פשר נחום (4Q169)
The Commentary on Nahum — Pesher Nahum in Hebrew — is one of the most historically arresting of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Unlike most pesharim, it names actual figures by name: Demetrius king of Greece (Demetrius III Eucaerus, who besieged Jerusalem around 88 BCE at the invitation of his opponents' enemies) and the Lion of Wrath, widely identified with the Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus (103–76 BCE). In its commentary on Nahum 2:12, the scroll describes the Lion of Wrath hanging men alive upon the tree — the earliest Jewish text outside the New Testament to speak plainly of crucifixion — and notes with shock that this had never been done before in Israel.
The surviving material comes from Fragments 3–4, which preserve four columns of commentary running from Nahum 2:11 through approximately 3:12. Two smaller fragments (Frags 1–2) preserve isolated words. The scroll interprets Nahum's oracle against Nineveh as prophecy addressed to the sect's own time. Ephraim is the code-name for the Seekers of Smooth Things — widely identified with the Pharisees. Manasseh most likely refers to the Sadducees. The Kittim are Rome. Between these powers stands the faithful remnant.
This is a Good Works Translation by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated directly from the Hebrew of 4Q169 (García Martínez & Tigchelaar, Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill, 1997). No existing English translation was consulted.
Fragments 1–2
[Fragments 1 and 2 preserve only scattered words from an early section of the commentary. The text is too fragmentary for continuous translation.]
[...] its interpretation [...] Nineveh [...] and all her streets [...]
[...] its interpretation [...]
Fragments 3–4, Column I
[The column opens in the middle of a commentary on Nahum 2:11. The opening lines are partially preserved. Brackets mark restorations.]
[Where is the den of lions, the pasture of the young lions, where the lion walked, the lioness and the lion's cub, with none to disturb them?]
[Its interpretation concerns Demetrius] king of Greece, who sought to enter Jerusalem on the counsel of the Seekers of Smooth Things. But God did not give Jerusalem into the hand of the kings of Greece, from Antiochus until the rise of the rulers of the Kittim. Afterwards [the city shall be trodden under] [...]
The lion tore enough prey for his whelps and strangled prey for his lionesses; he filled his lairs with prey and his dens with torn flesh.
Its interpretation concerns the Lion of Wrath, who struck among the Seekers of Smooth Things and who used to hang men alive upon the tree — which had never been done before in Israel. For of a man hanged alive upon the tree [the scripture speaks] [...]
Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of Hosts. I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the land, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.
Its interpretation concerns the Lion of Wrath [whose prey shall be cut off...] [...] the rulers of the Kittim [...]
Fragments 3–4, Column II
[The top of the column is fragmentary. The commentary continues on Nahum 3:1–4.]
Woe, city of blood! All full of lies and plunder — prey ceases not.
Its interpretation concerns the city of Ephraim — the Seekers of Smooth Things at the end of days — who walk in deceit and falsehood [...]
[The crack of the whip, the rumble of the wheel! The galloping horse and the bounding chariot. Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear — hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, bodies without end — stumbling over the dead!]
Its interpretation [concerns...] Ephraim [... their slain shall fall...] in the streets of the city [...]
Because of the many whorings of the harlot, graceful and skilled in sorceries, who sells nations by her whorings and clans by her sorceries —
Its interpretation: she is [Ephraim, the Seekers of Smooth Things,] who leads [the peoples] astray with her false teaching [...] kings and princes and peoples [...] nations [...] she [leads them into error] [...]
Fragments 3–4, Column III
[The top of the column is lost. The preserved text continues mid-commentary, still on Nahum 3:4–7.]
[...] its interpretation [concerns the Seekers of Smooth Things...] [...] at the end of days [...]
Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of Hosts, and I will uncover your skirts over your face; I will show nations your nakedness and kingdoms your shame.
Its interpretation [concerns Ephraim] whose shame shall be exposed before all the nations [...] at the end of days [when Ephraim's] dominion is removed from [Israel...] [...]
I will throw filth upon you and make you vile and set you up as a spectacle.
[Its interpretation: all who] see her will flee from her [...]
And all who look at you will flee from you, and they will say: Nineveh is ruined! Who will grieve for her? From where shall I seek comforters for you?
Its interpretation concerns Manasseh at the end of days, whose dominion over Israel shall be brought low [...]
Fragments 3–4, Column IV
[The column is fragmentary throughout. The commentary continues on Nahum 3:8–12.]
Are you better than No-amon, that sat by the Nile-channels with waters around her, whose rampart was the sea and water her wall?
Its interpretation concerns Manasseh. [As No-amon was surrounded by waters, so is Manasseh surrounded by...] [...] its princes and its [great men...] [...]
Ethiopia was her strength and Egypt too — without limit. Put and the Libyans were her helpers.
Its interpretation: [...] Manasseh [...] in great multitude and without end [...]
Yet she went into exile, into captivity. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. For her honoured men lots were cast, and all her great men were bound in chains.
