Isaiah 2:2–4

Every witness, in order

1. 8th–6th century BC (by section; debated)

   The oracle as first spoken or written

   – No copy survives

   No original survives. The oldest copies of Isaiah are the Qumran scrolls: the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a, about 125 BC, nearly complete), 1QIsa-b (1Q8) and some twenty other fragmentary manuscripts.

2. c. 125 BC (palaeography; reported)

   Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa-a), Qumran Cave 1

   ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written

   How the site knows this: Described from a published transcription of the manuscript. Described in the site's own words from Martin Abegg's transcription (ETCBC/CACCHT Dead Sea Scrolls dataset v2.0.5); the transcription itself is not reproduced. Photographs and DJD XXXII not yet checked.

   Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 2:2–4. Contains 2:2–4 with the same sense, with one real difference: v. 3 lacks "to the mountain of the LORD," reading "let us go up to the house of the God of Jacob." It also has the object marker before "their swords" in v. 4 and a correction written above the line. Otherwise the differences are of spelling (fuller use of vowel letters) and small grammatical forms.

3. Jerome c. AD 400, from Hebrew; edition 1592

   Latin Vulgate (Clementine)

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Hebrew text Jerome used

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).

   Et erit in novissimis diebus: præparatus mons domus Domini in vertice montium, et elevabitur super colles; et fluent ad eum omnes gentes, et ibunt populi multi, et dicent: Venite, et ascendamus ad montem Domini, et ad domum Dei Jacob; et docebit nos vias suas, et ambulabimus in semitis ejus, quia de Sion exibit lex, et verbum Domini de Jerusalem. Et judicabit gentes, et arguet populos multos; et conflabunt gladios suos in vomeres, et lanceas suas in falces. Non levabit gens contra gentem gladium, nec exercebuntur ultra ad prælium.

   Latin numbering: Isaiah 2:2–4. Jerome translated Isaiah from Hebrew (c. AD 400).

4. AD 1008

   Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)

   ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.

   וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ בְּאַחֲרִ֣ית הַיָּמִ֗ים נָכ֨וֹן יִֽהְיֶ֜ה הַ֤ר בֵּית־יְהוָה֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ הֶהָרִ֔ים וְנִשָּׂ֖א מִגְּבָע֑וֹת וְנָהֲר֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו כָּל־הַגּוֹיִֽם׃ וְֽהָלְכ֞וּ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים וְאָמְרוּ֙ לְכ֣וּ ׀ וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה אֶל־הַר־יְהוָ֗ה אֶל־בֵּית֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְיֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ מִדְּרָכָ֔יו וְנֵלְכָ֖ה בְּאֹרְחֹתָ֑יו כִּ֤י מִצִיּוֹן֙ תֵּצֵ֣א תוֹרָ֔ה וּדְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה מִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ וְשָׁפַט֙ בֵּ֣ין הַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְהוֹכִ֖יחַ לְעַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים וְכִתְּת֨וּ חַרְבוֹתָ֜ם לְאִתִּ֗ים וַחֲנִיתֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ לְמַזְמֵר֔וֹת לֹא־יִשָּׂ֨א ג֤וֹי אֶל־גּוֹי֙ חֶ֔רֶב וְלֹא־יִלְמְד֥וּ ע֖וֹד מִלְחָמָֽה׃

   …and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-knives; nation shall not lift sword against nation, nor learn war any more (v. 4)

   Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 2:2–4.

5. AD 1008

   Micah 4:3 (Masoretic Text, parallel oracle)

   ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The oracle as first spoken or written

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.

   וְשָׁפַ֗ט בֵּ֚ין עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים וְהוֹכִ֛יחַ לְגוֹיִ֥ם עֲצֻמִ֖ים עַד־רָח֑וֹק וְכִתְּת֨וּ חַרְבֹתֵיהֶ֜ם לְאִתִּ֗ים וַחֲנִיתֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ לְמַזְמֵר֔וֹת לֹֽא־יִשְׂא֞וּ גּ֤וֹי אֶל־גּוֹי֙ חֶ֔רֶב וְלֹא־יִלְמְד֥וּן ע֖וֹד מִלְחָמָֽה׃

   He shall judge between many peoples and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares

   A separate book with the same oracle.

6. 1611

   King James Bible

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).

   And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

7. Greek translation c. 2nd century BC; French 1872

   Greek Isaiah (library: Giguet's French)

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Old Greek Isaiah

   How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.

   Aux derniers jours la montagne du Seigneur sera glorieuse; sur la cime des monts apparaîtra la maison de Dieu; elle s’élèvera au-dessus des collines, et tous les gentils y viendront. Et maintes nations partiront, disant: Allons et montons à la montagne du Seigneur et à la maison du Dieu de Jacob, et il nous annoncera sa voie, et nous y marcherons; car la loi sortira de Sion, et la parole du Seigneur, de Jérusalem. Et il jugera entre les nations, et il réprimandera nombre de peuples. Et de leurs glaives ils forgeront des charrues, et des faux de leurs javelines; et l’on ne tirera plus l’épée nation contre nation, et l’on n’apprendra plus à se faire la guerre.

   Greek (digital file) numbering: Isaiah 2:2–4. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text (D check only); a C check needs Ziegler's Göttingen Isaiah or Rahlfs–Hanhart.