Biblical Hebrew Forum

[kenneth greifer <greifer AT hotmail.com>]

I have an idea for an alternative translation of Zechariah 4:6-7 that I asked 
people on B-Hebrew to look at once before, but only one person answered me, 
so I thought I would try again. 
 
The usual translation is "Not by power and not by might, but by My spirit, 
says the L-rd of hosts. Who are you big mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will 
become a plain."
 
I think this translation has problems because it does not explain what the 
mountain is and it does not really say "you will become a plain."
 
I think the letter hay at the end of "you" should be moved to the front of 
the word "mountain", so the quote might say "not in power and not in might, 
but in My spirit, says the L-rd of hosts, who is with (alef tav) the big 
mountain is before Zerubbabel to a plain." I think it means that the person 
who is with a mountain in G-d's spirit (not in strength and power) is to a 
plain (flat land) in spirit before Zerubbabel. Compared to Zerubbabel, a 
person with a mountain in spirit is to a plain or has nothing compared to 
him. 
 
Some people say the word "who" is only used for questions, but there are 
other quotes with "who" (mi) used in declarative sentences. For example, 
Deut. 21:1 and Ex. 24:14. The word spirit is used with "with" Numb. 14:24 
another spirit is with Caleb.
 
Kenneth Greifer
P. S. I think many quotes could be translated differently or have the Hebrew 
letters divided differently. If you would like to look at more quotes like 
this, you can go to my site http://www.messianicmistakes.com/