This verse contains a variety of problems for the translator involving both text and interpretation. The first is to decide how to break up the string of words into smaller units. The first three words of the Hebrew (massaʾ devar YHWH) occur together not only here, but also in 12.1 and Mal 1.1, and nowhere else in the Old Testament. In terms of the discourse structure, it seems best to treat these words as an introductory formula in all three places, though it is not certain whether it consists of one phrase or two. Unfortunately Revised Standard Version (with a large number of other modern versions) separates only the first word massaʾ both here and at 12.1, and treats it alone as a heading. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh (with the support of the Septuagint) treats the three words together as a formula and translates “A pronouncement: The word of the LORD,” and this is a clearer reflection of the discourse function of the formula. However, it does create a problem in that the following clause is then left with no clear subject. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh solves this problem by continuing with “He will reside in the land of Hadrach and Damascus,” where “He” is the LORD.
Other versions both ancient and modern take the three Hebrew words together as one phrase, and interpret it as the subject of the following clause. For instance, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente has “This message from the LORD concerns the region of Hadrach and the city of Damascus” (compare Vulgate). This solution is good provided that the translator can use a similar expression at least at Zech 12.1, and thus preserve the discourse connection between 9.1 and 12.1, as Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente does. Contemporary English Version is similar, but has a colon at the end of this introductory statement (“This is a message from the LORD:”). Translators are advised to follow this interpretation. Although the most desirable choice would be to translate massaʾ devar YHWH the same way in all three places where it occurs, the different grammatical contexts may make this impossible. Translators should at least try to make the three places similar enough that readers can recognize that there is a link between them.
An Oracle: This means an authoritative message from God. The word of the LORD is often rendered as “the LORD’s message” (Good News Translation; similarly Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Good News Translation has a separate sentence with a colon (“This is the LORD’s message:”), and the message that follows begins on a new line (similarly Contemporary English Version).
Is against the land of Hadrach: It is doubtful whether the Hebrew preposition translated against in Revised Standard Version and some other versions really carries this meaning. The Hebrew word usually means “in,” and is so translated by Revised English Bible. If against were the meaning intended, it is likely that another preposition which carries this meaning more clearly would have been used. The use of against here is particularly unfortunate because it conveys the impression that this paragraph is solely a message of judgment, which it is not. Although the word against does not occur in Good News Translation, Good News Translation shows that it shares the same interpretation by saying that the LORD “has decreed punishment for the land of Hadrach.” The verdict of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project is that a more neutral interpretation is desirable, and we agree with this, especially in the light of the second part of the verse. Translations such as Jerusalem Bible “Yahweh has passed through the land of Hadrach” and New English Bible “He has come to…” are based on changes to the Hebrew text which are unnecessary, and have been abandoned by New Jerusalem Bible and Revised English Bible. The land of Hadrach is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, and its exact location is unknown. Archeological evidence suggests that it was somewhere in the same general area as the city of Damascus, that is, to the north of Israel.
And will rest upon Damascus: The Hebrew word translated rest upon is actually a noun, and is rendered as such in Jerusalem Bible “Damascus is his dwelling place.” It does not suggest a hostile encounter between the LORD and the city, and this helps to confirm that the LORD is not hostile to Hadrach in the previous phrase. The Hebrew word may indicate a temporary rather than a permanent stay, and this idea is shown in New American Bible “Damascus is its resting place” and Revised English Bible “it alights on Damascus.” Possible alternative translation models for the first part of the verse are: “A declaration of the LORD’s message: He will stay in the land of Hadrach and the city of Damascus” and “This is a message from the LORD:….”
For to the LORD belong the cities of Aram, even as all the tribes of Israel: This clause also contains problems both of text and of interpretation. Revised Standard Version, as its footnote indicates, makes two changes to the Hebrew text to get its rendering. For the cities of Aram, the Hebrew text actually has words that mean either “the eye of Adam” or “the eye of man,” since the Hebrew word ʾadam may be either the name of an individual or a common noun meaning “man” (Revised Standard Version footnote) or “humankind” (New Revised Standard Version footnote). Revised Standard Version takes the text as cities instead of “eye”; and it renders Aram (that is, Syria) instead of “Adam.” The difference between the letters “d” and “r” in Hebrew is very small. Revised Standard Version makes good sense with the overall message that Syria belongs to the LORD just as much as Israel does. However, there is no support for its changes in manuscripts or in ancient versions, and this rendering does not fit well with against in the earlier part of the verse. New Revised Standard Version retains only one of the two changes to the Hebrew (“Aram” for “Adam”). New Revised Standard Version and Revised English Bible keep the Hebrew word “eye,” but interpret it figuratively to mean “the capital of Aram,” that is, Damascus (so Good News Translation). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project reject both proposed changes, and discourse considerations support this, as the word “eye” occurs again at the end of the paragraph in verse 8.
Even if translators retain the Hebrew word for “eye” here however, they still have to decide how to interpret the whole clause in which it occurs, literally “to the LORD the eye of Adam/mankind.” This is often taken to mean that “all people will look to the LORD” (Revised Version text, New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Living Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 2. Edition, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). However, it could also mean that the LORD looks on all mankind (Revised Version footnote, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1. Edition). This meaning is paralleled by the idea of the LORD looking at his people in verse 8, and is probably the best option, though the interpretation that has people looking to the LORD offers both an acceptable sense in the immediate context and a reasonable balance to verse 8. So there are two possible translations: “for the LORD has his eye on humankind” or “for people everywhere look to the LORD.”
The words even as do not correspond to anything in the Hebrew, but almost all translations supply them or something similar. New Jerusalem Bible has “… belongs to Yahweh no less than all the tribes of Israel.” Bible en français courant has “… not only on the tribes of Israel but also all human beings.”
In the light of the above discussions, translation models for this verse are:
• A declaration of the LORD’s message: The LORD will stay in the land of Hadrach and in Damascus. Indeed, he has his eye on all mankind as on all the tribes of Israel.
• An announcement of the LORD’s message: The LORD will stay in the land of Hadrach and in the city of Damascus. Indeed, people everywhere, not just all the tribes of Israel, look to him.
The first possibility seems somewhat preferable.
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .