F — Bible Interpretation

Part 6

Therefore I will take back my corn in its time and my wine in its season. I will take away my wool and my flax lest they cover her nakedness. I will uncover her shame before the eyes of her lovers and no man shall deliver her from out of my hand. Interpreted, this means that He smote them with hunger and nakedness that they might be shamed and disgraced in the sight of the nations on which they relied. They will not deliver them from their miseries.

I will put an end to her rejoicing, her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her festivals. Interpreted, this means that they have rejected the ruling of the Law, and have followed the festivals of the nations. But their rejoicing shall come to an end and shall be changed into mourning. I will ravage her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, 'They are my wage which my lovers have given me'. I will make of them a thicket and the wild beasts shall eat them.. 4Q167, fr.. and your wound shall not be healed. Its interpretation concerns.. the furious young lion..

For I will be like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. Its interpretation concerns the last Priest who shall stretch out his hand to strike Ephraim..

I will go and come back to my place until they will feel guilty and seek my face; in their distress they will seek me eagerly -Its interpretation is that God has hidden His face from.. and they did not listen.. Frs. 7-9 But they, like Adam, have broken the Covenant. Its interpretation.. they have forsaken God and walked according to the decrees of the Gentiles.. Commentary on Micah

Tiny fragments from Cave I represent an exposition of Micah. Although the prophet's words are intended to castigate both Samaria and Jerusalem, the Qumran commentator interprets Samaria as alluding to the 'Spouter of Lies', the enemy of the sect, but relates Judah and Jerusalem to the Teacher of Righteousness and his Community. Further fragments of Micah iv, 8—12 are given the title 'Commentary on Micah ', in 4Q168, but since neither the word pesher, nor any interpretative material is extant, the manuscript may be biblical. For the editio princeps, see J. T. Milik, DJD, 1,77—80.

All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the House of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? I will make of Samaria a ruin in the fields, and of Jerusalem a plantation of vines. Interpreted, this concerns the Spouter of Lies who led the Simple astray.

And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?. Interpreted, this concerns the Teacher of Righteousness who expounded the law to his Council and to all who freely pledged themselves to join the elect of God to keep the Law in the Council of the Community, who shall be saved on the Day of Judgement.. Commentary on Nahum Substantial remains of a Nahum Commentary were retrieved from Cave. They cover parts of chapters i and ii of the biblical book, and the first fourteen verses of chapter iii. Their historical significance has been discussed in Chapter. It is worthy of note that the commentator employs not only cryptograms, but the actual names of two Greek

kings. Reference to 'the furious young lion' as one who 'hangs men alive' shows that 'hanging', probably a synonym for crucifixion, was practised as a form of execution. It is also legislated for in the Temple Scroll, where it is the capital punishment reserved for traitors. In biblical law, by contrast, only the dead body of an executed criminal is to be hanged, that is, displayed in public as an example. On palaeographical grounds the manuscript is dated to the second half of the first century BCE. For the editio princeps, see J. M. Allegro and A. A. Anderson, DJD, V, 371—42. Frs. 1—2 In whirlwind and storm is his way and cloud is the dust of his feet. Its interpretation.. The whirlwinds and the storms are the firmaments of his heaven and of his earth which he has created.

He rebukes the sea and dries it up. Its interpretation: the sea is all the Kittim who are.. to execute judgement against them and destroy them from the face of the earth, together with all their commanders whose dominion shall be finished.

Bashan and Carmel have withered and the sprout of Lebanon withers. Its interpretation.. will perish 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 council and they shall perish from before.. the elect.. a11 the inhabitants of the world. The mountains 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?.

Its interpretation..

I Where is the lions' den and the cave of the young lions?. 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. Interpreted, this concerns Demetrius 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. 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. 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'.

will burn up your multitude in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth. 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. Interpreted.. 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. 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. 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. 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. Interpreted.. cities of the east. For the skirts are.. 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. 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?. 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?. 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?. Interpreted, these are her valiant men, her almighty warriors.

Ethiopia and Egypt were her limitless strength. Interpreted..

Put and the Libyans were your helpers. 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. 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. Interpreted, this concerns the wicked of Ephraim.. whose cup shall come after Manasseh.. You shall also seek refuge in the city because of the enemy. Interpreted, this concerns.. their enemies in the city..

All your strongholds shall be like fig trees with newly ripe figs. Commentary on Habakkuk 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. The palaeographical dating of the manuscript has been confirmed by radiocarbon tests. 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 and IV.

I Oracle of Habakkuk the prophet. How long, O Lord, shall I cry for help and Thou wilt not hear?. Interpreted, this concerns the beginning of the final generation..

Or shout to Thee 'Violence', and Thou wilt not deliver?..

Why dost Thou cause me to see iniquity and to look upon trouble? Desolation and violence are before me.. God with oppression and unfaithfulness.. they rob riches.

There is quarrelling and contention.

So the law is weak and justice never goes forth. Interpreted this concerns those who have despised the Law of God

For the wicked encompasses the righteous. The wicked is the Wicked Priest, and the righteous is the Teacher of Righteousness.. So justice goes forth perverted..

Behold the nations and see, marvel and be astonished; for I accomplish a deed in your days, but you will not believe it when told. 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.. 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. 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. 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.