Thanksgiving Hymn #7&8
4QH(odayot)^a col. 10

Paraphrase and comments by Robert Hermansky

Introduction:

Lawrence H. Schiffman wrote that it is tempting to regard the Thanksgiving Scroll as a series of hymns for public worship. This is what I perceived them to be at first. After researching it further, I discovered that there has been no evidence discovered that concludes or supports this. The passages were probably written by the leader of a sect or church. Some scholars believe that it was written by the Teacher of the Righteousness. The poems belong to a devotion of some sort by the people for their God. This can be cross referenced with the Songs of the Sabbath; where God in the heavens was praised daily according to fixed rituals. Later it was discovered that it was not a praise of God by people on earth, but the angles' praise of God in heaven.

After further exploration, I found that the Hymns of Thanksgiving could have been used to have the spiritual effect of the individual members of the community. Penetrating them and therefore dominating their spirit as if being controlled by a force. The author of these passages, assumed to be the Teacher of Righteousness, gives a vivid description of mankind being 'in sin,' the constant struggle with the forces of evil around him, mankind having bad temptations from birth to death.

Another interesting point in the 1st fragment is the use of the word Belial. This word was substituted for the Angel of Darkness. Is Belial conceived to be a real person in the Hymns or is the author speaking in general terms of mankind? This use of the word Belial or Angel of Darkness also refers to the Teacher of Righteousness who uses this word in his frequent works, ( 1QH 2:16, 4:10, 4:13, 5:26, 5:39, 6:21, 7:3).

Paraphrase:

Hymn #7 (formerly 2):

I[1] give thanks to you, Lord, because you have placed me in the circle of life and guided me against the evils of the world. Violent men[2] have threatened my life because of my faith in you Lord. For they are an assembly of trickery and a crowd of evil, the do not know that through you I live and in your compassion you will spare me in my soul. Because of you they raid[3] my life to spite you by the judgement of the wicked. But you give me strength in the faces of the unworthy. And I said, mighty men have pitched their camps and swarmed against[4] me with all the temptations of unjustly things. They have begun things which have no cure, no stopping. Their weapons of evil engulf the land like a tidal wave upon the shore. Like a wave of destruction devouring a multitude of men. Temptation rose inside me but my soul clung to the faith of you Lord. They have fallen to the destruction of each other which they brought on themselves, but I will not fall to the rein of their destruction,[5] for I keep upon level ground and apart from them I will bless you Lord.

Hymn #8 (formerly 3):

I give thanks to you, Lord, for you have [fastened][6] your eye upon me. You have save me from the passion of lying deception, and from the congregation[7] of those who seek wealth. You have blessed the soul of the poor one who planned to destroy me by spilling my blood while I was at service to you. But they did not know that my soul belonged to you, so they made a mockery of me in the mouths of all that seek for lies. [...] But you, my Lord, have restored the faith of the poor and the needy against one stronger than me;[8] you have saved my soul from the hand of the mighty. You have not permitted their insults to pursue me into craving their service. [9]

Footnotes:

[1] Refers to the author of the story
[2] The violent men is referring to the unbelievers or sinners of faith
[3] Raid meaning to make mockery of
[4] 'pitched their camps and swarmed against' refers to the unbelievers tempting his true faith
[5] This phrase states how "he" cannot be tempted and will keep prayers with the Lord
[6] Word added by authors but expected to mean taken notice of
[7] Congregation meaning groups of people
[8] This phrase refers to the Lords will to save the poor and the needy against the retched sinners
[9] Their service meaning sin or greed

The Community Rule Scroll -- one of the seven original scrolls, attributed to an Essene community

DEAD SEA SCROLLS TEXTS

http://www.webcom.com/~gnosis/library/psalm.htm

The Thanksgiving Psalms

Psalm 4.

I thank you, O Lord,
for your eye is awake and watches over my soul.
You rescue me from the jealousy of liars,
from the congregation of those who seek the smooth way.
But you save the soul of the poor
whom they planned to destroy
by spilling the blood of your servant.

I walked because of you - but they didn't know this.
They laughed at me. They shamed me
with lies from their mouth.
But you helped the soul of the poor and the weak,
you saved me from their harsh arms,
you redeemed me amid their taunts.
From the wicked I do not fear destruction.

Psalm 5.

They made my life a ship on the deep sea,
like a fortified city circled by aggressors.
I hurt like a woman in labor bearing her first child,
whose belly pangs torture her in the crucible.
Pains of Hell
for a son come on the waves of death.
She labors to bear a man,
and among the waves of death she gives birth to a manchild,
with pains of Hell.
He springs from the crucible,
O wondrous counselor with power :
Yes, a man emerges from the waves..

But she who carries dead seed in her womb
suffers waves from a pit of horror.
The foundations of the wall will rock
like a ship on the face of the waters.
Clouds will bellow.
Those who dwell in the dust, like those on the sea,
are terrified by the roar of the waters.

All those wise men are like mariners on the deep:
their wisdom confounded by the roaring seas.
The abyss boils over the fountains of water.
The seas rage.
Hell opens, and arrows fly toward Heaven.
Their eternal bars are bolted.

Psalm 8.

I thank you, O Lord.
You illumined my face by your covenant.
I seek you,
As sure as the dawn you appear as perfect light.

Teachers of lies have comforted your people
and now they stumble, foolishly.
They abhor themselves
and do not esteem me through whom your wonders
and powers are manifest.
They have banished me from my land like a bird
from its nest, and my friends
and neighbors are driven from me.
They think me a broken pot.
They preach lies. They are dissembling prophets.
They devise baseness against me,
exchanging your teaching, written in my heart,
for smooth words.
They deny knowledge to the thirsty
and force them to drink vinegar to cover up error.
They stumble through mad feasts,
but you, God, spurn the schemes of Belial.
Your wisdom prevails.
Your hearts meditation prevails, established forever.

Psalm 23.

Your holy spirit
illuminates the dark places of the heart
of your servant,
with light like the sun.
I look to the covenants made by men,
worthless.
Only your truth shines,
and those who love it are wise
and walk in the glow
of your light.
From darkness you raise hearts.
Let light shine on your servant.
Your light is everlasting.

Thanksgiving Hymn #7&8 4QH(odayot)a col. 10