Isaiah 60 — Dead Sea Scrolls
22 verses • 18 variants • 1QIsaᵃ columns XLVI–XLVII
Scroll Overview
Summary
Isaiah 60 contains 22 verses describing the future glory of Zion, located in columns XLVI-XLVII of 1QIsaiah-a. This is one of the most luminous chapters in the Hebrew Bible — nations streaming to Zion's light, the wealth of the Gentiles flowing in, and God Himself as the everlasting light. The scroll's variants are predominantly orthographic, though a few moderate morphological differences appear. The chapter's eschatological vision is remarkably stable between the two textual traditions.
Notable Variants
Verse 1 shows characteristic plene spellings in the key opening command 'Arise, shine!' Verse 7 has a moderate variant in the description of offerings. Verse 19 contains a theologically important reading about God as everlasting light that is stable between both texts. Verse 21 has a minor variant in the promise that the people shall possess the land forever.
Scroll Condition
Columns XLVI-XLVII are in good condition. The text is fully legible throughout this chapter.
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you!
Masoretic (WLC)
ק֥וּמִי א֖וֹרִי
Arise, shine!
Dead Sea Scroll
קומי אורי
Arise, shine!
The scroll preserves the same iconic opening: 'Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you!' No substantive variant. The difference is only the absence of Masoretic accents and vowel pointing.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 25
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you.
Masoretic (WLC)
יְכַסֶּה־אֶרֶץ
shall cover the earth
Dead Sea Scroll
יכסה ארץ
shall cover the earth
The scroll omits the maqqef. The contrast between darkness covering the earth and God's glory rising upon Zion is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 26
And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
No significant variant. The promise that nations shall come to Zion's light and kings to the brightness of her rising is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVI, line 27
Lift up your eyes all around and see: they all gather together; they come to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
Masoretic (WLC)
נִקְבְּצוּ
they gather together
Dead Sea Scroll
נקבצו
they gather together
No meaningful variant. The call to lift up eyes and see — sons coming from afar and daughters carried on the hip — is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 1
Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and overflow, for the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
Masoretic (WLC)
וְרָחַב לְבָבֵךְ
and your heart shall swell
Dead Sea Scroll
ורחב לבבכי
and your heart shall swell
The scroll uses a slightly different suffix form for 'your heart' — the feminine suffix -ki rather than MT's -ekh. Both address Zion as feminine. The meaning is identical: your heart shall thrill and swell because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 2
A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praises of the LORD.
Masoretic (WLC)
גְּמַלֵּי מִדְיָן
camels of Midian
Dead Sea Scroll
גמלי מדין
camels of Midian
No meaningful variant. The vision of caravans — camels of Midian and Ephah, all from Sheba bearing gold and frankincense — is identical. This verse is traditionally connected to the Magi narrative in Matthew 2.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 3
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth shall serve you. They shall come up with acceptance on My altar, and I will glorify My glorious house.
Masoretic (WLC)
יַעֲלוּ עַל־רָצוֹן מִזְבְּחִי
they shall come up with acceptance on My altar
Dead Sea Scroll
יעלו על רצון מזבחי
they shall come up with acceptance on My altar
The scroll omits the maqqef and reads the phrase with slightly different word spacing. The consonantal text is identical in meaning. The flocks of Kedar and rams of Nebaioth serving as acceptable sacrifices on God's altar is preserved without substantive variant.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 4
Who are these that fly like a cloud, like doves to their nesting places?
No significant variant. The beautiful simile 'Who are these that fly like a cloud, like doves to their windows?' is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 5
Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because He has glorified you.
Masoretic (WLC)
אֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ
ships of Tarshish
Dead Sea Scroll
אניות תרשיש
ships of Tarshish
No meaningful variant. The ships of Tarshish bringing sons from afar with their silver and gold is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 6
Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall serve you; for in My wrath I struck you, but in My favor I have had mercy on you.
Masoretic (WLC)
בְנֵי־נֵכָר
sons of foreigners
Dead Sea Scroll
בני נכר
sons of foreigners
The scroll omits the maqqef. The promise that foreigners shall build Zion's walls and their kings shall serve her is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 7
Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that the wealth of the nations may be brought to you, with their kings led in procession.
