A) A translation of The Septuagint has http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Zacharias/index.htm "7 Who art thou, the great mountain before Zorobabel, that thou shouldest prosper? whereas I will bring out the stone of the inheritance, the grace of it the equal of my grace." So that doesn't really help. And the DSS don't seem to include that verse. http://dssenglishbible.com/zechariah%204.htm I wondered maybe what the Samaritans have but it looks like maybe they only have a Torah. I can't find anything about prophetic works that they have.Kenneth Greifer wrote:A few years ago, I discussed Zechariah 4:6-7 on the old B-Hebrew, but since this is a new discussion forum with different people, I would like to try to discuss it again as an example of a possible Masoretic mistake.
Usually, it is translated as: "Not by power and not by might, but by My spirit, says the L-rd of hosts. Who are you (alef tav hay), big mountain, before Zerubbabel? (You will become) (for) a plain " or "who are you (alef tav hay), big mountain? Before Zerubabbel (you will become ) for a plain." (It does not actually say "you will become.")
Kenneth Greifer
B) So you have the word לְמִישֹׁ֑ר When you have a letter preceding a word, like a Kaf, or as in this case, a Lamed, they can have quite a range of meanings.
If you look at that lamed ל as "as" then it reads quite well and much closer to the hebrew than sticking a verb like 'become' in there that indeed isn't in the text.
Lamed preceding a word is often translated as 'for', and 'for' can be rather like 'as'. e.g. "use a plate for a hat" . "use a plate as a hat".
So I guess we can translate it well like that, with the masoretic..i.e. "as"
So it doesn't look like a verb is missing.. Maybe translations that put in a verb are just not translating so well. And would be translating it closer to the hebrew if they wrote a simple word like 'as'.
Infact if you look at YLT - youngs literal translation, it says
"Who art thou, O great mountain Before Zerubbabel -- for a plain! And he hath brought forth the top-stone, Cries of Grace, grace -- are to it.' (Zech. 4:7 YLT)
So, "for" works
Ralph Zak