The Great Isaiah Scroll 6:7 to 7:15
Inserted Numerals: The verse numbering is mine. I apologize to purists who may want to view the scroll with only the editorial marks that were on the scroll before it was sealed away some time before or after the birth of Christ. The verse numbers will appear on subsequent pages beginning on page 15 and other editorial marks made by me will be duly distinguished from those made by earlier editors. I have also inserted the words that are missing in the lacunae on the bottom right and left of this page.Paragraphs on this page are indicated beginning chapter 7 on line 11. And in 7:3 on line 15 and again on line 25 which corresponds to our present beginning of 7:10.
Spatium of great Interest There is a spatium in line nine, allowing for the last 4 words of verse 13 to be set apart as a thought separate from the flow of the sentence in verse 13. Refer to my commentary on Isaiah 6:13 for the reason for the spatium which marks a change of thought for the next words. This does not agree with our present versification but the scribe obviously marked the last four words as a separate idea. The presence of this spatium supports my interpretation of this passage. The break in thought supports seeing these words as a separate description of God's ideas as "holy seed" Interestingly there are no other spatiums on this page that are as spacious as this one. The widest after this one is in line 26 beginning verse 7:12.
Orignally margin lines were drawn on both the right and left margins of the page. They were then erased. The right margin was adhered to and a straight margin of text on the right is the result. The left margin was more of a guide with some words ending before the margin and some after, extending beyond the margin. Depending on the leather and the force of inscription of the margin the margin line sometimes showed up later as a crease or a split or no mark at all. All this is seen here on this page. Some letters are slightly erased as a result. The letter on the margin in line 4 is a good example where part of the letter mem which is right on the margin line is partially erased. See the introduction for more information and links to pages where the lines are clearly seen.
Extra letters and misspellings: In verse 6:9 there are two misspellings for the negative "a'l" which in Q is ayin-lamed (a preposition upon) but should be aleph-lamed (not, or do not). There is also a superfluous "he" at the end of the last word in line two. (more Aramaic influence.) There is a nun missing from the end of the last word in line 3.
Lines 5 and 6: Verse 6:11: Q has an extra "he" at the end of the first word in verse 11 (ve 'amrah, And I said). Masoretic has adonai for 4th word in this verse in Q which has YHWH as the first word on line 6.
Line 8: Verse 6:13: Q has an extra yod in "ve-hayethah." And beside the spatium within verse 13 noted above there is also the addition of an article in Q to the Masoretic "qodesh" which in Q is "ha-qodesh." See my commentary on this verse in the comments under 6:11-13 where it is shown that the presence of the spatium (see above) and the article supports a rendering of this verse not usually seen by commentators. End of line What looks like a tsade at the end of line 8 is actually a scribal mark belonging to the next page, It is described on page 7.
Line 14: in the end of verse 7:2: There are articles (he) in Q on two words "ya'ar" (forest) and ruach (wind or spirit) that do not have articles in the Masoretic. On the same line 3rd word "labab" in Q lacks the 3ms suf. found in the Masoretic.
Line 18: The (kiy) conjunction in mid-line 18 verse 7:4 does not appear in the Masoretic. And the last word in this verse (line 19) leaves the waw off the name "Remalyahu."
Line 22: Verse 8 in Masoretic Damascus is spelled ":Damaseq" but in Q it is "Darmeshek" two times in this line. Q spells Damascus "Darmesheq" consistently each time it appears. Find it also on page 7 Line 23, 6th word; and on page 9, line 23, 5th word; and on page 14: 3 times: line 3 (2 times) words 2 and 4; and line 5: 5th word.
Line 27: The 4th word is the 3rd word in verse 13. It is the cohortive word "n'a" (almost like please) and is spelled nun-aleph. In the Q it is misspelled nun-he. Also the last word is prep + suf, meaning, from or for you (plural) "mik-kem" is mik-kemah in Q. This has to be due to dialect not textual.
Line 28: verse 14; Q YHWH for Masoretic "adonai."
Line 29: Last line. First Word "Ha-almah" The word "ha-almah" (the virgin) is the first word on the line after the lacuna and fortunately was not lost in the lacuna. It is the identical form that is in M. See my comments on this word and the verse in general for a better understanding of the meaning of this word. The 5th word in the last line is "ve-qar'a" or may be "yiqar'a." This would be an imp. 3ms 2nd stem (his name) "it shall be called." The Masoretic has "qar'atha" which may be a 2ms pf and the context would require "you will call" (his name). Or: 5th word: Q = "ve-qar'a" cj + pf 3ms (and he shall call) and M = "ve-qar'at" cj + pf 3fs (and she shall call). The name which follows is Immanuel which in the Masoretic is written as two words meaning "God [is] with us" and in Q the two words are written as one word, thus acknowledging it as a proper name, Immanuel."