll that closely matches the MT, with only minor orthographic differences — confirming the stability of this passage.
Scroll Condition
Column XLVI is well preserved and fully legible. No significant damage or lacunae affect this chapter.
Surely the hand of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.
No significant variant. The declaration that the LORD's hand is not too short to save, nor His ear too heavy to hear, is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 3
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
Masoretic (WLC)
עֲוֺנֹתֵיכֶם
your iniquities
Dead Sea Scroll
עוונותיכם
your iniquities
The scroll uses fuller plene spelling for 'your iniquities' (awonoteikhem). The meaning is identical — your iniquities have separated you from your God.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 4
For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness.
Masoretic (WLC)
נְגֹאֲלוּ בַדָּם
are stained with blood
Dead Sea Scroll
נגואלו בדם
are stained with blood
The scroll uses plene spelling for nego'alu ('are stained/defiled'). The vivid image of hands defiled with blood and fingers with iniquity is identical in meaning.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 5
No one brings a lawsuit in righteousness; no one pleads a case in truth. They trust in emptiness and speak lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
No significant variant. The accusation that no one calls for justice or pleads in truth is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 6
They hatch adders' eggs and weave the spider's web. Whoever eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed, a viper hatches.
Masoretic (WLC)
בֵּיצֵי צִפְעוֹנִי
eggs of a viper
Dead Sea Scroll
ביצי צפעוני
eggs of a viper
The scroll uses plene spelling for 'eggs' (beitsei). The striking metaphor — they hatch viper eggs and weave spider webs — is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 7
Their webs will not serve as clothing; they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands.
No significant variant. The declaration that their webs cannot serve as garments and their works are works of iniquity is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 8
Their feet run to evil, and they rush to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their paths.
Masoretic (WLC)
רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרוּצוּ
their feet run to evil
Dead Sea Scroll
רגליהם לרע ירוצו
their feet run to evil
No meaningful variant. This verse is quoted in Romans 3:15-17 (via the LXX). The scroll confirms the Hebrew Vorlage: 'Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood.' The consonantal text matches MT.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 9
The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths. They have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.
No significant variant. The declaration that they do not know the way of peace is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 10
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep gloom.
Masoretic (WLC)
עַל־כֵּן רָחַק מִשְׁפָּט
therefore justice is far from us
Dead Sea Scroll
על כן רחק משפט
therefore justice is far from us
The scroll omits the maqqef. The communal confession beginning here — 'therefore justice is far from us and righteousness does not reach us' — is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 11
We grope along the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes. We stumble at noon as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead.
Masoretic (WLC)
נְגַשְׁשָׁה כַעִוְרִים
we grope like the blind
Dead Sea Scroll
נגששה כעורים
we grope like the blind
The scroll spells 'blind' (iwrim) with plene waw as owrim. The imagery of groping along a wall like blind men is identical in meaning.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 12
We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves. We hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.
Masoretic (WLC)
נֶהֱמֶה כַדֹּבִים
we growl like bears
Dead Sea Scroll
נהמה כדובים
we growl like bears
The scroll uses plene spelling for 'bears' (dubim). The vivid confession continues — 'we all growl like bears and moan like doves' — identical in meaning.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 13
For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:
No significant variant. The acknowledgment that 'our transgressions are multiplied before You and our sins testify against us' is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 14
transgressing and denying the LORD, turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
Masoretic (WLC)
פָּשֹׁעַ וְכַחֵשׁ
transgressing and denying
Dead Sea Scroll
פשוע וכחש
transgressing and denying
The scroll uses plene spelling for the infinitive 'transgressing.' The catalogue of sins — transgressing, denying the LORD, turning away, speaking oppression and revolt — is identical in meaning.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 15
Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public square, and uprightness cannot enter.
No significant variant. The lament that justice is driven back and righteousness stands far off, that truth has stumbled in the public square, is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 16
Truth is lacking, and whoever turns from evil is plundered. The LORD saw it, and it was evil in His eyes that there was no justice.