Its interpretation: [...] Manasseh [...] his honoured men and his warriors and his assembly shall go into exile [...] [their] leaders shall be delivered into the hand of [the enemy...] [the sons of Ephraim shall be scattered with them] [...]
You too will be drunk; you will go into hiding; you too will seek refuge from the enemy.
Its interpretation: [...] Manasseh [...] and its congregation [...] shall seek [shelter and find none] [...]
All your fortresses are fig trees with first-ripe figs — when shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Its interpretation: the nobles of Manasseh [...] whose wealth and power [...] shall be given into the hand of [the army of...] [...] the Kittim [...]
Colophon
Text: Commentary on Nahum (פשר נחום, 4Q169), Fragments 1–2 and Fragments 3–4 Columns I–IV
Source Language: Late Second Temple Hebrew (Qumran scribal dialect)
Original Manuscript: 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. Biblical lemmas (the Nahum verses) are also translated fresh from the MT. Brackets mark text that is clearly lost; parenthetical notes indicate heavily damaged portions.
Register: Gospel (plain, direct, warm)
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
🌲
Source Text: פשר נחום (4Q169)
Hebrew transcription from García Martínez, F. & Tigchelaar, E.J.C., The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill, 1997. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
Fragments 3–4, Column I
] פשר]ו[ על ד]מיטריוס [מלך יון אשר בקש לבוא לירושלם בעצת דורשי [ה]חלקו[ת] 1
ולא נתן אל ]לירושלם[ ביד מלכי יון מגבול אנטיוכוס ועד עמד שרי הכ]תיאים[ 2
]ואחר... 3
]פשרו[ על כפיר החרון אשר יכה ב]דורשי ה[חלקות אשר תלה אנשים חיים ]על[ ה]עץ[ 4
]אשר ל[פנים בישראל לא נעשתה כן כי לאיש ]תלוי[ חי על ה]עץ... 5
הנה אני אליך נאם יהוה צבאות והבערתי בעשן רכב]כה[ וכפיריך תאכל חרב 6
]פשרו על כפיר[ ה]חרון[...]מושלי הכתיאים 7
Fragments 3–4, Column II
]... הוי[ עיר הדמים כלה כחש פרק מלאה לא ימיש טרף 1
פשרו על עיר אפרים דורשי החלקות לאחרית הימים אשר ב]שקר ומרמה יתהלכו[ 2
]...[ 3
]...[ 4
]... מרב זנוני זונה[ טובת חן בעלת כשפים המוכרת גוים בזנוניה ומשפחות בכשפיה 5
פשרו ]היא אפרים[ אשר תתעה ]בתורת שקר...[ מלכים ושרים ועמים ]...[ גוים ]תתעה[ 6
]...[ 7
Fragments 3–4, Column III
]...[ 1
]... פשרו על[ א]פרים...[ 2
]... לאחרית הימים[ 3
הנה אני אליך נאם יהוה צבאות וגליתי שוליך על פניך והראיתי גוים מערך וממלכות קלונך 4
]פשרו...[ על ]אפרים[ אשר ]קלונו[ יגלה לפני כול הגוים 5
]... לאחרית הימים בהסיר ממשלת [אפרים מישראל] 6
]...[ 7
והשלכתי עליך שקצים ונבלתיך ושמתיך כראי 8
]פשרו... כול רואיה ינסו ממנה...[ 9
]ומי ינוד לה מאין לה מנחמים[ פשרו על מנשה לאחרית הימים 10
]אשר תשפל ממשלתו על ישראל[ 11
Fragments 3–4, Column IV
]... התיטבי מנא[ אמון הישבת ביארים מים סביב לה אשר חיל ים חומתה 1
]פשרו על מנשה...[ 2
]... שריה ורבניה...[ 3
כוש עצמה ומצרים ואין קצה פוט ולובים היו בעזרתך 4
]פשרו... מנשה... ל[רוב ולאין קצה 5
גם היא לגלה הלכה בשבי גם עולליה ירוטשו בראש כל חוצות ועל נכבדיה ידו גורל 6
וכל גדוליה רתקו בזיקים 7
]פשרו... מנשה[ נכבדיו וגבוריו ועדתו ]ילכו[ בשבי 8
]... שריהם ינתנו ביד[ ]אויב...[ 9
גם את תשכרי תהי נעלמה גם את תבקשי מעוז מאויב 10
]פשרו... מנשה... ועדתו...[ יבקשו ]ולא ימצאו[ 11
כל מבצריך תאנים עם בכורים אם ינועו ונפלו על פי אוכל 12
]פשרו... אדירי מנשה...[ חילם ]ינתן ביד[... הכתיאים 13
Source Colophon
Script: Late Second Temple Hebrew (Qumran scribal hand)
Source Manuscript: 4Q169 (4QpNahum), Qumran Cave 4 (discovered 1952)
Transcription: García Martínez, F. & Tigchelaar, E.J.C., The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, Brill, 1997
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.
🌲