Texts in Conversation
Both 1 Enoch and the Thanksgiving Hymns from the Dead Sea Scrolls use the unique title “Lord of Spirits” for God, a phrase that highlights divine sovereignty over heavenly beings. Its appearance in both writings shows the development of a common theological vocabulary in Second Temple Judaism.
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1 Enoch 39:11
Pseudepigrapha
10 There I wished to dwell, and my spirit longed for that dwelling place; and there heretofore has been my portion, for so it has been established concerning me before the Lord of Spirits. 11 In those days I praised and extolled the name of the Lord of Spirits with blessings and praises, because He has destined me for blessing and glory according to the good pleasure of the Lord of Spirits. 12 For a long time my eyes regarded that place, and I blessed Him and praised Him, saying: 'Blessed is He, and may He be blessed from the beginning and forevermore. 13 And before Him there is no ceasing. He knows before the world was created what is forever and what will be from generation to generation.
Date: 200-50 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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1QH
The Thanksgiving Hymns
Dead Sea Scrolls
Behold, Thou art Prince of gods and King of majesties, Lord of all spirits, and Ruler of all creatures; nothing is done without Thee, and nothing is known without Thy will. Beside Thee there is nothing, and nothing can compare with Thee in strength; in the presence of Thy glory there is nothing, and Thy might is without price. Who among Thy great and marvellous creatures can stand in the presence of Thy glory? How then can he who returns to his dust?
Date: 150 B.C.E. - 100 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... 'Lord of Spirits' is the most frequent title for God in the Parables [of Enoch], where it occurs 102 times... the expression occurs, finally, in a string of titles in one of the Qumran hodayot. That this connotation governs the formula 'Lord of Spirits' in the Parables is clear from 1 Enoch 39:12, where the Trisagion is paraphrased ..."
Nickelsburg, George W. E.
A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 37-82
(p. 91) Fortress Press, 2012
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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