Study Notes for Zechariah
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:1–8:23 Oracles and Visions. The lengthy vision sequence (1:7–6:15) dominates the first half of the book. It is punctuated by an oracle of restoration (2:6–13) after the third vision and concluded by the identification of the high priest Joshua as the pivotal agent of renewal (6:9–15). In the company of the angelic guide, the prophet (and the reader) encounters several tightly interwoven elements: the supernatural agents of God’s will, natural powers as tools of the divine plan, the identification and equipping of the community’s divinely appointed leaders, and the consistent plea for God’s people to repent and cooperate with God’s saving actions. In short, God is moving, and the whole of creation is affected. This awareness of heavenly realities now reflected in human affairs was to become the hallmark of later apocalyptic literature. Chapter 7 attends to the ethical state of the community. The trauma and triumph of Zion’s restoration frame the whole (1:1–6; 8:1–23), as it also does in the second half of the book (cf. 9:9–13; 14:16–21).
Dates of the Oracles in Zechariah
View this chart online at http://kindle.esvsb.org/c119
| Reference |
Date |
|
|
1:1
|
eighth month of the second year of Darius |
October/November 520 B.C. |
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1:7
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24th day of the 11th month (Shebat) of the second year of Darius |
February 15, 519 |
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7:1
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fourth day of the ninth month (Kislev) of the fourth year of Darius |
December 7, 518 |
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:1–6 Introduction: Return to Me and I Will Return to You. After the exile, God invites his people to renew their commitment to him.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:1 The second year of Darius is 520 B.C., a time when stability was returning to the Persian Empire after a period of internal unrest. Interest in the old prophecies was stirred by the rebuilding work beginning on the temple under the preaching of Haggai, who had begun his ministry two months earlier. Zechariah’s name means “Yahweh remembered.”
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:2–3 The LORD was very angry with their fathers (v. 2), the generations whose sins caused the exile. Yet that need not be the Lord’s attitude to this generation: if they would return to the Lord, then he would return to them in favor and blessing (v. 3).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:6 Their forefathers ignored the words of the Lord’s prophets and paid the price of God’s judgment. Even the prophets themselves died. Yet the Lord’s words and statutes that he spoke through the prophets were effective in bringing their threatened judgment. Now they also bore fruit in the response of the new generation, who repented (lit., “returned”) and confessed the justice of the Lord’s judgments. This is the foundation for the following visions, which speak of the Lord’s returning to his people.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:7–6:15 Eight Night Visions and a Sign-act. The eight visions that follow were all received in a single night shortly before the new year, a date often associated in the ancient Near East with temple building.
Zechariah’s Visions
View this chart online at http://kindle.esvsb.org/c120
| Vision |
Passage |
Content Summary |
Zechariah’s Question(s) to the Messenger |
Promise/Outcome |
| 1 |
1:7–17
|
Vision of horsemen who “patrol the earth” and report the condition of the earth; the Lord promises to build his house in Jerusalem |
What are these, my lord? (v. 9) |
The Lord is jealous for Jerusalem and promises that his house will be built there and that the Lord’s cities will overflow with prosperity |
| 2 |
1:18–21
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Vision of four horns and four craftsmen: the horns have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen come to terrify and cast down the horns |
What are these? (v. 19) What are these coming to do? (v. 21) |
The craftsmen will cast down those who have oppressed Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem |
| 3 |
2:1–13
|
Vision of a man with a measuring line in his hand who comes to measure Jerusalem |
Where are you going? (v. 2) |
Jerusalem will be inhabited, and the Lord will be in the midst of his people |
| 4 |
3:1–10
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Vision of Joshua the high priest and the removal of his iniquity as the representative of the people |
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Joshua the priest will rule the Lord’s house and courts, and the coming of “my servant the Branch” is promised |
| 5 |
4:1–14
|
Vision of a lampstand and two olive trees |
What are these, my lord? (v. 4) What are these two olive trees … ? (v. 11) |
The rebuilding of the temple is charged to Zerubbabel and Joshua and will occur by the power of the Lord |
| 6 |
5:1–4
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Vision of a flying scroll |
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Covenant curses will come upon the covenant breaker, e.g., the one who steals and the one who swears falsely |
| 7 |
5:5–11
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Vision of a woman in the basket (ephah), later carried away by two women |
What is it? (v. 6) Where are they taking the basket? (v. 10) |
“Wickedness”—symbolized by the presence of the woman—will be removed to Babylon (Shinar) |
| 8 |
6:1–8
|
Vision of four chariots pulled by strong horses: red, black, white, dappled |
What are these, my lord? (v. 4) |
The chariots and horses go north (black and white) and south (dappled) to “patrol the earth” |
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:7–17 Vision One: The Lord’s Hidden Horsemen. In his first vision, Zechariah sees horsemen, who report to God the condition of the earth and prompt the angel of the Lord to intercede for Jerusalem.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:8 The first vision concerns a man riding on a red horse, accompanied by others on red, sorrel, and white horses. In Hebrew “red” is actually a conventional color for a horse (dark chestnut), while “sorrel” is a lighter brown. These normal horses are concealed among the myrtle trees (evergreens that provide plenty of foliage for cover) in the glen (a deep valley or ravine).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:10–11 These horsemen, whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth (v. 10), are his “special operations” forces, not human beings (who could not quickly inspect the whole earth) but angels engaged in secret observation of the world to provide up-to-date and accurate intelligence information for the Lord. Their report states that all the earth remains at rest (v. 11).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:12 For the nations to be at rest while the Lord’s people have no rest is a reversal of the proper order. The angel of the LORD, God’s personal representative, therefore intercedes with the Lord to bring to an end the seventy years of judgment (see note on Jer. 25:11).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:13–14 gracious and comforting words. The Lord’s response was positive, and Zechariah was commissioned to spread the good news. The Lord’s jealousy toward Jerusalem and Zion was aroused: this covenantal language implies not merely an emotional change but action in their favor. Though the Lord’s anger had been aroused against his own people by their sin (v. 2) and he had summoned the nations to judge them, now it was the turn of the nations to feel the Lord’s wrath.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:17 Since his people had returned to him (v. 6), now the Lord was returning to them. The temple (“my house,” v. 16) would be rebuilt and the covenantal blessing of prosperity would flow out from it. The Lord would again choose Jerusalem as the place of his dwelling with his people.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 1:18–21 Vision Two: Judah’s Oppressors Oppressed. The second vision describes four horns (v. 18), which are symbols of military strength. “Four” symbolizes the totality of world powers responsible for the scattering of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem (v. 19). Interpreters differ on the precise identity of these four. The view taken here is that they represent (1) the Assyrians, who exiled the northern kingdom in 722 B.C.; (2) the Babylonians, who exiled Judah and Jerusalem in 586; (3) the Persians, who were their current overlords; and (4a) Greece, by prophetic prediction (see 9:13), or (4b) all other earthly powers that would attack Israel. Another view, commonly held, is that they represent the same kingdoms as those mentioned in Daniel 2 and 7 (Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome). A third view is that no specific kingdoms are in view, but “four” represents all the national enemies of Israel, who would come from the north (Assyria, Babylon, Samaria), south (Egypt), east (Ammon and Moab), and west (or southwest: Philistia). These nations had scattered (Zech. 1:21) God’s people for their sins, just as the covenant curse of Lev. 26:33 had threatened. The result was that they were bowed down under their oppressors’ feet, unable to raise their head. The punishment of the horns fits their crime: those who raised horns against Judah will have their horns cast down by four craftsmen (Zech. 1:20), who represent other nations that will cut off the horns of Israel’s tormentors and disturb their rest. The Abrahamic covenant promise to curse those who dishonor Abraham and his offspring (Gen. 12:3) is still in force.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 2:1–13 Vision Three: Jerusalem Unwalled. In this vision Zechariah anticipates a renewed Jerusalem, so full of people that it overspreads its walls. It will attract those Jews who remain in exile, as well as countless Gentiles.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 2:1 The third vision is of a man with a measuring line in his hand. The focus of this vision is on the future size of the restored city, in contrast to its present unimpressive state.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 2:5 Jerusalem will be so large that it will need to be “without walls” (v. 4) because of the numbers of people and animals within it. Yet the lack of a wall will not leave Jerusalem insecure: the Lord himself will provide a wall of fire around it, reminiscent of the cherubim and flaming sword that protected the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24) and of the “horses and chariots of fire” that protected Elisha (2 Kings 6:17). The glory of God that had earlier inhabited the tabernacle and temple (Ex. 40:34; 2 Chron. 7:1), and had abandoned it before the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (Ezekiel 10), would return to inhabit the entire city (see Ezekiel 43).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 2:6–7 Flee from the land of the north. In view of the return of the Lord’s glory to Jerusalem and his coming judgment on their former rulers (1:18–20), those still in exile in Babylon should escape from there and return to Zion, the home of the temple.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 2:8 The Hebrew in v. 8 is difficult to understand: it could be rendered “he sent me after glory” (see esv footnote) or after his glory sent me. The rendering in the esv text is suggested by the parallel clause found at the end of v. 9. Zechariah is thus alluding to his commission as a prophet (cf. Isa. 6:1–5; Ezek. 1:28) as he prepares to fulfill that role. His message is that the Lord is about to bring judgment on those who plundered his people (cf. Ezek. 39:25–29). Though once he brought the nations in judgment on Judah, now whoever assaults the Lord’s people assaults the apple of his eye, that is, the pupil, one of the most sensitive parts of the anatomy.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 2:9 The Lord will shake his hand over Judah’s oppressors, thereby giving a signal for their destruction by their former slaves (cf. Isa. 13:2), and the implication of the Hebrew is that this is imminent (“about to shake”). These events would authenticate the validity of the prophet’s words.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 2:10 The instruction to sing and rejoice is paralleled in the Psalms at the conjunction of divine justice (Ps. 35:27; cf. Prov. 29:6) and divine presence (Ps. 90:14). The dramatic return of the Lord to inhabit his rebuilt house is cause for praise for those who have returned to Judah.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 2:11 The nations too will come and join themselves to (enter covenant with) the LORD in that day (see Isa. 56:3–5; Jer. 50:3). The result will be Jews and Gentiles together in one nation, my people, with the Lord dwelling in their midst (cf. Eph. 2:13–16).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 2:12 Though the nations will come to worship the Lord, Judah and Jerusalem will still be his chosen portion.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 2:13 Since the Lord has roused himself from his holy dwelling, a hushed and reverent awe should descend on all flesh (cf. Hab. 2:20).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 3:1–10 Vision Four: The Reclothing of Joshua. Here Zechariah sees Joshua, the high priest, allowed to represent the people before God and called to live faithfully, with the assurance that God is preserving his people for the messianic Branch.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 3:1 The fourth vision is located in the heavenly courtroom, where the angel of the LORD is seated as the judge. Joshua the high priest, one of the leaders of the returned exiles (Hag. 1:1; spelled “Jeshua” in Ezra and Nehemiah), is the defendant, and Satan, whose name means “the Accuser” or “the Adversary,” is the prosecutor.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 3:2 The Lord’s rebuke of Satan provides the most likely basis for the reflection on the nature of spiritual authority in 2 Pet. 2:11 (cf. Jude 9).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 3:3 Satan has a very strong case, for Joshua was not merely clothed with filthy garments but, more precisely, clothed in garments soiled with excrement, which would automatically defile the wearer. Joshua’s defilement posed a severe problem for the people, since he was the intermediary through whom their own defilement was to be removed on the Day of Atonement. Yet the Lord ruled Satan’s charges inadmissible before he could present them. The Lord’s election of Jerusalem and Joshua’s position as one “plucked from the fire” (v. 2; i.e., brought safely from the holocaust of exile) means that Joshua is free from any possible condemnation.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 3:4 The Lord also acts to cleanse Joshua from his iniquity. He commands his servants to remove the filthy garments, so removing Joshua’s iniquity, and to clothe Joshua in pure vestments, garments suitable for him to wear in the presence of the King of kings. Since the filthy garments represent iniquity, these “pure vestments” represent a new righteousness imputed to Joshua.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 3:5 Zechariah requests that the reclothing be completed by placing a clean turban on Joshua’s head, an act that has overtones of glory and royalty (Isa. 3:23; 62:3). Joshua’s reclothing in ceremonially pure festival garments in the presence of the angel of the LORD is a sign of God’s gracious acceptance of him and of the people he represented.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 3:7 Joshua is charged with a task and granted a promise. The Lord commanded him to walk in my ways and keep my charge, language that describes faithful behavior within a covenant context. If he did these things, then he would also rule my house and have charge of my courts, which involved ensuring that the worship in the temple was undefiled by idolatry (cf. Ezek. 44:23–24). Joshua would also receive the right of access among those who are standing here, that is, in the heavenly council gathered before the Lord. The Lord would not be silent or distant from his people any longer.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 3:8–9 The promise of divine attentiveness in the present was a shadow of greater things to come. Joshua and his friends, the priestly class, were men who are a sign: their very existence after the exile was an indication of God’s commitment to bless his people (v. 8). The future held an even greater blessing, the coming of my servant the Branch (v. 8), which would result in the complete and instantaneous removal of the iniquity of this land (v. 9). “The Branch” refers back to the prophecies of Jeremiah. The Lord had declared in Jer. 22:30 that none of Jehoiachin’s seed would sit on his throne, yet in Jer. 23:5 he nonetheless promised to raise up a righteous “Branch” for David (i.e., the Messiah), who would reign with justice and establish salvation for his people. The engraved stone was probably part of the high priest’s clothing, a gemstone with seven “facets” (esv footnote) fastened to the turban and inscribed with an inscription (Zech. 3:9). A similar ornament on Aaron’s turban was engraved with the words “Holy to the LORD,” which enabled Aaron to bear the iniquity of the people before the Lord (Ex. 28:36–38).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 3:10 The coming Branch would definitively remove the “iniquity of this land,” resulting in the blessing of restored fertility and peace for the land. As at the height of the Solomonic Empire, each man would invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree (1 Kings 4:25; Mic. 4:4).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:1–14 Vision Five: The Olive Trees and the Lampstand. Zechariah sees lamps on a golden lampstand, a symbol of God’s watchfulness and power to fulfill his promises to David’s house (represented by Zerubbabel).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:2 The fifth vision consisted of a solid gold lampstand flanked by “two olive trees” (v. 3). A “lampstand” (menorah) is almost always a ritual object, especially one made of gold: there was a single golden lampstand in the tabernacle (Ex. 25:31–40) and 10 in Solomon’s temple (2 Chron. 4:7, 20). The lampstand supported a bowl, which served as a reservoir for the oil. Arranged around the bowl were seven lamps, each of which had seven lips (i.e., “spouts”). Individual seven-spouted lamps have been uncovered by archaeologists, but the combination of seven around a single bowl is unmatched. The result would be 49 wicks to give light, a kind of “super-menorah.”