Masoretic (WLC)
וּשְׁעָרַיִךְ פִּתְּחוּ תָמִיד
and your gates shall be open continually
Dead Sea Scroll
ושעריכי פתחו תמיד
and your gates shall be open continually
The scroll uses the feminine suffix -ki for 'your gates.' This verse is echoed in Revelation 21:25 ('its gates shall never be shut by day — and there shall be no night there'). The scroll confirms the MT reading that Zion's gates stand open day and night.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 8
For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
No significant variant. The warning that any nation or kingdom that will not serve Zion shall perish is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 9
The glory of Lebanon shall come to you — the cypress, the plane tree, and the pine together — to beautify the place of My sanctuary, and I will make the place of My feet glorious.
Masoretic (WLC)
כְּבוֹד הַלְּבָנוֹן
the glory of Lebanon
Dead Sea Scroll
כבוד הלבנון
the glory of Lebanon
No meaningful variant. The cypress, plane, and pine trees of Lebanon coming to beautify the sanctuary is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 10
The children of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet. They shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Masoretic (WLC)
עִיר יְהוָה
the City of the LORD
Dead Sea Scroll
עיר יהוה
the City of the LORD
No meaningful variant. The titles 'City of the LORD' and 'Zion of the Holy One of Israel' are identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 11
Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age.
Masoretic (WLC)
עֲזוּבָה וּשְׂנוּאָה
forsaken and hated
Dead Sea Scroll
עזובה ושנואה
forsaken and hated
No meaningful variant. The transformation from being forsaken and hated to becoming an eternal excellency is preserved identically.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 12
You shall nurse at the breast of nations and be nursed at the breast of kings, and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
No significant variant. The image of nursing at the breast of nations and kings is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 13
Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver; instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness.
Masoretic (WLC)
תַּחַת הַנְּחֹשֶׁת
instead of bronze
Dead Sea Scroll
תחת הנחושת
instead of bronze
The scroll uses plene spelling for nechoshet ('bronze') with waw. The glorious promise of transformation — gold instead of bronze, silver instead of iron — is identical in meaning. The progression to 'I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness' is preserved without variant.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 14
Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders. You shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
Masoretic (WLC)
וְקָרָאת יְשׁוּעָה חוֹמֹתַיִךְ
you shall call your walls Salvation
Dead Sea Scroll
וקראת ישועה חומותיכי
you shall call your walls Salvation
The scroll uses the feminine suffix -ki for 'your walls.' The naming of walls as 'Salvation' and gates as 'Praise' is identical in both texts. This verse is echoed in Revelation 21:12-21.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 15
The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor shall the moon give you light by its brightness; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
Masoretic (WLC)
לֹא־יָבוֹא עוֹד שִׁמְשֵׁךְ
your sun shall no longer go down
Dead Sea Scroll
לוא יבוא עוד שמשכי
your sun shall no longer go down
The scroll spells lo with waw-aleph (לוא) and uses feminine suffix -ki. The sublime promise that 'the LORD will be your everlasting light and your God your glory' is identical in meaning. This passage is directly echoed in Revelation 21:23 and 22:5. The scroll confirms the MT reading without substantive variant.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 17
Your sun shall no more go down, and your moon shall not withdraw; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.
Masoretic (WLC)
כִּי יְהוָה יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ לְאוֹר עוֹלָם
for the LORD will be your everlasting light
Dead Sea Scroll
כיא יהוה יהיה לכי לאור עולם
for the LORD will be your everlasting light
The scroll spells ki as kia and uses the feminine suffix -ki for 'to you.' The meaning is identical. The promise that God Himself replaces sun and moon as Zion's light is confirmed in the oldest manuscript.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 18
Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.
Masoretic (WLC)
לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ
they shall possess the land forever
Dead Sea Scroll
לעולם יירשו ארץ
they shall possess the land forever
No meaningful variant. The promise that Zion's people shall all be righteous and possess the land forever is identical in both texts.
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 19
The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it.
Masoretic (WLC)
הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף
the smallest shall become a thousand
Dead Sea Scroll
הקטון יהיה לאלף
the smallest shall become a thousand
The scroll uses plene spelling for 'smallest' (qaton with waw). The closing promise of exponential multiplication — 'the least shall become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation' — is identical in meaning. The chapter closes with the assurance 'I the LORD will hasten it in its time.'
1QIsaᵃ col. XLVII, line 20