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4Q252

Commentary on Genesis

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Column 5

1 [… “A] ruler shall [not] depart from the tribe of Judah.” While Israel has dominion, 2 there shall [not] be cut off one who sits on the throne for David. For “the staff” is the covenant of kingship, 3 [and the thousands of] Israel are “the standards,” until the coming of the messiah of righteousness,⁠ the branch of 4 David. For to him and to his seed has been given the covenant of the kingship of his people for everlasting generations, because 5 he kept … […] the Torah with the men of the community. For 6 […] … is the assembly of the men of 7 […] … he gave.

Texts in conversation

Compare Genesis 49:10 and 4Q252 5:3

Hebrew Bible · Dead Sea Scrolls, Biblical Interpretation

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Summary

In Genesis, Jacob promises that the ruler’s staff will remain with Judah. In 4Q252, a Dead Sea Scrolls commentary, the staff becomes a covenant of kingship, and the expected ruler is identified as a messiah descended from David.

Passages

Genesis 49:10

Hebrew Bible
8 Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, your father’s sons will bow down before you. 9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah, from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches and lies down like a lion; like a lioness—who will rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; the nations will obey him. 11 Binding his foal to the vine, and his colt to the choicest vine, he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be red from wine, and his teeth white from milk.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Genesis

4Q252 5:3

Dead Sea Scrolls, Biblical Interpretation · Commentary on Genesis
1 [… “A] ruler shall [not] depart from the tribe of Judah.” While Israel has dominion, 2 there shall [not] be cut off one who sits on the throne for David. For “the staff” is the covenant of kingship, 3 [and the thousands of] Israel are “the standards,” until the coming of the messiah of righteousness, the branch of 4 David. For to him and to his seed has been given the covenant of the kingship of his people for everlasting generations, because
160–60 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in 4Q252

References

“... includes an interpretation of Jacob's blessing of Judah in Genesis 49:10, "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples." 4Q252 5:1-6 (formerly known as 4QPatriarcha1 Blessings) reads: The sceptre [shall not] depart from the tribe of Judah ... Whenever Israel rules, there shall [not] fail to be a descendant of David upon the throne. For the ruler's staff is the Covenant of kingship, [and the clans] of Israel are the divisions, until the Messiah of Righteousness comes, the Branch of David. For to him and his seed is granted the Covenant of kingship over his people for everlasting generations which he is to keep ... the Law with the men of the Community, for ... it is the assem- bly of the men of... ...”
Robert D. Rowe, God's Kingdom and God's Son: The Background in Mark's Christology from Concepts of Kingship in the Psalms, AGJU 50 (Leiden: Brill, 2002), 178.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Genesis 49:10 and 4Q252 5:3

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