Masoretic (WLC)
וַיַּרְא יְהוָה וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינָיו
and the LORD saw, and it was evil in His eyes
Dead Sea Scroll
וירא יהוה וירע בעיניו
and the LORD saw, and it was evil in His eyes
The scroll reads identically in consonantal text. The pivot of the chapter occurs here — God Himself sees the absence of justice and is displeased. The transition from human confession (vv. 9-15a) to divine intervention (vv. 15b-20) is preserved without variant. Some scholars note that the scroll's spacing may suggest a paragraph break at this point, consistent with the shift in speaker.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 17
He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene. So His own arm brought Him salvation, and His own righteousness upheld Him.
Masoretic (WLC)
וַיַּרְא כִּי־אֵין אִישׁ
and He saw that there was no one
Dead Sea Scroll
וירא כיא אין איש
and He saw that there was no one
The scroll spells ki ('that/because') with aleph as kia (כיא), a characteristic Qumran spelling convention. The meaning is identical — God saw that there was no one to intervene, so His own arm brought salvation.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 18
He put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on His head. He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself in zeal as a cloak.
Masoretic (WLC)
וַיִּלְבַּשׁ צְדָקָה כַשִּׁרְיָן
and He put on righteousness as a breastplate
Dead Sea Scroll
וילבש צדקה כשריון
and He put on righteousness as a breastplate
The scroll spells shiryan ('breastplate') with waw as shiryown. The divine warrior imagery — God arming Himself with righteousness as breastplate and salvation as helmet — is identical. Paul draws on this passage in Ephesians 6:14-17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:8.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 19
According to their deeds, so He will repay: wrath to His adversaries, repayment to His enemies; to the coastlands He will render repayment.
No significant variant. The description of God repaying His enemies with wrath and His adversaries with recompense is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 20
So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun. For He will come like a rushing stream driven by the breath of the LORD.
Masoretic (WLC)
כִּי־יָבוֹא כַנָּהָר צָר רוּחַ יְהוָה נֹסְסָה בוֹ
for He will come like a rushing stream which the Spirit of the LORD drives
Dead Sea Scroll
כיא יבוא כנהר צר רוח יהוה נוססה בו
for He will come like a rushing stream which the wind of the LORD drives
The scroll spells ki as kia (כיא) per Qumran convention and nossesah with plene waw. The crucial ambiguity in this verse — does ruach YHWH mean 'the Spirit of the LORD' or 'the wind/breath of the LORD'? — exists identically in both texts. The consonantal text is the same.
This verse is important eschatologically: 'They shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun.' The scroll confirms this universal scope without variant.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 22
'And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,' declares the LORD.
Masoretic (WLC)
וּבָא לְצִיּוֹן גּוֹאֵל וּלְשָׁבֵי פֶשַׁע בְּיַעֲקֹב
And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression
Dead Sea Scroll
ובא לציון גואל ולשבי פשע ביעקוב
And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression
The scroll reads identically to MT in all substantive respects. The only difference is plene spelling of Ya'aqov with waw (ביעקוב). This is theologically significant because Paul quotes this verse in Romans 11:26-27 (via the LXX, which reads 'out of Zion' rather than 'to Zion'). The Hebrew text in both MT and the scroll reads le-Tsiyyon ('to Zion'), confirming that the Redeemer comes TO Zion, not FROM Zion as in Paul's LXX citation.
The scroll thus provides a pre-Christian Hebrew witness that the Redeemer passage reads 'to Zion,' supporting the MT against the LXX reading that Paul used. This is one of the clearest cases where the DSS can illuminate a NT quotation.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 23
'And as for Me, this is My covenant with them,' says the LORD: 'My Spirit who is upon you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your offspring, or from the mouth of your offspring's offspring,' says the LORD, 'from this time forth and forevermore.'
Masoretic (WLC)
רוּחִי אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיךָ
My Spirit that is upon you
Dead Sea Scroll
רוחי אשר עליכה
My Spirit that is upon you
The scroll uses the fuller suffix form -kha (עליכה) for 'upon you.' The meaning is identical. This verse contains God's covenant promise: 'My Spirit that is upon you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring, says the LORD, from now and forever.' The perpetual covenant is confirmed identically in both texts.
Paul continues his Romans 11 quotation into this verse, making the scroll's confirmation of the MT reading particularly valuable for understanding the NT's use of Isaiah.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 24