Physical Characteristics:

This is a good clear page with almost all the letters easily read. There are only two places where slight chipping and/or water marks have obscured a few letters. There is a smudge on line 20 in the first word of vs. 36:13. And the 4th and 5th words of line 28 are obscured by chipping and a smudge. Further on these words below under Variations in the text . Attention should be drawn to the inserted word in the margin at line 16. The word " 'imanu" (with us) is supplied by an editor but is not in the M text.

Paragraphs and Spatium

There are no indications of paragraphs on this page and only one spatium in line 30 which begins verse 13 which is the beginning of the "broadcast" speech of Rab Shakah..

Dotted Letters Indicating a Mistake

In line 3 the words "melek yehudah" (king of Judah) have dots over them and in line 10 the word "be-yerushalem" (in Jerusalem). These dots indicate that the words do not belong in the text and are an addition due to a lapse of attention by the scribe. The words are not found in the Masoretic text. For more on the use of dots by the Q scribes and editors see the introductory page under Use of Dots.

Narrative Material:

Although this is not a technical comment it probably has its place here. Since this is narrative material describing the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib's armies and the same text is also found in 2 Kings 18 and 19 then it should be noted that the level of difficulty in reading has changed. This is easy reading and well within the ability of novice readers while the rest of Isaiah is not "easy reading." Perhaps that is the reason for fewer variations found on this page, especially since evidence would seem to show that the scribe has not changed from the last page.

Variations in the Q text from the Masoretic

Some variations are simple and repeat themselves.
The names of the characters are spelled slightly differently.
In the Q text the end of the name is spelled "yah" while in M it is "yahu" which are both short forms of the NAME. Thus: Hilqiyah in Q is Hilqiyahu in M. "Hizkiyah" in Q is "Hizqiyahu" in M (Line 1: 4th word; line 3: 2nd wd; line 9: 2nd wd; line 22: 2nd wd and last wd; line 24: 6th wd; line 27: 7th wd.
The 2mpl suf "kem is consistently "kemah" and 3mpl "hem" is "hemah" seen on lines 2, 12, 17, 18, 19 (3 times), 20, 22, 27, and 29. "he" is also added to end of 3ms pronoun "hu'h" in line 8 next to last wd. You will also find the addition of "he" to other words ending in 2ms suf or words ending in kaf like " 'aek" (how). Since the addition of "he' is so frequent in these words and suffixes we will cease after this page to notice them unless they are of significance.
2ms pf verbs that should sufform "ta" are consistently ended "tah" line 4: 5th wd ; line 5: 6th and 8th words; line 6: 1st wd; Open syllable has been noted as possible Aramaic influence in the scribe.

Line 3: 3rd and 4th words: The dotted words are not in M.
Line 4: 4th word: Q = 2ms emphatic pronoun "atah" not in M
Line 4: 7th word: Q = verb pf 2ms " 'amartah" (you say) and M = 1st sing " 'amartiy," (I say). The KJV has both 1st and 2nd sing verbs which is not allowed by the text. NIV chooses the 2nd sing even though the M text is 1st sing. The Q text is preferred here.
Line 5: 6th word: Q = "miy' " (who or whom) spelled with final aleph here and also in line 30: 2nd word; "kiy' " is still consistently spelled with aleph.
Line 12: 8th word: Q = addition of prep. (from) "min" to "avdey" (servants of)
Line 13: 2nd word: Q = "lekem" (to you: plural) and M = sing. "leka." Q may be "lekah" with misshapen letter.
Line 15: 1st letter: Q = "lamed" (prep. to) and M = conj waw.
Line 15 and 16: Verse 11: The Q and M texts of this verse mean substantially the same thing but the word order and content differs considerably. Q= "And Eliaqim and Shevnah, and Yoach said to him, please speak with your servants (with us) Aramith because we understand and do not speak these words in the ears of the men who are sitting upon the wall." and M = And Eliaqim and Shebnah and Yoach said to Rab Shakah please speak to your servants Aramith because we understand and do not speak to us Yehudith in the ears of the people who are upon the wall." Q uses "to him" M uses "to Rab Shakah." M says "do not speak in Yehudith" and Q does not have this phrase. Q says "ears of the men sitting on the wall" and M has "ears of the people who are on the wall." Substantially the same but quite different.
Line 16 and 17: Verse 12: Q reverses order of words from M. Q = "to (or against) you and your lords" "ha-'aleykemah ve-'al adoneykemah." and M = "ha-'el adoneyka ve-'eleka" "is it to you and to your lords"
Line 19: is the last part of verse 12. The differences here are compounded by there being a qere and kituv in the M text. In the phrase "eat their own dung and drink their own piss" The M kituv for "their dung" is "char'ehem" a vulgarity and the qere is "tso'atham" (a word for dung derived from "that which goes out of them") and for piss in M the kituv is a common word for Urine "sheyneyhem" (their piss) and the qere is "meymey ragleyhem" (waters of their legs). Q uses the vulgar forms "chera'" for dung and "sipiy" for urine.
Line 21: 10th word: Q = "ha=melek" and M = "melek."
Line 22: 2nd word: Q spells Hezekiah "yehizqiyah" but "Hizqiyah" at the end of this line.
Line 24: 10th word: Q = "melek" and M = "ha-melek."
Line 25 : 4th word: Q adds a waw to imperative "'iklu" (eat ye) making it "'ikelu" with an extra syllable. 10th word: Q = missing aleph: Q = "tenatav" (his fig tree) and M = "ten'atav" (with aleph).
Line 28: after 6th word: Accusative sign " 'eth" in M not found in Q. The obscured word (4th) is " 'elohey" (gods of). 5th word: "goyiym" is usually spelled with superfluous aleph but seems to be "he" here.
Line 29: next to last word: Q = "ha-hitsilu" with an interrogative "he" preformed, means "have they delivered?" M does not have the interrogative "he." Interrogative "he" appears to be correct in context.
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