Isaiah 54:1–3

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 54:1–3. As the Masoretic Text. Otherwise the differences are of spelling (fuller use of vowel letters) and small grammatical forms.

3. 1st century BC – 1st century AD (reported)

   1QIsa-b (1Q8), Qumran Cave 1

   ◐ Contains part of itDescends, 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 54:1–3. A fragmentary copy: only parts of these verses survive, and in the transcription much of the passage is restored by the editors. What survives agrees with the Masoretic Text.

4. 1st century BC – 1st century AD (reported)

   4QIsa-d (4Q58), Qumran Cave 4

   ◐ Contains part of itDescends, 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 54:1–3. A fragmentary copy: only parts of these verses survive, and in the transcription much of the passage is restored by the editors. Agrees with the Masoretic Text.

5. 1st century AD; edition 2010s

   Galatians 4:27 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)

   ✓ Contains this passageUncertain relationship to the verse (which wording it followed is the question)

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: the Greek New Testament editions in the library (Textus Receptus, Byzantine Textform, Statistical Restoration).

   Γέγραπται γάρ, “Εὐφράνθητι, στεῖρα, ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα, ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον, ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα, ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον, ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα.”

   For it is written: Rejoice, barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry, you who are not in labor; for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her who has a husband

   Paul's allegory of the two covenants (4:21–31). KJV: "For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband."

6. 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).

   Lauda, sterilis, quæ non paris; decanta laudem, et hinni, quæ non pariebas: quoniam multi filii desertæ magis quam ejus quæ habet virum, dicit Dominus. Dilata locum tentorii tui, et pelles tabernaculorum tuorum extende: ne parcas: longos fac funiculos tuos, et clavos tuos consolida. Ad dexteram enim et ad lævam penetrabis, et semen tuum gentes hæreditabit, et civitates desertas inhabitabit.

   Latin numbering: Isaiah 54:1–3. Jerome translated Isaiah from Hebrew (c. AD 400).

7. 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.

   רָנִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה לֹ֣א יָלָ֑דָה פִּצְחִ֨י רִנָּ֤ה וְצַהֲלִי֙ לֹא־חָ֔לָה כִּֽי־רַבִּ֧ים בְּֽנֵי־שׁוֹמֵמָ֛ה מִבְּנֵ֥י בְעוּלָ֖ה אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃ הַרְחִ֣יבִי ׀ מְק֣וֹם אָהֳלֵ֗ךְ וִירִיע֧וֹת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתַ֛יִךְ יַטּ֖וּ אַל־תַּחְשֹׂ֑כִי הַאֲרִ֙יכִי֙ מֵֽיתָרַ֔יִךְ וִיתֵדֹתַ֖יִךְ חַזֵּֽקִי׃ כִּי־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֖אול תִּפְרֹ֑צִי וְזַרְעֵךְ֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם יִירָ֔שׁ וְעָרִ֥ים נְשַׁמּ֖וֹת יוֹשִֽׁיבוּ׃

   Sing, barren one who did not bear; break into song and shout, you who were not in labor; for the children of the desolate one are more than the children of the married, says the LORD (v. 1)

   Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 54:1–3.

8. 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).

   Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

9. 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.

   Réjouis-toi, femme stérile qui n’as point enfanté; éclate et crie de joie, toi qui n’as point souffert les douleurs de l’enfantement; parce que la femme délaissée à plus d’enfants que celle qui à un mari; car le Seigneur à dit: Élargis l’espace de ta tente et de tes couvertures; enfonce les autant que possible; allonge tes cordages, et affermis tes pieux. Dilate-toi à droite et à gauche, et ta race aura les nations pour héritage, et tu repeupleras des villes désertes.

   Greek (digital file) numbering: Isaiah 54:1–3. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text (D check only); a C check needs Ziegler's Göttingen Isaiah or Rahlfs–Hanhart.