שירות המשכיל (4Q510–511)
And I, the Maskil — I proclaim the splendour of his radiance to terrify and to abase all the spirits of the bastards, the demons, the night-creatures, and those who strike men without cause. — 4Q510 Frag. 1
The Songs of the Sage (שירות המשכיל, Shirot ha-Maskil) survive in two related manuscripts from Qumran Cave 4: 4Q510 (4QShirb) and 4Q511 (4QShira). They are exorcistic liturgical hymns attributed to the Maskil — the community's spiritual teacher and master — composed for recitation at appointed seasons against the host of evil spirits. The Community Rule prescribes that the Maskil sing these songs; the texts themselves are among the clearest windows into the Qumran sect's cosmology of spiritual warfare.
The Maskil's adversaries are named precisely: the bastard spirits (רוחות ממזרים), the shedim (שדים, demons), the night-creatures (לילות, lilot), the guilty spirits (אשמות), those who strike without warning, those who lead the spirit astray. These figures descend directly from the Aramaic Watchers tradition — the spirits of the Nephilim, imprisoned but still active in the world. Against them the Maskil stands, speaking the glory of God's name. The genre connects to the apotropaic psalms of the Psalms Scroll and anticipates later Jewish exorcistic literature.
Both manuscripts are heavily fragmented. 4Q510 preserves one substantial fragment; 4Q511 preserves several shorter ones. The translation marks lacunae throughout. This is a Good Works Translation by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated directly from the Hebrew of 4Q510 and 4Q511. The transcription follows García Martínez and Tigchelaar, Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition (Brill, 1997). No existing English translation was consulted during drafting.
4Q510 — Fragment 1
[The fragment opens with several damaged lines. Only scattered words survive from lines 1–4.]
[...] Belial [...]
[...] to all the spirits of the bastards [...] to terrify and to abase [...]
[...] the shedim and the night-spirits and the guilty spirits [...]
[...] those who strike without warning, who lead the spirit of understanding astray [...]
And I, the Maskil — I proclaim the splendour of his radiance, to terrify and to abase all the spirits of the bastards, the demons, the night-creatures, and those who attack without cause.
[...] in the wisdom of his glory [...] holy [ones...] in eternal light [...]
4Q511 — Fragment 2 (Column I)
[The column is substantially damaged at the top. What survives is a hymn of praise, the voice of the community gathered before God.]
[...] Praise to [the one who made...] [...]
[...] God of gods, the holy of holies [...]
[...] those who look upon [the holy ones of] his glory in eternal light [...]
[...] and to magnify his glory [...] [...]
4Q511 — Fragment 10
[...] his covenant [...] the men of his council [...]
[...] the humble [...] who walk in [the path of...] [...]
[...] and they shall not stand in the assembly of [...]
4Q511 — Fragment 35
[...] his dominion over all the sons of [...]
[...] and the foundation of [his works...] [...]
[...] in all [his appointed seasons...] [...]
4Q511 — Fragments 48–49 and 51
[...] the spirit of holiness [...] in the holy [of holies] [...]
[...] the bastard spirits [...] are not permitted to touch [...]
[...] in all [...] appointed [seasons] [...]
Colophon
Text: Songs of the Sage (שירות המשכיל, Shirot ha-Maskil), 4Q510 (4QShirb) Fragment 1; 4Q511 (4QShira) Fragments 2, 10, 35, 48–49, 51
Source Language: Late Second Temple Hebrew (Qumran scribal dialect)
Original Manuscripts: Qumran Cave 4, discovered 1952
Source Transcription: García Martínez, F. & Tigchelaar, E.J.C., The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill, 1997
Translation: New Tianmu Anglican Church (Good Works Translation), 2026
Translation Method: Translated directly from the Hebrew transcription. No existing English translation was consulted during drafting. Both manuscripts are highly fragmentary; lacunae are marked throughout with brackets. Passages too damaged for reliable translation are noted but not reconstructed.
Register: Gospel (plain, direct, warm)
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: שירות המשכיל (4Q510–511)
Hebrew transcription from García Martínez, F. & Tigchelaar, E.J.C., The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill, 1997; Baillet, M., Qumrân Grotte 4.III (DJD VII), Oxford: Clarendon, 1982. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
4Q510 (4QShirb) — Fragment 1
[...] ב֯ל֯י֯ע֯ל [...]
[...] לכ֯ו֯ל ר֯וחות הממזרים [...] לבהל ו]להכניע[
[...] ש֯ד֯ים ולילות ולאשמות [...]
[...] מ֯כ֯ים פתאום [...] שגיאות ברוח [...]
[...]ואני המשכיל מ֯ג֯י֯ד֯ הוד תפארתו
[לבהל ולהכניע כ]ו֯ל רוחות הממזרים ו[...]שדים לילות [...]
[...]ב֯חכמת [כבודו] ב֯א֯ו֯ר֯ [בינתו ...] קד֯ו֯ש֯[ים ...] [...]
4Q511 (4QShira) — Fragment 2 (Column I)
[...] ל[הלל] [...]
[...] א֯ל אל֯י֯ם֯ ק֯ד֯ש קד֯שים [...]
[...] המ֯ב֯י֯ט֯ים [בקדושי כבו]ד֯ו בא֯ו֯ר֯ עו֯לם [...]
[...] ו֯ל֯ה֯ג֯ד֯יל [...]כ֯ב֯ו֯ד֯ו [...]
4Q511 — Fragment 10
[...] ב֯ר֯י֯ת֯ו֯ [...] אנשי [עצתו] [...]
[...] ה֯ע֯ני֯ם [...]ה֯ל֯כ֯ים ב֯[...]
[...] ו֯ל֯א֯ יע֯מ֯ד֯ו [בסוד] [...]
4Q511 — Fragment 35
[...] מ֯מ֯ש֯ל֯ת֯ו [על כל בני] [...]
[...] ו֯י֯ס֯ו֯ד [מעשיו] [...]
[...] ב֯כ֯ו֯ל֯ [...]
4Q511 — Fragments 48–49 and 51
[...] ר֯וח הקודש [...] ב֯[קד]ש [הקדשים] [...]
[...] רוחות הממזרים [...] לא ר֯ש֯ות לנגע [...]
[...] ב֯כ֯ו֯ל֯ [...] מו֯ע֯ד֯ [...]
Source Colophon
Script: Late Second Temple Hebrew (Qumran scribal hand)
Source Manuscripts: 4Q510 (4QShirb) and 4Q511 (4QShira), Qumran Cave 4 (discovered 1952)
Transcription: García Martínez, F. & Tigchelaar, E.J.C., The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill, 1997; Baillet, M., Qumrân Grotte 4.III (DJD VII), Oxford: Clarendon, 1982
Palaeographic Date: c. late 1st century BCE
Scribe: Good Works Translation Lineage, New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026
The Hebrew text is in the public domain, being over two thousand years old.
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