Bernardo Estrada, «The Last Beatitude. Joy in Suffering.», Vol. 91 (2010) 187-209
The motive of joy in suffering for Jesus' sake, makes the last beatitude in Matt 5,11-12 and Luke 6,22-23 different from the former blessings. The persecution form present in this beatitude seems to be an authentic saying of Jesus, subsequently widespread in NT literature. Such a motive, in fact, does not appear in Judaism and in intertestamental or in apocryphal literature. The First Letter of Peter is instead a special witness of 'joy in suffering'.
200 BERNARDO ESTRADA
man shall I return†73. The author exults in seeing God who is coming
to help him in the midst of distress, and the singing of joy (–nr) comes
in the future delivery from toil 74.
1Q34bis f1+2,1
“ The time of our peace (wnmwlç dxrm) [... for you console us in our
distress (wntjmç ykwnngm) and you gather together our exiles] (tpsaw
wnyjdn) †75. God is invoked to come and heal the sorrow, while there is
an admonition to search for peace in that situation.
1QHa 10,5-7
“ . . . [you have straightened in my heart] all the deeds of injustice [...]
and you place [truth before my eyes and the reprove]rs of justice in
all [ . . . ] smitten by b[lows of the comforters ...] who announce
(y[ymçmw) joy (htmç) [for my de]ep sorrow (ynwgy lbal), [proclaiming
pe]ace to all disaster [...] the strong, to weaken my heart, and those
who gain [strength]†76. The only reference to joy, while exalting the
divine power, comes as an announcement after suffering, from
people who comfort the writer, but not in the moment in which
tribulation is endured.
1QHa 23,15
“ To [be] according to your truth, a herald [...] of your goodness to
proclaim to the poor the abundance of your compassion, [...]... from
the spring [... the bro]ken of spirit (jwr yakd) and the mourning to
everlasting joy (μlw[ hjmçl μylbal)†77. A future and eternal joy seems
to sooth the actual situation of pain. More than talking about joy in
suffering he describes the passing from suffering to joy: they are not
present at the same time.
4Q381f33+35,2-3
“ And you will establish for me times and ... [above the heaven]s rise
YHWH and ... [...] and we revel in your might because [your
wisdom] is unfathomable and let your reproach for me (yjtw yl Ètjkt)
become joy (hjmçl)†78. In the writer’s soul there is a pain caused by
the reproach, but joy would come from considering the utility of the
Cf. GARCÃA MARTÃNEZ – TIGCHELAAR, Dead Sea Scrolls I, 94-95.
73
The same text appears in 4Q256 20,6.
74
Cf. GARCÃA MARTÃNEZ – TIGCHELAAR, Dead Sea Scrolls I, 144-145.
75
Cf. GARCÃA MARTÃNEZ – TIGCHELAAR, Dead Sea Scrolls I, 160-161.
76
Cf. GARCÃA MARTÃNEZ – TIGCHELAAR, Dead Sea Scrolls I, 198-199.
77
E. SCHULLER, “381. 4Q Non-Canonical Psalms Bâ€, Discoveries in the
78
Judean Desert XI: Qumran Cave 4 (ed. E. Tov) (Oxford 1998) 122-124; cf,
GARCÃA MARTÃNEZ – TIGCHELAAR, Dead Sea Scrolls II, 758-759.
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