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:4 Zechariah asked the angel, “What are these, my lord?” and he responded with an oracle explaining the message of the vision.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:6 The oracle is addressed to Zerubbabel, the governor, who along with Joshua the high priest had been charged by the prophet Haggai with the task of rebuilding the temple (Ezra 5:2; Hag. 1:1). God’s word to him is a reminder that the obstacles that face him in the rebuilding task will not be overcome by conventional resources of might or power. Instead, the resources will come from an outpouring of God’s Spirit (see Hag. 2:5).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:7 With that assurance of divine aid, the great mountain of difficulties that stands in the way of rebuilding, whether practical, political, or spiritual, is cut down to size. All these obstacles will become a plain in front of Zerubbabel (cf. Isa. 40:4).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:9 As Zerubbabel began the work when he laid the foundation, so he would bring it to completion when he brought out the “top stone” (v. 7), or capstone, of the building. The people would respond to Zerubbabel’s action by invoking God’s blessing upon the building, with shouts of “Grace, grace” (v. 7); its completion would vindicate the prophet’s authenticity.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:10a The growth of the building begun under Zerubbabel would be a challenge to those who thought of their times as a day of small things. God’s work may start in small and unobtrusive ways, yet reach a glorious conclusion (Matt. 13:31–32).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:10b A number of the vision’s details remain to be clarified. The seven lamps on top of the lampstand are the eyes of the LORD, representing his watchfulness and awareness of everything that is going on through the whole earth. This watchfulness results in blessing for his faithful people (see 2 Chron. 16:9).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:11–12 Some of the details of how the two olive trees (v. 11) on either side of the lampstand are connected to it are obscure. Whatever the precise nature of the branches and the golden pipes, their function is to transmit olive oil from the inexhaustible source of the two olive trees to the bowl of the lampstand, ensuring that the lamps will never go out.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 4:14 The two olive trees are the two anointed ones (Hb. bene hayyitshar; “sons of new oil,” esv footnote). Yitshar indicates “new oil,” one of the marks of the fertility that flows from God’s blessing (Hag. 1:11). These trees are thus characterized by endless fertility, which means unlimited amounts of oil for the lampstand, and they stand by the Lord of the whole earth as members of his heavenly court. Most interpreters think these two represent Zerubbabel (the governor, who was descended from David) and Joshua (the high priest). They stand in the Lord’s presence and receive his favor and protection. Other possibilities are that they represent Haggai and Zechariah, who as prophets had entrance into the heavenly deliberations; or the angels, who act as God’s agents in supplying unlimited divine assistance to the restored temple.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 5:1–4 Vision Six: The Flying Scroll—Wickedness Judged. The sixth vision is of a gigantic scroll, 30 feet by 15 feet (9.1 m by 4.6 m), flying in midair. Its dimensions are those of a large billboard, suggesting that the scroll is unrolled so that its fearful contents may be read. The scroll is a covenant document, written on both sides, like the tablets Moses received from the Lord in Ex. 32:15. Its task is to bring the covenant curses to bear on covenant breakers, using everyone who steals and everyone who swears falsely as representative examples (Zech. 5:3). Theft was a sin against one’s fellow man, while swearing falsely was an offense to God, since the oath was taken in the Lord’s name (v. 4). All covenant breakers will be cleaned out (v. 3) from the community by God’s covenant curse. It will enter the house of the covenant breaker and consume it (v. 4), no matter what building materials have been used.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 5:5–11 Vision Seven: The Flying Ephah—Wickedness Removed. This vision symbolically describes iniquity’s being removed from the land and taken off to Shinar.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 5:6–7 The seventh vision is closely linked to the sixth, adding deportation to the threat of destruction. The prophet saw a basket (v. 6), or ephah, about three-fifths of a bushel. Inside this small container was their iniquity in all the land (v. 6), personified as a woman (v. 7). She was trapped in the basket by a circular leaden cover (v. 7) weighing roughly 75 pounds (34 kg).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 5:8 Wickedness personified in female form may represent an idolatrous image of a female deity, perhaps Asherah, and is a comprehensive term for all kinds of sin, both religious and social (Deut. 9:4; 2 Chron. 22:2–3). It is also possible that the woman represents foreign wives (see Ezra 9; Neh. 13:23–27). The two issues were connected, since foreign wives often led the Israelites into idolatry (Neh. 13:26). Yet the vision includes nothing less than the removal of all iniquity from the land (see Zech. 3:9). The angel was careful that the woman did not escape. He thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening. There is no danger of the situation’s getting out of control. Wickedness exists under the power and authority of God.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 5:9 The wickedness that has been personified in female shape was removed by two women with the wind (Hb. ruakh), the divine agency of motion, in their wings. They have wings like the wings of a stork, a large bird that migrates northward from Palestine each year, traveling in the same direction as the basket. There is no consensus among interpreters regarding any other symbolic significance of these women. They are God’s messengers, perhaps angels or other heavenly beings. (If angels, this would be the only place in Scripture where angels are portrayed as women rather than as men.)
