Column XVIII

The Great Isaiah Scroll 22:24 to 24:4

For the line by line translation of this page click here

Physical Characteristics: Physically the page is very regular except for a diagonal tear from upper left of the next page through the margin and going through the 2nd to the 7th lines. A few letters are split but all are recoverable. Otherwise all the words are clearly readable.

Paragraphs and spatiums : Paragraphs begin on lines : 5 = 23:1; 19 = 23:15; and 28 = 24:1. There are small spatiums to mark the beginning of : vs 23:4 on line 8; vs 23:15 on line 21; vs 24:3 on line 31.

Omission of text: in verse 15

A scribal mistake by way of a lapse of attention can be ascribed as the reason for the omission of 10 words in 23:15 seen in line 21. I have inserted an asterisk at the word just after the omission. The word "Tsor" (Tyre) is probably the word which confused the scribe's eye as it is repeated 2 times in the verse and it distracted him to the second mention although he did not write the first. The omission begins with the first word before the 1st "Tsor" with the word "ve-nishkachath" 2nd stem fem part (and being forgotten). The whole omission is "and Tyre shall be forgotten 70 years as the days of one king, at the end of 70 years it shall be". As with all the other variations, errors, misspellings and lapses the omission here is not an indication of a different text than that which is substantially the same as the received text. But in fact it is easy to see a common cause of scribal error in copying any text. Two identical words near each other on the page. The scribe looks down to copy and when his eyes return to the page they light on the second appearance of the word and the scribe begins anew omitting the intermediate text. In fact most of the errors can be ascribed to human characteristics and regional influences and therefore they confirm the text rather than casting doubt on it.

Other insertions and variations of the Q text from the Masoretic:

Line 1: 3rd word: An editor has corrected misspelling in Q adding a missing aleph. 3rd from last word: Q = "qatan" and M = "ha-qatan" At the end of this line there is a mark that looks like a waw was written and then crossed out.
Line 5: 3rd word: Q = " 'eyleylo" and M = "heyleylo." This is another example where aleph is put for he. This is frequent with the Q scribe and therefor supports the accident of putting an aleph for he in Isaiah 63 rather than an Aramic spelling being anachronistic in that place. See discussion there and follow links for further information on this anomaly. click here.
Line 6: 5th word A waw is lightly edited over the word "yoshvey" (dwellers of) last word: Q = "mal'akeyka" (your messengers) and M = "mal'uke" (fill you up).
Line 7: 5th word Q = " 'amrah" 3fs and M = " 'amar" 3ms..
Line 10: An editor has added lamed (prep to) to 3rd word and a resh left out of Tarshish is carefully edited above the line in a gap where it ought to have been. 2nd from last word. Both are in M.
Line 11: 4th word: Q = "la-kemah" and M = "la-kem."
Line 13: 2nd word: An editor has added the word "sochereyha" (her merchants) left out by Q which is in M. 5th word: Q = "ha-'arets" the added "he" is clumsily made and appears to have had another letter written over or under it. and M = " 'arets" without article.
Line 16: 5th word: Q = "le-hashmiyd" (to destroy)and M = "hashmid." 6th word: Q = "me-'uzyah" (fortress) and M = "ma'uzneyha" (her fortresses)
Line 17: 2nd word: Q has no ("he") article and M has one.
Line 19: last word: Q = "le-tsion" (to Zion, a singular word)
and M = "le-tsiyiym" (to deserts, a plural word).
Line 20: 1st word: Q = "ha-qiymoha" and M = "heqiymo." 2nd word: Q = 3fs suf and M = 3ms suf. 6th word: "pe" omitted in Q is added by editor to "le-miphlah.
Line 21: next to last word: Q = "hu' " and M = "ha-hu' ." There is an editorial mark which looks like an arrow pointing down above the last letter of this pro noun. It probably is a mark to show the omission of 11 words which are found at this point in the M text. This is explained in detail above at "Omission." There may also be a miniature notation next to this mark. See the faded note in the enlargement below. There almost certainly is a dot in the mark. There are many miniature notations in the scroll. It is difficult to explain how they could have been made. To see the locations of several of these go to the introductory page.

Line 22: 3rd word: Q = 1st word in verse 16 imperative "qechiy" (take) has a small yod edited above it to indicate a vowel sound after the qoph. Perhaps the smallness of the yod indicates a shortenened vowel sound. M has schva.
Line 23: 2nd from last word: Q = "shiviyn" and M = "shiviym."
Line 25: 6th word: The word is obscured by a blemish from an attempted erasure or correction. It is "sochrah" nfs + 3fs suf (her merchandise).
Line 28: 4th word: Q = "ha-'admah" and M = "ha-'arets."

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