The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (65 page)

 

He rebu
[
kes
]
the sea and dri
[
es it up
] (i, 4a).

Its [int]erpretation: the sea is all the K[ittim who are] ... to execut[e] judgement against them and destroy them from the face [of the earth,] together with [all] their [com]manders whose dominion shall be finished.

 

[
Bashan and
]
Carmel have withered and the sprout of Lebanon withers
(i, 4b). Its interpretation... [will per]ish in it, the summit of wickedness for the ... Carmel and to his commanders. Lebanon and the sprout of Lebanon are [the priests, the sons of Zadok and the men of] their [counc]il and they shall perish from before... the elect... [a]11 the inhabitants of the world.

The mo
[
untains quake before him
]
and the hills heave and the earth
[
is lifted up
]
before him, and
[
the world and all that dwell in it. Who can stand before his wrath? And who can arise
]
against his furious anger?
(i, 5—6a).

[Its] in[terpretation] ...

 

I [
Where is the lions' den and the cave of the young lions?
] (ii, II).

[Interpreted, this concerns] ... a dwelling-place for the ungodly of the nations.

 

Whither the lion goes, there is the lion's cub,
[
with none to disturb it
] (ii, IIb).

[Interpreted, this concerns Deme]trius king of Greece who sought, on the counsel of those who seek smooth things, to enter Jerusalem. [But God did not permit the city to be delivered] into the hands of the kings of Greece, from the time of Antiochus until the coming of the rulers of the Kittim. But then she shall be trampled under their feet ...

 

The lion tears enough for its cubs and it chokes prey for its lionesses
(ii, 12a).

[Interpreted, this] concerns the furious young lion who strikes by means of his great men, and by means of the men of his council.

 

[
And chokes prey for its lionesses; and it fills
]
its caves
[
with prey
]
and its dens with victims
(ii, 12a—b).

Interpreted, this concerns the furious young lion [who executes revenge] on those who seek smooth things and hangs men alive, ... formerly in Israel. Because of a man hanged alive on [the] tree, He proclaims, ‘Behold I am against [you, says the Lord of
Hosts'
].

 

[7
will burn up your multitude in smoke
]
, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will
[
cut off
]
your prey
[
from the earth
] (ii, i 3).

[Interpreted] ...
your multitude
is the bands of his army ... and his
young lions
are ... his
prey
is the wealth which [the priests] of Jerusalem have [amassed], which ... Israel shall be delivered ...

[And the voice of your messengers shall no more be
heard
] (ii, 13b).

[Interpreted] II ... his
messengers
are his envoys whose voice shall no more be heard among the nations.

 

Woe to the city of blood; it is full of lies and rapine
(iii, Ia—b).

Interpreted, this is the city of Ephraim, those who seek smooth things during the last days, who walk in lies and falsehood.

 

The prowler is not wanting, noise of whip and noise of rattling wheel, prancing horse and jolting chariot, charging horsemen, flame and glittering spear, a multitude of the slain and a heap of carcasses. There is no end to the corpses; they stumble upon their corpses
(iii, Ic—3).

Interpreted, this concerns the dominion of those who seek smooth things, from the midst of whose assembly the sword of the nations shall never be wanting. Captivity, looting, and burning shall be among them, and exile out of dread for the enemy. A multitude of guilty corpses shall fall in their days; there shall be no end to the sum of their slain. They shall also stumble upon their body of flesh because of their guilty counsel.

 

Because of the many harlotries of the well-favoured harlot, the mistress of seduction, she who sells nations through her harlotries and families through her seductions
(iii, 4).

Interpreted, this concerns those who lead Ephraim astray, who lead many astray through their false teaching, their lying tongue, and deceitful lips - kings, princes, priests, and people, together with the stranger who joins them. Cities and families shall perish through their counsel; honourable men and rulers shall fall through their tongue's [decision].

 

Behold, I am against you - oracle of the Lord of Hosts - and you will lift up your skirts to your face and expose your nakedness to the nations and your shame to the kingdoms
(iii, 5).

Interpreted ... cities of the east. For the skirts are ... III and the nations shall ... among them their filthy idols.

 

I will cast filth upon you and treat you with contempt and render you despicable, so that all who look upon you shall flee from you
(iii, 6—7a).

Interpreted, this concerns those who seek smooth things, whose evil deeds shall be uncovered to all Israel at the end of time. Many shall understand their iniquity and treat them with contempt because of their guilty presumption. When the glory of Judah shall arise, the simple of Ephraim shall flee from their assembly; they shall abandon those who lead them astray and shall join Israel.

 

They shall say, Nineveh is laid waste; who shall grieve over her? Whence shall I seek comforters for you?
(iii, 7b).

Interpreted, this concerns those who seek smooth things, whose council shall perish and whose congregation shall be dispersed. They shall lead the assembly astray no more, and the simple shall support their council no more.

 

Are you better than
Amon
which lay among the rivers? (iii, 8a).

Interpreted, Amon is Manasseh, and the rivers are the great men of Manasseh, the honourable men of...

 

Which was surrounded by waters, whose rampart was the sea and whose walls were waters?
(iii, 8b).

Interpreted, these are her valiant men, her almighty warriors.

 

Ethiopia [
and Egypt
]
were her
[limitless] strength (iii, 9a). [Interpreted] ...

 

[
Put and the Libyans were your helpers
] (iii, 9b).

IV Interpreted, these are the wicked of [Judah], the House of Separation, who joined Manasseh.

 

Yet she was exiled; she went into captivity. Her children were crushed at the top of all the streets. They cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound with chains
(iii, 10).

Interpreted, this concerns Manasseh in the final age, whose kingdom shall be brought low by [Israel ... ] his wives, his children, and his little ones shall go into captivity. His mighty men and honourable men [shall perish] by the sword.

