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4Q521

A Messianic Apocalypse

About this book

Fragments 2 ii+4

1 [For the] heavens and the earth will listen to his messiah,⁠ 2 [and all] that is in them will not turn away from the commandments of the holy ones. 3 Strengthen yourselves, you who seek the Lord, in his service. 4 Will you not find the Lord in this, all who hope in their heart? 5 For the Lord seeks out the faithful and calls the righteous by name.⁠ 6 Over the humble his spirit hovers, and the faithful he renews with his strength. 7 For he will honor the faithful on the throne of an everlasting kingdom,⁠ 8 setting prisoners free, opening the eyes of the blind,⁠ raising up those who are bowed down. 9 And forever I will cling to those who hope, and in his kindness … 10 and the fruit of a good [deed] will not be delayed for anyone. 11 And the Lord will do glorious things that have not been, as he [said]. 12 For he will heal the wounded and give life to the dead;⁠ he will bring good news to the humble,⁠ 13 and the [poor] he will satisfy, the uprooted he will lead, and the hungry he will make rich, 14 and the [discerning …] … and all of them like the [holy ones] 15 and … […]

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 61:1 and 4Q521 2 ii 12

Hebrew Bible · Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocalyptic and Eschatological Texts

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Summary

In Isaiah, an anointed messenger brings good news to the poor and freedom to captives. In 4Q521 from the Dead Sea Scrolls, good news to the poor becomes part of a list of God’s coming acts that also includes bringing the dead back to life.

Passages

Isaiah 61:1

Hebrew Bible
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has chosen me. He has commissioned me to encourage the poor, to help the brokenhearted, to decree the release of captives and the freeing of prisoners, 2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor, the day when our God will seek vengeance, to console all who mourn, 3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

4Q521 2 ii 12

Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocalyptic and Eschatological Texts · A Messianic Apocalypse
10 and the fruit of a good [deed] will not be delayed for anyone. 11 And the Lord will do glorious things that have not been, as he [said]. 12 For he will heal the wounded and give life to the dead; he will bring good news to the humble, 13 and the [poor] he will satisfy, the uprooted he will lead, and the hungry he will make rich,
100–50 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in 4Q521

References

“... quotes Psalm 146:7-8 (line 8) and Isaiah 61:1 (line 12). Just before the citation that recognizably comes from Isaiah 61 (“he will bring good news to the afflicted”), the text adds two activities not found in either Psalm 146 or Isaiah 61: “for he will heal the wounded, and he will bring the dead to life”. ...”
Loren T. Stuckenbruck, “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament,” in Qumran and the Bible: Studying the Jewish and Christian Scriptures in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls, ed. Nóra Dávid and Armin Lange (Leuven: Peeters, 2010), 154.

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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Isaiah 61:1 and 4Q521 2 ii 12

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