1QS 4

Community Rule
Dead Sea Scrolls

2 These are the counsels of the spirit to the sons of truth in this world. And as for the visitation of all who walk in this spirit, it shall be healing, great peace in a long life, and fruitfulness, together with every everlasting blessing and eternal joy in life without end, a crown of glory and a garment of majesty in unending light. But the ways of the spirit of falsehood are these: greed, and slackness in the search for righteousness, wickedness and lies, haughtiness and pride, falseness and deceit, cruelty and abundant evil, ill-temper and much folly and brazen insolence, abominable deeds (committed) in a spirit of lust, and ways of lewdness in the service of uncleanness, a blaspheming tongue, blindness of eye and dullness of ear, stiffness of neck and heaviness of heart, so that man walks in all the ways of darkness and guile.

1 Peter 5:4

New Testament

2 Give a shepherd’s care to God’s flock among you, exercising oversight not merely as a duty but willingly under God’s direction, not for shameful profit but eagerly. 3 And do not lord it over those entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock. 4 Then when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that never fades away. 5 In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

 Notes and References

"... A crown of glory is a symbol of honor in the Hebrew Bible. In Psalm 8:5, humanity is crowned with glory and honor, as an indication of being only a little lower than. In 1QHa 27:25 the scoffing of an enemy is transformed into a crown of glory. It can also have an eschatological connotation. According to Wisdom of Solomon 5:15-16, “the righteous live forever, and their reward is with the Lord ... Therefore, they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord.” In Revelation 2:10, a crown of life is a reward for fidelity unto death ... Majestic raiment may be illustrated from the transformation of the righteous on the day of judgment in 1 Enoch 62:15-16 ... We have already noted the tendency to conceive the immortal state in terms of a garment of glory in later apocalypses. “Eternal light” is associated especially with the divine presence. Compare for example 1QHa 12:22-23: “you reveal yourself in me ... as perfect light.” Likewise, 1QS 11:3: from the source of his knowledge he has disclosed his light ..." Compare Revelation 3:11. Similarly in 1 Peter 5:4 it is a reward given when “the chief shepherd” appears in judgment ..."

Collins, John J. "The Angelic Life" in Seim, Turid Karlsen and Økland, Jorunn. Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity (p. 294) De Gruyter, 2009

 User Comments

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.