Isaiah 9 — Dead Sea Scrolls
21 verses • 14 variants • Columns VIII–IX of 1QIsaiah-a contain Isaiah chapter 9.
Scroll Overview
Summary
Isaiah 9 contains the great light prophecy (v. 2), the child-king oracle with four throne names (v. 6), and the refrain of God's outstretched hand (vv. 12, 17, 21). 1QIsaiah-a preserves this chapter well. The throne names in verse 6 are one of the most studied passages in the scroll.
Notable Variants
Verse 6 (the throne names) shows 1QIsaiah-a reading the names essentially identically to the MT, with minor orthographic differences. The most notable feature is that 1QIsaiah-a's reading of 'Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace' confirms these as the original throne names — there is no evidence of a shorter or different list in the Qumran tradition. Verse 3 has the famous ketiv/qere issue with lo/lo ('not'/'to him'), and 1QIsaiah-a reads lw (לו, 'to him'), supporting the qere.
Scroll Condition
Good condition. The throne-names passage is fully legible.
But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought contempt on the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will bring honor — by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
Masoretic (WLC)
זְבֻלוּן
Zebulun
Dead Sea Scroll
זבולון
Zebulun
Plene spelling with waw. The geographical reference to Zebulun and Naphtali, the regions first to fall to Assyrian invasion, reads the same.
1QIsaᵃ col. VIII, line 18
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in a land of deep shadow — light has dawned upon them.
Masoretic (WLC)
א֣וֹר גָּדוֹל
a great light
Dead Sea Scroll
אור גדול
a great light
Identical reading. 'The people walking in darkness have seen a great light' — quoted in Matthew 4:16 as fulfilled in Jesus's Galilean ministry — reads the same in 1QIsaiah-a.
1QIsaᵃ col. VIII, line 19
You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy. They rejoice before you as with the joy of harvest, as warriors exult when dividing plunder.
Masoretic (WLC)
לֹא הִגְדַּלְתָּ הַשִּׂמְחָה
you have not increased the joy
Dead Sea Scroll
לו הגדלת השמחה
you have increased its joy
This is a significant variant. The MT's ketiv (written text) reads לא (lo, 'not'), producing the puzzling 'you have multiplied the nation, you have NOT increased the joy.' The MT's qere (reading tradition) corrects to לו (lo, 'to it/for him'), producing 'you have increased its joy.'
1QIsaiah-a reads לו (lo, 'to him/for it'), supporting the qere reading. This is one of the clearest cases where the Dead Sea Scrolls resolve a ketiv/qere discrepancy in favor of the qere, confirming that the 'not' in the MT ketiv is a scribal error and the original reading was 'you have increased joy for it.'
1QIsaᵃ col. VIII, line 20
For the yoke of his burden, the bar across his shoulders, the rod of his oppressor — you have shattered them as on the day of Midian.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. VIII, line 21
For every boot that tramped in the earthquake of battle, every cloak rolled in blood — they will be fuel for burning, food for fire.
Masoretic (WLC)
סְאוֹן
boot
Dead Sea Scroll
סאון
boot
Identical consonantal text. The image of the tramping warrior's boot burned in fire reads the same.
1QIsaᵃ col. VIII, line 22
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us, and the dominion rests upon his shoulder. His name is called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.
Masoretic (WLC)
פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ אֵל גִּבּוֹר אֲבִיעַד שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
Dead Sea Scroll
פלא יועץ אל גבור אביעד שר שלום
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
The four throne names of the child-king read essentially identically in 1QIsaiah-a and the MT. This is enormously significant: it confirms that all four names were present in the pre-Christian text and are not later additions or expansions.
The name El Gibbor ('Mighty God') is particularly important because it applies a divine title to the child-king. 1QIsaiah-a's preservation of this title confirms it was part of the original oracle, not a later theological embellishment.
The name Avi'ad ('Everlasting Father' or 'Father of Eternity') reads the same. The compound structure is preserved in the scroll.