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 5:11 The basket of wickedness was to be transported to a new location in the land of Shinar (Babylon), where a house, or temple, would be built for it. All the idolaters would thus be removed, along with the object of their idolatry, to a safe distance from whence they would never again return to trouble God’s people by their wickedness.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:1–8 Vision Eight: The Lord’s Army on the Move. Zechariah sees four chariots, symbolic of God’s power ruling over all the earth.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:1–3 The eighth vision is clearly similar to the first. Zechariah saw four chariots (v. 1) with horses of different colors: red, black (v. 2), white, and dappled (v. 3). On red horses, see note on 1:8. The chariots were going out from between two mountains … of bronze (6:1), whose color reflects a shining appearance. Chariots were the ancient equivalent of tanks, the key symbol of military power. These chariots were pulled by strong horses (v. 3), and there were four of them, the number of completeness. The heavenly army is finally on the move.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:5 The interpreting angel explains that the chariots represent the four winds of heaven, stressing the universality of their range: nowhere in the world is outside their reach. The Hebrew word for “wind” (Hb. ruakh) is the same as that for “spirit,” so these winds also represent the agency of divine power at work in the world (cf. 5:9).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:6 The “chariots” went in different directions: the white and the black horses went to the north country, while the dappled ones went to the south country. The red horses were not included in the commission, perhaps being held in reserve. Judah’s main enemies always came from the north (Babylon, Assyria, Persia) or the south (Egypt), since to the west is the Mediterranean Sea and to the east is the desert.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:7 The strong horses (with their chariots) moved out at the divine command to patrol the earth, asserting and imposing God’s sovereign rule over the whole world. The prime target was “the north country,” Babylon, which was the objective assigned to two of the four chariots.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:8 Victory is easily accomplished, and God’s Spirit (Hb. ruakh) is set … at rest in the north country, the former home of his enemies. This implies the full and final defeat of those opposed to God (cf. Deut. 12:10).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:9–15 A Sign-act: The Crowning of Joshua. This oracle looks forward to the successful building of the temple.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:11 Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest is to be crowned with a crown of silver and gold in a symbolic action. The composite crown reflects the expectation of Hag. 2:8 that both of these elements would come to the temple from afar and fill it with glory. The resources for the sign-act are provided by those “who have arrived from Babylon” (Zech. 6:10), underlining the place of the exiles in the future of the community.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:12 Joshua is to be crowned as a symbol of the reality to come, the Branch, a reference to Jer. 33:15. Zechariah reiterates Jeremiah’s promise of a coming king who will flourish and branch out and build the temple of the LORD and will bear royal honor, reflecting the authority and legitimacy of the king’s rule.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:13 The coming king will sit on his throne, with a priest also seated on a throne (perhaps next to him). As in Jeremiah 33, the continuance of the Davidic monarchy and the Levitical priesthood are intertwined. The king is necessary to rebuild the temple, while the Levitical priests stand before the Lord in that renewed temple, offering sacrifices (Jer. 33:18). Between them both, the future king and the future priest, there will be a counsel of peace, and flowing from the peace and harmony between these two offices will be peace and blessing for the nation.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:14 The oracle ends with the named exiles, underlining their present responsibilities. Two of the names are slightly different, perhaps nicknames. The crown is to be stored in the temple of the LORD as a reminder for the Lord (cf. Ex. 30:11–16; Num. 10:9–10) and as an assurance, for the people, of God’s determination to act.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 6:15 Those who are still far off will help those already in Jerusalem to build the temple of the LORD. Some interpreters think these represent Jews still in exile who will come to help; others think they represent future help from Gentiles in building the temple. They must continue diligently to obey the voice of the LORD their God, as they began to do in Hag. 1:12.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 7:1–8:23 From Fasts to Feasts. This section mentions fasts that commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem, which will be transformed into feasts celebrating its renewal. The renewal gives the people another chance to exhibit a society of justice and love, and to be the vehicle by which light comes to all the world.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 7:1–14 Ritual or Reality. Like the former prophets before him, Zechariah emphasizes that ritual without obedience and justice is empty.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 7:1 The ninth month of the fourth year of King Darius is two years after Zechariah’s earlier prophecies, December 518 B.C., after the ceremony to reestablish the temple but before its completion. The month Chislev overlaps with November/December (see The Hebrew Calendar).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 7:2–3 Sharezer and Regem-melech came from Bethel (v. 2) in the north with an inquiry addressed to the priests and the prophets (v. 3). The dual address may be because the question dealt with an issue of ritual to which there was no obvious answer in the law given to Moses. Weeping and abstaining from food and other luxuries were ritual acts of mourning aimed at demonstrating repentance and thereby changing God’s disposition toward the penitent (see 2 Sam. 12:21–22). The fifth month (Zech. 7:3) was the month in which the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar nearly 70 years earlier. Now that the temple was being rebuilt, it was natural to question whether there was any need to observe the rite any longer.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 7:5 Zechariah’s ruling applied not simply to the petitioners but to all the inhabitants of the land, and also included the fast observed in the seventh month commemorating the assassination of Gedaliah (Jer. 41:1–3). seventy years. See note on Jer. 25:11.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 7:7 The South is the area to the south of Jerusalem, around Beersheba, while the lowland is to the west of Jerusalem. Though the original inquiry reflected a ritual concern, the Lord’s response asks a deeper question: “When you fasted and mourned, was it really out of a concern over the loss of my favor? If you stop fasting and return to normal eating and drinking, does that mean an abandonment of that concern?” If the people had learned the lesson that the destruction of the temple was intended to teach, and had truly repented and turned from their sins, then they could stop fasting. The temple was being rebuilt. But if they have simply been fasting for themselves all along, then their fasting was a waste of time.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 7:9–10 The test of true repentance is a life of obedience to God, specifically, true judgments that show kindness and mercy (v. 9) to the widow and fatherless, the sojourner and the poor (v. 10). These naturally disadvantaged groups in society were easy targets for the strong to oppress. This concern for the weaker members of society was what the Lord had required of his people in the former days, before Jerusalem’s fall.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 7:12 The law and the words of the former prophets were the two parallel means of God’s communicating his will to his people, through the priests and prophets. Yet former generations “refused to pay attention” (v. 11) to God’s self-revelation. They turned their backs on the Lord, closing their ears and hardening their hearts, thus incurring his anger (1:2).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 7:14 The Lord’s judgment came upon his people like a whirlwind, scattering them among nations that they had not known. Fittingly, they themselves joined the ranks of the vulnerable classes that they had oppressed, and the land was left desolate.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:1–23 The Promise of the Future. God is renewing his presence with his people and reaffirming his purpose to bless the nations through them.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:3 The somber word of judgment on the former generation is not the end of the story. The time of judgment for God’s chosen city is reaching an end, and there will be a new beginning (1:14–16). God has returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. In the days ahead, Jerusalem will become the faithful city (cf. Isa. 1:26) and Zion would again be the holy mountain. For God’s return to the land to be a blessing, the people must also be transformed, so that the dwelling place of the true and holy God will be peopled by truth-telling, holy inhabitants.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:4 Old and young, male and female are depicted enjoying their natural habitat. Such an idyllic picture of opposite extremes implies peace and plenty for all ages and both sexes, with images of healthful play and relaxed rest that contrast dramatically with the slave labor, malnutrition, and starvation that had been the fate of former Jerusalem. Certainly, compared with their present impoverished circumstances, the future holds greater blessing.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:6 Such a transformation may seem a marvelous miracle to Zechariah’s hearers, but it is the sort of miracle that the Creator God of the universe does routinely.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:7 The Lord uses opposite extremes to underscore the comprehensiveness of his salvation: he will save his people from the east country (“the land of the sunrise”) and the west country (“the land where the sun sets”) and thus from everywhere in between.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:8 When the Lord returns to Jerusalem, all his people must likewise be brought in, so that the central relationship of the covenant between God and his people can be realized, and they can live together in faithfulness and in righteousness. The promise and they shall be my people, and I will be their God looks back to Jer. 31:33; 32:38; Ezek. 37:23, 27.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:9 The assurance of God’s transforming work is the basis for the people to be strong (cf. Hag. 2:3–9).