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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 40:26 and 4Q521 4:5

Hebrew Bible · Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocalyptic and Eschatological Texts

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Summary

Isaiah describes God calling the stars by name as a sign of his power. In 4Q521 from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the same language describes God calling the righteous by name, applying his care for the heavens to his faithful people.

Passages

Isaiah 40:26

Hebrew Bible
25 “To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?” says the Holy One. 26 Look up at the sky! Who created all these heavenly lights? He is the one who leads out their ranks; he calls them all by name. Because of his absolute power and awesome strength, not one of them is missing. 27 Why do you say, Jacob, Why do you say, Israel, “The Lord is not aware of what is happening to me; my God is not concerned with my vindication”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is an eternal God, the Creator of the whole earth. He does not get tired or weary; there is no limit to his wisdom.
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

4Q521 4:5

Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocalyptic and Eschatological Texts · A Messianic Apocalypse
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,
100–50 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in 4Q521

References

“... Most of the columns are exceptionally fragmentary. However, 2 ii + 4 preserve a good deal of legible content. [...] Particular to this study is Isa 40 in line 5, “For the Lord will attend to the pious and the righteous he will call by name” [...] Again, it appears that in the mind of Second Temple authors, the “herald” passages of Isaiah fit together with others in describing eschatological redemption. God (or his agent) redeem/save his servants from places of need (12–15). ...”
Jeffrey P. García, “‘A Voice Cries Out’: Reassessing John the Baptist’s Wilderness Relationship to Qumran,” Journal of the Jesus Movement in Its Jewish Setting 9 (2022): 25–26.

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 40:26 and 4Q521 4:5

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