Texts in Conversation
In Genesis, Abraham’s belief is credited as righteousness. In 4Q398 from the Dead Sea Scrolls, similar language addresses a reader who follows the letter’s legal rulings, shifting the focus to doing what is right.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Genesis 15:6
Hebrew Bible
4 But look, the Lord’s message came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but instead a son who comes from your own body will be your heir.” 5 The Lord took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars—if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.” 6 Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord credited it as righteousness to him.
4Q398 14–17 ii 7
4QMMT/The Halakhic Letter
Dead Sea Scrolls, Torah and Temple Practices
3 some of the works of the Torah that we judged good for you and for your people, for we saw 4 in you prudence and knowledge of the Torah. Understand all these things and seek from him that he may set right 5 your counsel and put far from you the plans of evil and the counsel of Belial, 6 so that you may rejoice at the end of the time, when you find that some of our words are true. 7 And it will be reckoned to you as righteousness when you do what is upright and good before him, for your good 8 and for Israel.
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Notes and References
“... While for Paul “faith” (in contrast to observing the Law) is “counted as
righteousness,” the Qumran text again says that the fulfilling of the Law
(“doing what is right and good before him”), obeying the precepts earlier
outlined, is counted in this way [...] The contrast
between Paul and MMT in using this expression55 is quite parallel to
what was found already in Paul’s and Qumran’s understanding of Hab
2:4 (see C 1, above).56 [...] 55. Abegg, Jr., “4QMMT,” 207–8; he also correctly remarks that the Hebrew text
of Ps 106:31 is closer to 4QMMT than Gen 15:6 is. The Masoretic text in Gen 15:6
has “and he [the LORD] counted it to him [Abraham] as righteousness,” while LXX,
Qumran, and Paul (Gal 3:6) use the passive, as does the Hebrew text of Ps 106:31. ...”
Kuhn, Heinz-Wolfgang
"The Impact of Selected Qumran Texts on the Understanding of Pauline Theology" in Charlesworth, James H. (ed.) The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Volume Three: The Scrolls and Christian Origins
(p. 172–173) Baylor University Press, 2006
* 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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