1QIsaiah-a writes the names without the MT's Masoretic accent marks (which sometimes affect how the names are grouped), but the consonantal text of all four names is identical. The traditional grouping into four two-word names (Pele Yo'ets, El Gibbor, Avi'ad, Sar Shalom) is supported by the scroll's spacing.
1QIsaᵃ col. VIII, line 23
Of the increase of his dominion and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and sustain it with justice and with righteousness from now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.
Masoretic (WLC)
לְמַרְבֵּה
of the increase of
Dead Sea Scroll
למרבה
of the increase of
The MT has a famous anomaly here: the word lemarbeh is written with a closed (final) mem in the middle of the word (לםרבה). 1QIsaiah-a writes it with a normal (medial) mem (למרבה), which is the expected spelling. The MT's closed mem has generated extensive rabbinic interpretation but appears to be a scribal peculiarity that 1QIsaiah-a does not share.
The meaning is identical: 'of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.'
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 1
The Lord sent a word against Jacob, and it fell upon Israel.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 2
And all the people will know it — Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria — who say in pride and arrogance of heart:
Masoretic (WLC)
בְּגַאֲוָה
in pride
Dead Sea Scroll
בגאוה
in pride
Identical consonantal text. The accusation of pride against Ephraim/Samaria reads the same.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 3
"The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stone. The sycamores have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars."
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 4
So the LORD has raised up the adversaries of Rezin against him and stirred up his enemies —
Masoretic (WLC)
צָרֵי
adversaries of
Dead Sea Scroll
צרי
adversaries of
Identical consonantal text.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 5
Aram from the east and the Philistines from the west — they devour Israel with open mouth. For all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out.
Masoretic (WLC)
בְּכָל־פֶּה
with every mouth
Dead Sea Scroll
בכול פה
with every mouth
Plene spelling of kol ('all/every') with waw. The refrain 'for all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out' reads the same. This refrain appears four times (9:12, 17, 21; 10:4).
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 6
Yet the people have not turned back to the one who struck them, and the LORD of Hosts they have not sought.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 7
So the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed, in a single day.
Masoretic (WLC)
כִּפָּה
palm branch
Dead Sea Scroll
כיפה
palm branch
Identical consonantal text. The metaphor of cutting off head and tail, palm branch and reed, is preserved.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 8
The elder and the dignitary — these are the head. The prophet who teaches lies — he is the tail.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 9
Those who guide this people lead them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
Masoretic (WLC)
מְאַשְּׁרֵי
who guide
Dead Sea Scroll
מאשרי
who guide
Identical consonantal text.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 10
Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men, and on their orphans and widows he has no compassion, for every one of them is godless and does evil, and every mouth speaks disgrace. For all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 11
For wickedness burns like fire; it devours thorns and briars, it kindles the thickets of the forest, and they swirl upward in columns of smoke.
Masoretic (WLC)
כָאֵשׁ
like fire
Dead Sea Scroll
כאש
like fire
Identical consonantal text. The fire imagery for wickedness reads the same.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 12
By the fury of the LORD of Hosts the land is scorched, and the people are fuel for the fire. No one spares his brother.
No significant variant. The scroll reads identically to the MT here.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 13
They snatch on the right but are still hungry; they devour on the left but are not satisfied. Each one feeds on the flesh of his own arm —
Masoretic (WLC)
עַל־יָמִין
on the right
Dead Sea Scroll
על ימין
on the right
Identical reading. The image of devouring on right and left represents civil war — Manasseh against Ephraim.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 14
Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they turn against Judah. For all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out.
Masoretic (WLC)
בְּכָל־זֹאת לֹא־שָׁב אַפּוֹ
for all this his anger has not turned away
Dead Sea Scroll
בכול זאת לא שב אפו
for all this his anger has not turned away
Plene spelling of kol. The refrain closing the chapter is identical in meaning.
1QIsaᵃ col. IX, line 15