 

[
You shall be drunk
]
and shall be stupefied
(iii, IIa).

Interpreted, this concerns the wicked of E[phraim ... ] whose cup shall come after Manasseh ...

[You shall also seek] refuge in the city because of the enemy
(iii, i Ib). Inter[preted, this concerns ... ] their enemies in the city ...

 

[
All your strongholds shall be
]
like fig trees with newly ripe figs
(iii, 12a).

This well-preserved and detailed exposition of the first two chapters of the Book of Habakkuk comes from Cave I and was published in 1950 (M. Burrows,
The Dead Sea Scrolls of St Mark's Monastery,
I, New Haven, 1950, pls. LV—LXI).

The palaeographical dating of the manuscript (30—1 BCE) has been confirmed by radiocarbon tests (120—5 BCE; cf. above, pp. 12—13). The Habakkuk Commentary is one of the main sources for the study of Qumran origins, as well as Essene Bible exegesis and the sect's theology regarding prophecy. The historical and doctrinal aspects of the document are analysed in Chapters III and IV.

 

I
[
Oracle of Habakkuk the prophet. How long, O Lord, shall I cry
]
for help and Thou wilt not
[
hear
]
?
(i, 1—2).

[Interpreted, this concerns the beginning] of the [final] generation ...

 

[
Or shout to Thee ‘Violence', and Thou wilt not deliver?
] (i, 2b) ...

 

[
Why dost Thou cause me to see iniquity and to look upon trouble? Desolation and violence are before me
] (i, 3).

... God with oppression and unfaithfulness ... they rob riches.

 

[
There is quarrelling and contention
] (i, 3b).

 

So the law is weak
[
and justice never goes forth
] (i, 4a-b).

[Interpreted] this concerns those who have despised the Law of God

 

[
For the wicked encompasses
]
the righteous
(i, 4c).

[
The wicked
is the Wicked Priest, and
the righteous
] is the Teacher of Righteousness...

[
So
]
justice goes forth
[
perverted
] (i, 4d). ...

 

[
Behold the nations and see, marvel and be astonished; for I accomplish a deed in your days, but you will not believe it when
] II
told
(i, 5).

[Interpreted, this concerns] those who were unfaithful together with the Liar, in that they [did] not [listen to the word received by] the Teacher of Righteousness from the mouth of God. And it concerns the unfaithful of the New [Covenant] in that they have not believed in the Covenant of God [and have profaned] His holy Name. And likewise, this saying is to be interpreted [as concerning those who] will be unfaithful at the end of days. They, the men of violence and the breakers of the Covenant, will not believe when they hear all that [is to happen to] the final generation from the Priest [in whose heart] God set [understanding] that he might interpret all the words of His servants the Prophets, through whom He foretold all that would happen to His people and [His land].

 

For behold, I rouse the Chaldeans, that
[
bitter and hasty
]
nation
(i, 6a).

Interpreted, this concerns the Kittim [who are] quick and valiant in war, causing many to perish. [All the world shall fall] under the dominion of the Kittim, and the [wicked ... ] they shall not believe in the laws of [God ... ]

 

[
Who march through the breadth of the earth to take possession of dwellings which are not their own
] (i, 6b).

... III they shall march across the plain, smiting and plundering the cities of the earth. For it is as He said, To take possession of dwellings which are not their own.

 

They are fearsome and terrible; their justice and grandeur proceed from themselves
(i, 7).

Interpreted, this concerns the Kittim who inspire all the nations with fear [and dread]. All their evil plotting is done with intention and they deal with all the nations in cunning and guile.

 

Their horses are smifter than leopards and fleeter than evening wolves. Their horses step forward proudly and spread their wings; they fly from afar like an eagle avid to devour. All of them come for violence; the look on their faces is like the east wind
(i, 8—9a).

[Interpreted, this] concerns the Kittim who trample the earth with their horses and beasts. They
come from afar,
from the islands of the sea, to devour all the peoples
like an eagle
which cannot be satisfied, and they address [all the peoples] with anger and [wrath and fury] and indignation. For it is as He said,
The look on their faces is like the east wind.

 

[
They heap up
]
captives
[
like sand
] (i, 9b).

 

IV
They scoff
[
at kings
]
, and princes are their laughing-stock
(i, 10a).

Interpreted, this means that they mock the great and despise the venerable; they ridicule kings and princes and scoff at the mighty host.

 

They laugh at every fortress; they pile up earth and take it
(i, 10b).

Interpreted, this concerns the commanders of the Kittim who despise the fortresses of the peoples and laugh at them in derision. To capture them, they encircle them with a mighty host, and out of fear and terror they deliver themselves into their hands. They destroy them because of the sins of their inhabitants.

 

The wind then sweeps on and passes; and they make of their strength their god
(i, II).

Interpreted, [this concerns] the commanders of the Kittim who, on the counsel of [the] House of Guilt, pass one in front of the other; one after another [their] commanders come to lay waste the earth. [
And they make of their strength their god
]
:
interpreted, this concerns [ ... all] the peoples ...

 

[
Art Thou not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my Holy One? We shall not die.
]
Thou hast ordained them,
[
O
Lord], V
for judgement; Thou hast established them, 0 Rock, for chastisement. Their eyes are too pure to behold evil; and Thou canst not look on distress
(i, 12—13a).

Interpreted, this saying means that God will not destroy His people by the hand of the nations; God will execute the judgement of the nations by the hand of His elect. And through their chastisement all the wicked of His people shall expiate their guilt who keep His commandments in their distress. For it is as he said, Too pure of eyes to behold evil: interpreted, this means that they have not lusted after their eyes during the age of wickedness.