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:12–13 With the reestablishment of the temple, the Lord’s attitude toward his people has changed. Before its rebuilding, travel was hazardous and agricultural labor was unrewarded. But now, after its reconstruction, there will be a sowing of peace (v. 12), resulting in the blessings of agricultural prosperity and security promised in the Sinai covenant (Lev. 26:4). Through the Lord’s sovereign act of salvation, the remnant of this people (Zech. 8:12), who encompass both the house of Judah and house of Israel (v. 13), will receive the peace that unfaithful Israel never possessed. As a result, their name will be transformed from use as a byword of cursing among the nations into a formula of blessing (v. 13), fulfilling the Lord’s purpose for them (Gen. 12:2).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:15 As surely as the Lord carried through his purpose to judge their disobedient forefathers, so certainly the Lord has planned good things for this new generation. The Lord’s commitment to bless them should have a twofold impact: it should free them from fear and motivate them to lives of new obedience toward one another in truth, justice, and grace.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:19 Formerly, the people fasted in the fourth month, when the walls of Jerusalem were breached (2 Kings 25:3–4; Jer. 39:2; 52:6–7); in the fifth, when the city fell (Jer. 52:12–15); in the seventh, when Gedaliah was assassinated (2 Kings 25:25; Jer. 41:1–3); and in the tenth, when the siege of the city first began (2 Kings 25:1; Ezek. 24:1–2). Yet in the days ahead, these fast days would be turned to feast days, seasons of joy and gladness, celebrating the salvation and transformation that the Lord had accomplished for them. In view of this, the people are called to love truth and peace: “love” implies commitment and devotion rather than being simply an emotional response.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:20–22 This blessing will extend beyond Jerusalem and Judah to include others as well, the inhabitants of many cities (v. 20). Like the people of Bethel in 7:2, they will come to Jerusalem to entreat the favor of the LORD (8:21). It will extend beyond God’s own people to include the Gentiles: Many peoples and strong nations shall come (v. 22).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 8:23 Ten men represents a complete group from the nations of every tongue who recognize that God is with his people and therefore who come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord. This prophecy found its fulfillment on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:1–14:21 The Return of the King. Reference to the surrounding nations in 8:20–23 and 9:1–8 links the book’s main parts (chs. 1–8 and chs. 9–14). In the second half of the book, visions recede as does interest in Joshua and Zerubbabel as the named leaders of the community. These latter chapters comprise two blocks of oracles, both introduced as the “oracle of the word of the LORD” (9:1; 12:1; cf. also Mal. 1:1). The twin themes of the purity of God’s people and the fidelity of their leaders—often termed “shepherds”—run throughout these oracles. The community and its leaders suffer turmoil: this turn to the Lord faces opposition, tearing at the fabric of society and the natural world. Ultimately, the jubilant “return of the king” (Zech. 9:9) issues in the triumph of God’s purposes and the restoration of God’s people now joined by all nations (14:9, 16; cf. 8:20–23), for salvation belongs to the Lord (12:7).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:1–11:17 The First Oracle: Leaders and Their People. Judgment on Jerusalem’s neighbors contributes to its security (9:1–8), but the arrival of a saving king completes it (9:9–17). While this remains the community’s only hope, it still must recover from destructive leaders (10:1–12) who themselves come under judgment (11:1–17).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:1–17 The Return of the King. Zechariah tells restored Judah that its current circumstances are only temporary: God will bring judgment on those who oppress his people, and will bring forth the promised king, who will rule Israel and the nations.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:1–8 The Divine Warrior Comes. Oracle. Cf. 12:1; Mal. 1:1. As in Zech. 1:12, the issue is the nations that are wrongfully at rest, and that will now be subject to the Lord’s judgment. The oracle starts with Hadrach (9:1), an area in northern Syria that encompassed Damascus and neighboring Hamath (v. 2), after which it moves south along the coast through Tyre and Sidon (v. 2) to four of the five cities of the Philistines: Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron (v. 5), and Ashdod (v. 6). In spite of all its natural resources, this whole region will experience the fiery judgment of God that will leave it desolate. Yet even from the destruction of those nations, a remnant (v. 7) will emerge who will attach themselves to the Lord and become part of his people (see 8:22–23). In this way, the Lord will eliminate any future threats to the peace and safety of his house (9:8) and his people. They will no longer have to fear that an oppressor (v. 8) would invade from the north, as they had so often in the past.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:8 for now I see with my own eyes. The Lord has now observed the severe affliction of his people, and he will act to deliver them. The mention of “eyes” ties the end of this oracle to the beginning, where the Lord’s “eye” was mentioned (v. 1).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:9–11 The King Enters Jerusalem. The coming king will bring peace for his people and for the nations.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:9 This campaign over Israel’s enemies would culminate in the triumphal entry of its king to Jerusalem. The people are summoned to acclaim their coming king. He is described as “righteous,” like the ideal ruler of Psalm 72. He will ensure God’s blessing on his people, thereby bringing about their “salvation.” He is also humble (cf. Deut. 17:18–20), hinting that this king is still obedient to the King of kings, and he comes riding on a donkey, the mount of one who comes to bring peace, not on the standard military mount, a horse. This prophecy famously finds its counterpart in Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when Jesus clearly signals his messianic identity. This verse is directly quoted at Matt. 21:5 and John 12:15, but both evangelists abbreviate the quotation. righteous and having salvation is he. As Jesus enters Jerusalem, this work is still to be accomplished. daughter of Zion. See note on 2 Kings 19:21.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:10 The Lord will bring to an end Israel’s need for the traditional instruments of war: chariot, war horse, and battle bow. The coming ruler will rule the whole earth, from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth, just as Ps. 72:8 anticipated. The result of his rule will be universal peace.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:11 The prisoners, those of God’s people remaining in exile, would be set free from the waterless pit (v. 11), a dry well that could be used as a temporary prison (see Gen. 37:24; Jer. 38:6). This salvation would come because of the blood of my covenant (Zech. 9:11), that is, the blood of the sacrifices offered to ratify the covenant (see Ex. 24:8). This blood testified to the seriousness of the covenant bond between God and his people. As a result of this hope, they should return to Jerusalem, their “stronghold” (Zech. 9:12; see 2:6–7), for the Lord had committed himself to “double” his people’s former prosperity (9:12; cf. Isa. 40:2).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:12–17 The King’s Enemies Destroyed and His People Redeemed. The prisoners of war are not the only ones who need to hear the news of the coming king. The day of those who are oppressing God’s people will soon be over. Instead of the breaking of threatening bows and removal of chariots, God will make his people themselves into a bow against their oppressors (v. 13). He will make Zion’s sons into a “warrior’s sword” (v. 13). The Lord will appear as the Divine Warrior, sounding the trumpet to advance, shooting his deadly arrow (v. 14), destroying and pouring out blood, just as it is poured out in the sacrificial ritual in which it drenches the altar. By destroying their enemies, he will rescue his people and shepherd his flock (v. 16). They will be “like the jewels of a crown” (v. 16), his treasured possession. They will never again go hungry and thirsty, but will receive the covenantal blessings of grain and new wine (v. 17).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:13 The oppressors of the sons of Zion (or Israel) are identified as the sons of Greece (v. 13). God promises to make Zion like a warrior’s sword, defeating the Greeks. This is best understood as a predictive prophecy regarding future events, much like the mention of “the king of Greece” in Dan. 8:21. Zechariah was writing between 520 and perhaps 480 B.C., but the Greek ruler Alexander the Great did not conquer Palestine until 333. Then the Jewish people did not successfully rebel against domination by the Seleucids (the Greek-speaking successors to Alexander’s rule) until the Maccabean period (the revolt was 166–160 B.C.; they gained full independence in 142). Some interpreters, not allowing the possibility of such predictive prophecy, see this as a later insertion added into the text, but there is no manuscript support for this idea, and it is not necessary. The name “Greece” (Hb. Yawan) was known at the time of Zechariah, for the Greeks had defeated the invading Persian armies of King Darius at the battle of Marathon in 490 B.C., but Greece was never an enemy of Israel or a conquering world power until Alexander the Great.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 9:15–16 tread down the sling stones. The reference is to stones hurled by slings in battle, but these stones are also a poetic representation of the enemies themselves. The army of Israel will simply trample on them and continue moving forward to conquer. By contrast, God’s people are immensely valuable, like the jewels of a crown.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 10:1–12 The Shepherds and the Flock. In this section Zechariah uses the image of Judah’s leaders as “shepherds”; the current leaders are unfaithful and greedy, and God must rescue his people from them.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 10:1–5 Judgment on Judah’s Shepherds. Those who currently lead Judah lead them astray, and must be replaced.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 10:1 In view of the Lord’s promise to provide the grain and new wine for his people (9:17), they should look to him in faith for “rain.” The Israelite agricultural economy was dependent on rain for its success, especially the spring rain. Since pagan gods such as Baal also claimed to make the storm clouds that controlled the rainfall, a crucial test of Israel’s faithfulness to the Lord was, from whom would they seek the rain?
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 10:2 In the past, the leaders sought help from the household gods, like those that Rachel stole from Laban (Gen. 31:34), or from pagan diviners. Yet these sources had yielded only empty consolation, and the people had been left leaderless, like sheep without a shepherd.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 10:3 The Lord’s anger was kindled against the leaders of his people, described as the shepherds and “male goats” (esv footnote; cf. Jer. 50:8), an image of abusive power (see Ezekiel 34). As a result, he would remove them and provide a new shepherd for his flock.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 10:4 The flock would be transformed from wandering sheep into a majestic warhorse, while the new leadership that the Lord would provide for them is described metaphorically as a cornerstone (the foundation around which a building was constructed; see Isa. 28:16), a tent peg (an image of solid stability; see Isa. 22:20–23), and a battle bow (representing military power; see Zech. 9:10). These images have royal associations, but the renovation of leadership extends down to the lower level of overseer (ruler; cf. 9:8, where these were Israel’s oppressors). These new leaders would be triumphant against all foes because of the Lord’s presence with them.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 10:6–12 The Restoration of the Flock. God will care for the remnant of both Judah and Ephraim, restoring them as his people after the exile.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 10:6 The Lord’s intervention for his people will result in their strengthening and deliverance. Whereas they were once like sheep without a shepherd, rejected by the Lord, he will now have compassion on them, completing the process of restoration begun when he brought Judah back from exile. This restoration will extend beyond Judah to include the house of Joseph, the northern kingdom, which was scattered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. When these people cry out to him in exile, he will answer them and bring them home, resulting in strength and joy for all of God’s people.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 10:7 Ephraim, as one of the most prominent and centrally located tribes, is named here as standing for the entire northern kingdom (cf. note on Hos. 4:17).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 10:8–12 As a shepherd whistles for his flock, the Lord will whistle for his people (v. 8), bringing them back from the nations where he scattered them. Earlier, he used the same signal to summon Egypt and Assyria (v. 10) to judge Israel (see Isa. 5:26; 7:18). Now it will be the signal for their restoration. This involves a second exodus, in which the Lord will pass through the sea of troubles (Zech. 10:11) and strike down the waves of the sea, representing all the forces of chaos arrayed against God’s people. The Lord will also gather his people from their more recent adversary, Assyria, bringing their bondage to an end. Egypt and Assyria are geographical opposites, with Egypt as the major military threat to the south of Israel and Assyria to the north. Both of these historical adversaries will be laid low by the Lord, when he restores his people to himself and brings them to the historical centers of fertility, Gilead and Lebanon (v. 10).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 11:1–17 The Shepherds and One Shepherd. Zechariah’s focus turns from the flock back to the shepherds. The fable of vv. 1–3 conveys impending destruction, but of what or whom? Interpreters differ on this question and on several details in the rest of this difficult section. The regions described may be the primary referent—just as Egypt and Assyria were in the preceding verses (cf. Ezek. 31:3)—in which case the metaphors anticipate the destruction following the fall of the shepherds of Judah (Zech. 11:3). The alternative view—that the metaphors portray the devastation of the shepherds themselves—is covered in the notes on ch. 11. From a plurality of shepherds, attention turns in vv. 4–17 to a single shepherd who, once appointed (vv. 4–7), acts briefly on behalf of the flock before abandoning them (vv. 8–14). He is equipped with two staffs, one symbolizing an international covenant (v. 10) and the other a national covenant between Judah and Israel (v. 14), both broken in succession. Verses 15–17 see the reappointment (once more, Hb. ‘od) of a foolish shepherd, whose carelessness results in the devastation of the flock and who thus stands condemned. The allusive and symbolic language poses problems for interpretation. Were the actions assigned to the shepherd carried out as sign-acts, or are the instructions more parable-like, themselves communicating the divine message? Who is the single shepherd who receives these instructions: simply Zechariah, or is a different figure envisaged in vv. 15–16? Is it possible, or desirable, to identify the three destroyed shepherds of v. 8? While one coherent line of interpretation is followed below, such questions occasion caution at the level of detail. They also have the effect of promoting the fundamental truths enshrined in the text: that the fate of the community for good or ill lies in God’s sovereign hands; that God reveals his will to his people; and that God’s agents remain responsible for their own actions in response to the divine word.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 11:1–3 Judgment on Judah’s Shepherds. The glory of Israel’s shepherds, the subjects of the Lord’s judgment in 10:3, will be brought low. They are pictured in three horticultural images as (1) massive cedar trees, for which Lebanon was famous (11:1); then as (2) the mighty oaks of Bashan (v. 2), a fertile region in the Transjordan; and then as (3) the lush thicket of the Jordan (v. 3). As glorious and prosperous as these trees are, they could be devoured by fire, or felled and brought low, or made worthless by the presence of a fierce lion; so too, Israel’s shepherds will lose their glory when the Lord acts to deliver his people.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 11:4–17 A Sign-act: The Shepherd Rescues His Flock but Is Rejected. Zechariah himself acts out the role of a shepherd whom the sheep come to detest, and who then leaves the flock to a worthless shepherd.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 11:4 These verses record a prophetic sign-act that Zechariah was instructed to perform. He was to become the shepherd to a flock symbolically described as doomed to slaughter, for neither their owners nor their shepherds cared about them as anything other than a means of acquiring wealth. This represented the Lord’s attitude toward his people in the past, abandoning them without pity to suffer abuse from their Persian overlords (their “king”) and their fellow citizens (their “neighbor,” v. 6).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 11:7 The reason for the Lord’s lack of compassion becomes clear as the sign-act unfolds. Zechariah tended his flock with the staffs, Favor and Union, symbolizing his positive intentions for them.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 11:8 In a very short period Zechariah removed three other shepherds and became the shepherd to this flock, symbolizing a complete purging of the defective leadership. Yet instead of developing a positive relationship between himself and his flock, he became impatient with them and they detested him. Interpreters have suggested many specific identifications of these three shepherds, but there is no consensus, and they probably represent either leaders well known to readers at that time (“the three shepherds”), or else leaders in general whom God has rejected.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 11:9 Zechariah resigned from his position, leaving the flock to devour itself.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 11:10 Zechariah broke his staff, Favor, breaking his covenant with the nations around Israel, leaving the flock exposed to their predation.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 11:12–13 Zechariah received as his pitifully inadequate wages thirty pieces of silver (v. 12), the price of a slave, which he rejected, throwing it to the potter (v. 13). This potter worked at the house of the LORD (v. 13), suggesting the Lord’s rejection of the temple activities as well.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 11:14 At this point, Zechariah broke the second staff, Union, destroying the unity between the northern and southern kingdoms of Judah and Israel.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 11:17 Zechariah then left the flock to the mercies of a worthless shepherd who would not care for the flock but would exploit it for his own benefit. This sign-act reverses the pictures of Ezekiel 34 and 37, in which the Lord promised to be Israel’s shepherd, judging their present bad shepherds and providing a good shepherd, a new David, to reunite his people. Instead, because of their failure to respond to the shepherd he provided, the Lord declares that they will be given over to false shepherds, returning to the situation that led up to the exile. The NT sees in the rejection of the shepherd by the flock and the pitifully inadequate wages a connection to the rejection and betrayal of Jesus (Matt. 27:3–10; John 10:25–27). Yet the handing over of the Lord’s people to a worthless shepherd cannot be the end of the story. The Lord will ultimately act to bring judgment on the worthless shepherd, striking his right eye and his arm, parts of the body essential to carrying out warfare and exerting control over the flock.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:1–14:21 The Second Oracle: The People and Their Leaders. In this last section of the book, hope for Judah is now tied explicitly to the “house of David” as various scenarios relating to the future of Jerusalem unfold, signaled by the distinctive phrase “on that day” (17 times in these chapters). The assertion of divine deliverance (12:1–9) is followed by its impact on different constituents within the community (12:10–13:9). Chapter 14 develops these themes in connection with the “day of the Lord,” so familiar throughout the Minor Prophets (see note on Amos 5:18–20).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:1–13:6 The Restoration and Renewal of God’s People. Not only will God protect his people, he will lead them to true repentance and will cleanse them from their sin and idolatry.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:1–9 Jerusalem’s Triumph and the Nations’ Doom. In time God will punish the nations that seek to harm Judah, and will elevate the house of David.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:1 The phrase The oracle of the word of the LORD marks this as beginning a new section in Zechariah’s prophecy (see 9:1; Mal. 1:1), describing the complete restoration and renewal of the Lord’s people. Foundational to that transformation is the identity of the Lord as the Creator of the universe and of humanity. As Creator, the Lord is able to re-create a new society out of the existing chaos. Because God does all this, his promises of judgment and redemption are sure, and can be trusted.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:2 Jerusalem will be the instrument of God’s judgment on the nations, a cup of staggering, i.e., a cup filled with intoxicating liquor whose consumption results in shame, disorientation, and destruction (cf. Jer. 25:15–29).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:3 The phrase on that day initiates a series of nine such statements, the last coming at 13:4. Although the phrase is common, such long sequences are rare, with the best parallel coming in Isa. 19:16–25. The Hebrew prophets’ future statements tend to have an imminent time frame, but these sequences look rather to a more distant temporal horizon, probably to be associated with “the day of the Lord.” Jerusalem will also become a heavy stone that will hurt (the same Hb. word in Lev. 21:5 has the more specific sense “cut”) the nations that try to move it.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:4 When the nations of the earth gather against Jerusalem, the Lord will strike their elite cavalry troops with blindness and panic, images drawn from the covenant curses of Deut. 28:28. Regarding the house of Judah (the Jewish people), the Lord says, “I will keep my eyes open,” meaning that he will watch out for them and protect them.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:5–6 The clans of Judah take the momentary focus: they recognize that the indestructible strength of Jerusalem comes not from themselves but from the LORD of hosts (v. 5; God’s military title), while they themselves will be like a blazing fire under a cooking pot or a flaming torch among the intensely flammable sheaves of grain (v. 6; cf. Judg. 15:1–8), devouring the nations all around them as Jerusalem is restored.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:7 The promise of the Abrahamic covenant will be fulfilled (see Gen. 12:1–3), with resulting glory for Jerusalem and the whole of Judah, and destruction for the nations that come against it. Salvation will come to the tents of Judah first, even before Jerusalem, meaning that either the soldiers in tents or the poorer people living in tents outside Jerusalem would first experience the Lord’s deliverance, so that the people in Jerusalem would not become proud over their privileged location.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:8 All of Jerusalem’s inhabitants will be raised to the highest human glory, like David, the man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14), while the line of David will attain an even greater, godlike glory. (The text does not say that they will become God, or become equal to God, but become like God.) On that day the descendant of David will lead them into battle as the angel of the LORD did in days of old (see Josh. 5:14).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:9 The Lord will bring judgment on all the nations that come against Jerusalem, and with this summary statement the sequence begun in v. 3 reaches closure. The fate of “all the nations,” first introduced by “all … peoples” and “all … nations” in v. 3, is settled.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 12:10–14 Mourning for Sin. Interest in Judah recedes as these verses focus primarily on the house of David and Jerusalem. The “pouring out” of the spirit elsewhere in the OT always indicates the pouring out of God’s Spirit (v. 10; see Ezek. 39:29; Joel 2:28–29). The Spirit will give grace and pleas for mercy (Zech. 12:10), which implies both repentance on the part of the people and forgiveness from the Lord. They will mourn because of the one whom they have pierced (v. 10), a word that usually connotes being stabbed to death by a sword or spear (see Num. 25:8). The mourning will be like that for a firstborn son, an only child on whom all hope for continuation of the family line rested, or like the mourning for (or at) Hadad-rimmon (Zech. 12:11). Under one interpretation, Hadad-rimmon is a name for the Canaanite god, Baal, whose worship involved lament for his death and descent into the underworld. But it is doubtful that Zechariah would be predicting a day of blessing when Jerusalem’s mourning would resemble the mourning of those in a pagan worship ceremony. A better interpretation is that Hadad-rimmon could be the name of a town near Megiddo, making this a reference to the deep mourning that followed King Josiah’s death in a battle there (v. 11; see 2 Chron. 35:24). The identity of the one who is “pierced” (Zech. 12:10) and on whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem … look is difficult to discern. If on me is defined by the following phrase (“whom they have pierced”), then the reference is to God himself, perhaps in the person of the shepherd who will be struck in 13:7, a prophecy that John 19:37 sees fulfilled in the person of Jesus. The mourning will affect the entire community, family by family, men and women alike. Two particular lines are singled out: the royal line of David, by way of his son Nathan (Zech. 12:12; cf. 1 Chron. 