Isaiah 9:5[6]in the DSS, MT and the Targum Yonatan
By: Yosef Menachem
The Hebrew reads:
כִּי-יֶלֶד יֻלַד-לָנוּ בֵּן נִתַּן-לָנוּ וַתְּהִי הַמִּשְרָה עַל-שִכְמוֹ וַיִּקְרָא שְמוֹ פֶּלֶא יּוֹעֵץ אֵל גִּבּוֹר אֲבִיעַד שַר-שָלוֹם
Translation:
Isaiah 9:5. For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us; and the government is upon his shoulders and his name was called wonderful counselor, mighty G-d, eternal father, a peaceful ruler.
Targum Yonatan:
אַמַר נְבִיָא לְבֵית דָוִד אֲרֵי רָבֵי אִיתְיְלִיד לָנָא בַּר אִתְיְהַב לָנָא וְקַבֵּל אוֹרַיְתָא עֲלוֹהִי לְמַטְרָהּ וְאִתְקְרֵי שְמֵיהּ מִן קַדָם מַפְלִיא עֵצָה אֳלָהָא גִבָּרָא קַיָם לְעַלְמַיָא מְשִיחָא דִשְלָמָא יַסְגֵי עֲלָנָא בְּיוֹמוֹהִי
Translation:
The Prophet said to the House of David, For a Child is born to us, to us a son is given; and he will accept the Torah upon himself to observe it, and his name shall be called before the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty G-d, who exists forever, "The anointed one in who's days peace will increase upon us."
Great Isaiah Scroll(1QIsa):
כִי יֶלֶד יוּלַד לָנוּ בֵּן נִתַּן לָנוּ וַתְּיִי הַמִּשְׂוּרָה עַל שִכְמוֹ וְקָרָא שְמוֹ פֶלֶא יּוֹעֵצ אֵל גִבּוֹר אֲבִי עַד שַר הַשָלוֹם
Translation:
For a child has been born to us, a son is given to us. The government is upon his shoulders. His name will be called wonderful couselor, Mighty G-d, eternal father, the peaceful ruler.
The differences between the Dead Sea Scrolls version and the Masoretic text are apparent. The orthographical ones we can overlook as most likely the DSS preserving an ancient vocalization of הַמִּשְׂוּרָה versus that of הַמִּשְרָה andוַתְּהִי and וַתְּיִי in the Masoretic text versus the DSS respectively. My focus now would like to turn to a “tense” change between perfect and imperfect with a consecutive Vav. The Masoretic text displays what could arguably be a past tense reading with וַיִּקְרָא "he was called” but the DSS says וְקָרָא "he will be called.” also note that the Masoretic text does not separate the words אֲבִיעַד but the DSS does separate אֲבִי עַד. One last note to make is that final phrase. The DSS makes the phrase definite by saying שַר הַשָלוֹם "the peaceful ruler” while the Masoretic text does not. These is is the verse from three different sources at your fingertip hope it helps in your interpretation.
