Abegg, Flint, and Ulrich [The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible: The Oldest Known Bible Translated for the First Time into English, HarperCollins:1999]. At the begining of Psalm 22 they say:
"Psalm 22 is a favorite among Christians since it is often linked in the New Testament with the suffering and death of Jesus. A well-known and controversial reading is found in verse 16, where the Masoretic Text reads 'Like a lion are my hands and feet,' wheras the Septuagint has 'They have pierced my hands and feet.' Among the scrolls the reading in question is found only in the Psalms scroll found at Nahal Hever (abbreviated 5/6HevPs), which reads 'They have pierced my hands and my feet'"!" [p.519]
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(Thnkyou Rabbi Shenkstein - yes you know who you are - I rest my case) Shalom
Abegg, Flint, and Ulrich [The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible: The Oldest Known Bible Translated for the First Time into English, HarperCollins:1999]. At the begining of Psalm 22 they say:
"Psalm 22 is a favorite among Christians since it is often linked in the New Testament with the suffering and death of Jesus. A well-known and controversial reading is found in verse 16, where the Masoretic Text reads 'Like a lion are my hands and feet,' wheras the Septuagint has 'They have pierced my hands and feet.' Among the scrolls the reading in question is found only in the Psalms scroll found at Nahal Hever (abbreviated 5/6HevPs), which reads 'They have pierced my hands and my feet'"!" [p.519]
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(Thnkyou Rabbi Shenkstein - yes you know who you are - I rest my case) Shalom
Weren't the Dead Sea Scrolls written in Hebrew?
If so, what was the word used for "pierced"?
For anyone wanting to read an indepth analysis of this question, here's a link:
Psalm 22
Admitly it is written at a reading level higher than Reader's Digest, however the author's concluding remarks, with his question are not:
"
But...my turn to ask a question of priority: why is anyone "arguing" much about this text?
It is not cited or alluded to in the New Testament anywhere, so there is no real 'theological agenda' here. [Certainly the biblical scholar and Church Father Jerome saw no problem with this being other than 'pierced'.]
The 'pierced' quotations in the NT are from the Zechariah passage, NOT from this one. Psalm 22 is cited/alluded to a couple of times as messianic (of course), but not this verse. In fact, the strongest argument I can find against the 'pierced' understanding above is that it is NOT MENTIONED in the NT Passion Narratives (although it might be superfluous after Zechariah, which is a stronger messianic passage for the point of the New Testament).
This question, accordingly, is a textual problem--not a theological one.
Just for the record"
SMR asks:
Weren't the Dead Sea Scrolls written in Hebrew?
If so, what was the word used for "pierced"?
Let's first address a habit of Massorete letter alterations in the Holy Texts, simply in order to counter Christianity.
In 134 instances, according to the notes left by the Massorete family of scribes, the name 4 letter name of YHVeH was ALTERED to ADNY {Adonai}. That is, "for the sake of ..." they changed the letters.
The letter is vav in 5/6 Hever as KARU. The Massoretes adopted the Yod, NOT in the oldest texts that would have been available to them, and wrote KARiY. Compare how old Jerome's manuscript collection was, according to his testimony.
In Psalm 110:5, we would originally read, prior to the Massorete alteration "YHVeH at thy Right Hand [O YHVeH] shall smite through kings..."
That is, YHVeH at the right hand of YHVeH...two persons. If it is YHVeH the Right Hand, and having another YHVeH at HIS Right, we now have the Trinity of Davidic Judaism / Christianity with the Holy Spirit smiting through kings.
In both Genesis 18 and 19, we have two verses where the original expression -- according to the Massorah notes -- was "My YHVeH".
That is, with Abraham and with Lot in Sodom, was a visible "My YHVeH".
The Massoretic Scribe was not permitted to alter the number of letters in a book, but clearly, he had no qualms in altering letters of texts that supported Christianity within the confines as being truly Jewish, while Judaism drifted away from its original identity to a one denomination transformation post-70 A.D.
Therefore, the Christians as perpetuators of the Jewish Faith, as "Davidic Jews" (if you will), preserved the original reading as KARU as testified to by the Dead Sea Scrolls 5/6 Hever.
Peace.
The prophets were looking, for Messiah, the prophecies are not quote
unquote definitive statements concerning exactly what God was going to do (as understood by the writers at that particular time). They were written by those who were hungering and thirsting for righteousness whose heart and pens were directed by the Holy Spirit. The beauty of these prophetic writings is they agree in a miracle fashion so much so
that the common people of Judea that had read just enough of Moses and the prophets could say, Thou art the Christ... Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me!
I say this because, God did not have to send His Son- if he had not the prophets would then be liars.
That true spirit of Christ within them (as God's ) oracles, bears witness to the same love God had when He sent Messiah to die and make atonement for us.
Rom.15
[4] For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
[13] Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost