S.W. Flynn, «Where Is YHWH in Isaiah 57,14-15?», Vol. 87 (2006) 358-370
This study suggests a reading of Isaiah 57, 14-15 in the Hebrew Bible which goes
against the theological Tendenz of some Versions and the interpretation of some
contemporary scholars. It explores how both the Versions and contemporary
scholarship have interpreted the passage, draws a parallel between the two
interpretations, and suggests that their either/or distinction of what the passage
means may not reflect the complex nature of sacred space and Divine Presence in
the BH. This study suggests that the text holds two meanings that are
complementary. Yet these meanings are placed in a respective foreground and
background which reveals their levels of emphasis intended by the
author/redactor of Trito-Isaiah.
Where Is YHWH in Isaiah 57,14-15? 361
importantly is how it translates akdAtaw ˆwkva vwdqw µwrm. The Peshitta
renders this: )KY^KML hYr$M 4YdQw )MYrM hM$ 4YdQw
“and holy is the High Name and holy is His dwelling, to the lowly
onesâ€. While the text does not claim YHWH in heaven as explicitly as
the Targum, there is no ta and the dwelling is no longer expressed by
a verb (first person singular). Yet the Peshitta preserves the odd
juxtaposition of the Holy dwelling with the marginalized group. Thus
“to the lowly ones†does not seem to want to solve the problem as
much as the other Versions did. Here the lamadh (possibly “for the
advantage ofâ€) allows for a relationship between the marginalized
group and YHWH without specifying where YHWH dwells. That said,
the Peshitta, while not making overt changes to support a transcendent
interpretation of the passage, follows the changes that support an
immanent reading.
One final reading could support a more immanent view of YHWH
than the majority of Versions do. In the Dead Sea Scrolls we have
extant for our text 1QIsaa and most of 4QIsad.
1QIsaa, for the MT’s, vwdqw µwrmú ˆwkva renders ˆwkva vdqbw µwrmb (7).
The inclusion of the two prepositions seems to give the dwelling a
locative meaning. Indeed the BH uses a similar construction to speak
of a sacred place. Texts often employ vdq µqmb, but this differs from
1QIsaa since it is without the second beth and without µwrm (Ex 29, 31;
Lev 6, 9; 10.13). It seems that the inclusion of the prepositions does
not provide a strong enough argument for a theological translation
supporting immanence.
Furthermore this passage elsewhere at Qumran, 4QIsad, does not
keep the prepositions and agrees with the MT vwdqw µwrm. Finally,
possibly one could argue that the adjective (vwdq) reflects an earthly
temple. But this in itself is not enough to determine the distinction
between a heavenly or earthly place used in this sentence. In fact, vwdq
is rarely used to describe the sanctuary (heavenly or earthly). The non-
biblical scrolls at Qumran seem to use the term more to describe the
state of holiness rather than a holy place with some possible exceptions.
The first may be 4Q381 Frg. 31.3 which reads ] ç‚dq µq‚m‚b‚ (8). There is
(7) J. TREVER, Scrolls From Qumran Cave I. The Great Isaiah Scroll, The
Order of the Community, The Pesher to Habakkuk (Jerusalem 1974) 54.
(8) E. ESHEL – H. ESHEL – C. NEWSOM – B. NITZAN – E. SCHULLER – A.
YARDENI, Qumran Cave 4, IV. Poetical and Liturgical Texts, Part 1, DJD XI
(Oxford 1998) 116.