Isaiah 65:1–2

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 65:1–2. In v. 1 "those who did not ask me" (with "me"); in v. 2 "a people turning aside" (sorah) where the Masoretic Text has "a rebellious people" (sorer), a one-letter difference. Otherwise the differences are of spelling (fuller use of vowel letters) and small grammatical forms.

3. 1st century BC (reported)

   4QIsa-b (4Q56), 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 65:1–2. A fragmentary copy: only parts of these verses survive, and in the transcription much of the passage is restored by the editors. In v. 1 the verb "call" is spelled with a vav, as an active participle ("a nation not calling on my name"), though its letters are damaged; the Masoretic vowels read the same consonants as passive ("not called by my name").

4. 1st century AD; edition 2010s

   Romans 10:20–21 (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).

   Ἠσαΐας δὲ ἀποτολμᾷ καὶ λέγει, “Εὑρέθην ἐν τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζητοῦσιν, ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ἐπερωτῶσιν.” Πρὸς δὲ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ λέγει, “Ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐξεπέτασα τὰς χεῖράς μου πρὸς λαὸν ἀπειθοῦντα καὶ ἀντιλέγοντα.”

   But Isaiah is bold and says: I was found by those who did not seek me; I became visible to those who did not ask for me. But to Israel he says: All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people

   Paul applies v. 1 to the Gentiles and v. 2 to Israel. KJV: "But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."

5. 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).

   Quæsierunt me qui ante non interrogabant; invenerunt qui non quæsierunt me. Dixi: Ecce ego, ecce ego, ad gentem quæ non invocabat nomen meum. Expandi manus meas tota die ad populum incredulum, qui graditur in via non bona post cogitationes suas.

   Latin numbering: Isaiah 65:1–2. Jerome translated Isaiah from Hebrew (c. AD 400).

6. 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.

   נִדְרַ֙שְׁתִּי֙ לְל֣וֹא שָׁאָ֔לוּ נִמְצֵ֖אתִי לְלֹ֣א בִקְשֻׁ֑נִי אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ הִנֵּ֣נִי הִנֵּ֔נִי אֶל־גּ֖וֹי לֹֽא־קֹרָ֥א בִשְׁמִֽי׃ פֵּרַ֧שְׂתִּי יָדַ֛י כָּל־הַיּ֖וֹם אֶל־עַ֣ם סוֹרֵ֑ר הַהֹלְכִים֙ הַדֶּ֣רֶךְ לֹא־ט֔וֹב אַחַ֖ר מַחְשְׁבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

   I let myself be sought by those who did not ask; I let myself be found by those who did not seek me; I said, Here I am, here I am, to a nation not called by my name (v. 1)

   Hebrew numbering: Isaiah 65:1–2.

7. 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).

   I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

8. 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.

   Je me suis manifesté à ceux qui ne me demandaient point; j’ai été trouvé par ceux qui ne me cherchaient pas; j’ai dit à un peuple qui n’avait point invoqué mon nom: Me voici. Durant tout le jour j’ai tendu les mains à un peuple désobéissant et contradicteur, à des hommes qui marchaient non dans la bonne voie, mais à la suite de leurs péchés.

   Greek (digital file) numbering: Isaiah 65:1–2. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text (D check only); a C check needs Ziegler's Göttingen Isaiah or Rahlfs–Hanhart.