Texts in Conversation
The Dead Sea Scroll 4Q175 collects passages about a future prophet, king, and priest, opening with Deuteronomy 5 and 18 as one speech from God to Moses. The Samaritan version of Exodus 20 connects those passages the same way, for reasons still unclear.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
4Q175
Testimonia
Dead Sea Scrolls
The Lord spoke to Moses saying: You have heard the words which this people have spoken to you; all they have said is right. O that their heart were always like this, to fear me and to keep my commandments always, that it might be well with them and their children for ever! I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren. I will put my words into his mouth and he shall tell them all that I command him. And I will require a reckoning of whoever will not listen to the words which the Prophet shall speak in my Name.
Samaritan Exodus 20:21
Samaritan Penteteuch
Samaritan
18 And all the people heard the thunderings, and the noise of the trumpet, and saw the lightnings, and the mountain smoking: and when all the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 No Translation Available And they said unto Moses, Behold, LORD God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and voice of Him we heard from the midst of the fire. Today we saw that speaks God with the man and he lives. And now why shall we die? This great fire consumes us, and if we will hear more of the voice of the LORD God of us we will die. Because what is the flesh that can hear the voice of God and live, as he has spoken to us from the midst of the fire and we lived. Go hear all that he will say to us the LORD God and then you will tell us all that he spoke and we will listen and we will do. But let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.And the LORD said to Moses to say: I heard what people have said. All that they have spoken to you, they have spoken wisely. All that they have spoken let them put in their hearts so that they can keep my commandments in all their days, so that it would be good to them and to sons of them forever. Prophet I shall raise up to them from the midsts of their brothers, and I will place words of me into his mouth to speak to them all that I'm commanding them. And it becomes that the man who will not listen to his words that are spoken in my name, I shall require from him. But the prophet who will speak insolently in my name that which I have not instructed him to speak, or if he speaks in the name of other Gods, such prophet shall die. And if you will ask yourself in your heart how you shall know which word God has spoken and which he has not, see if the word spoken comes to pass. And if it shall not come to pass then this is not the word of the LORD, in insolence spoken the prophet. Not you shall listen to him. Go now back to your tent and I will speak to you regarding all commandments and ordinances and verdicts that you shall teach them, and what to do in the land that I give them for possession.
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Notes and References
“... Moreover, the first section quoted in this text comes from Dt 5: 28-29, which de facto has no more messianic import than the 4QPsalms of Joshua. But it is closely joined to Dt 18: 18-19 in the first paragraph (note the paragraph dividers on the plate published by Allegro). Mgr P. W. Skehan is quoted as saying that 'the combination of Dt 18: 18-19 with Dt 5: 28-29 is already found in the Samaritan Pentateuch at Ex 20:21'. This fact likewise explains the first few words of the fragment, [...] 'And (Yahweh) spoke to Moses saying'. They differ from the introductory formula of Dt 5: 28, [...] which Allegro thinks has been changed 'for the purpose of the Testimonia selection'. As a matter of fact, the introductory phrase found in 4QTestimonia is identical with that used in the Samaritan Hebrew Pentateuch at Ex 20: 21 b [...]. That there is some connection here between this text and the Samaritan Pentateuch is obvious, even though we have not yet discovered just what it is. At any rate, the close joining of the two passages of Deuteronomy in one paragraph shows that they were regarded as a unit, which ends with the promise of a prophet to come. ...”
Fitzmyer, Joseph A.
Essays on the Semitic Background of the New Testament
(pp. 82-83) Scholars Press, 1971
* 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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