14:4), and the priestly line of Levi (Zech. 12:13), by way of his grandson Shimei (1 Chron. 6:16–17).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 13:1–6 Cleansing from Sin and Idolatry. The repentant people need to be cleansed from their iniquity, so God will open up for them a fountain (v. 1), or spring, from which will flow the running water necessary for ritual purification (see Lev. 14:5; cf. Ezek. 47:1–12; Rev. 22:1–2). The people’s uncleanness comes from their devotion to idols (Zech. 13:2; cf. Ezek. 36:25). This is the sin that “pierced” the Lord in Zech. 12:10, metaphorically in its original context and really in the person of Jesus. The Lord promises to excise the names of the idols from the land, terminating their influence and even their memory (13:2). The influence of the idols was exercised through false prophets, who told the people what they wanted to hear (see 10:1–3), so they too will be removed from the land (13:2), executed by their own parents in line with Deut. 13:6–10. The punishment of “piercing” fits the impact of their sin in “piercing” the Lord (Zech. 12:10). This will make the false prophets eager to conceal their activities (13:4–6). They will no longer dress in a hairy cloak, as did Elijah (v. 4; see 1 Kings 19:13). They will explicitly deny that they are prophets: instead, each one will claim to be a worker of the soil (Zech. 13:5; cf. Gen. 4:2). Yet the true nature of the false prophet will be exposed by the wounds on his back, ritual scars related to pagan practices that he will confess to having received at the house of his friends (or “lovers”), the idolaters with whom he practiced pagan worship (Zech. 13:6; cf. Ezek. 16:33–37).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 13:7–14:21 Judgment and Transformation. Fearsome conflicts await the people of God, but God will intervene and usher in a day in which Jerusalem is supreme and all the world worships the true God.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 13:7–9 The Shepherd Struck and the Flock Scattered. The sword of the Lord’s judgment goes out against a shepherd (v. 7), as in 11:17, but this time against the good shepherd. His death will result in the scattering of the flock and a time of great trial and testing for God’s people, during which many will perish (13:8). Yet the result of that period of testing is the refining of the Lord’s people, culminating in the expression by the Lord and his people of their mutual commitment to one another (v. 9).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:1–11 Jerusalem’s Judgment, Deliverance, and Exaltation. Terrible times are yet in store for the people of Jerusalem, but God will visit them and make Jerusalem secure and prominent.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:2 I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle predicts a future time that is not specified in Zechariah.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:4 The trials for Jerusalem are spelled out in the beginning of ch. 14. Judah’s possessions will be divided by her enemies in front of her, and Jerusalem will again be captured, with horrific consequences including rape, plunder, and the exile of a significant portion of her population. Yet at the height of her distress, the Lord will go out once more as a warrior, arriving by way of the Mount of Olives, across the Kidron Valley to the east of Jerusalem, the same route by which he abandoned the Jerusalem temple in Ezek. 11:23. In a manner typical of such appearances of God (e.g., Ps. 29:1–11; 50:3; Isa. 29:6; Mic. 1:3–4; Habakkuk 3), this theophany will shake the natural order, splitting the mountain in two, creating a valley aligned from east to west along the sacred axis of the temple. Zechariah’s vision thus resonates with the upheaval of the earth at the coming of the Lord depicted elsewhere at Isa. 40:4 and Ezek. 43:2.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:5 This valley will provide a way of escape for the inhabitants of Jerusalem to Azal, an unknown location, and an access road for the Divine Warrior to return to his city. He comes accompanied by all the holy ones, either his angelic army or the exiles who return under his protection. The earthquake in the days of Uzziah was a traumatic event also mentioned in Amos 1:1–2.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:6 On that day. It is difficult to determine what period of time is being indicated by the remarkable prophecies in this entire chapter, whether a future time in this present age, or a future millennial kingdom and the rebellion that follows it, or the events that surround Christ’s return and the beginning of the eternal state (see note on Ezek. 40:1–48:35; see also 1 Pet. 1:10–11).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:7 The transformation of the natural order at the coming of the Lord continues with a return to the primordial conditions (vv. 6–8). That day will be like the first day of history (lit., “day one”; or “one [single] day,” cf. v. 9; see esv footnote), a unique day, which is known to the LORD. Just as on the first day, when light and darkness had not yet been separated (Gen. 1:3–4), so on that day there will be neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. Instead of alternating light and darkness, permanent light will prevail.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:8 A perpetual supply of living (or flowing) waters will also emanate from Jerusalem, reaching out both east and west, to the Dead Sea and to the Mediterranean. Such a life-giving river is a common feature in describing sanctuaries, from the garden of Eden to the new Jerusalem (Gen. 2:10; Ps. 46:4; Ezek. 47:1–12; Joel 3:18; Rev. 22:1; cf. John 4:10; Rev. 21:6).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:9 The LORD will be king over all the earth points to a time that far exceeds the simple idea of a Messiah who will give Israel deliverance from oppression and bring the people God’s presence and blessing, for this predicts a worldwide earthly reign of the Lord himself. Some interpreters see this fulfilled in the reign of Christ in a future 1,000-year millennial kingdom (see note on Rev. 20:1–6), while others see it fulfilled after the final judgment, in the new heaven and new earth (see notes on Revelation 21–22). Still others see this as the Lord’s reign as exercised by the Messiah, who is regularly expected in the OT to bring the Gentiles into his empire (e.g., Isa. 11:1–10). The LORD will be one echoes the fundamental confession of the OT, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deut. 6:4). As the Lord’s sole kingship is established, so too he becomes the sole object of worship (cf. Zech. 8:20–23). And his name one, that is, the Lord’s name remains, unlike the names of the idols that were cut off (cf. 13:2; Deut. 6:13). Just as there was one day of the Lord (Zech. 14:7), so there is one Lord, with one name.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:10 The territory of Judah will be turned into a flat plain, from Geba on its northern border to Rimmon, 35 miles (56 km) to the southwest of Jerusalem, in order that the city of Jerusalem can tower over its surrounding countryside (cf. Isa. 2:2–4).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:11 Jerusalem will be fully inhabited and secure, without fear of a further decree of utter destruction from the Lord because of its sins.
Jerusalem at the Time of Zechariah
c. 520 B.C.
Zechariah prophesied to the people of Jerusalem after they returned from Babylon in 538 B.C. and before they rebuilt the temple in 515. The city of Jerusalem lay in ruins, the walls and the temple having been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Within a year after returning from Babylon, the people had laid the foundation for the new temple, but by Zechariah’s time they had still not completed it. Zechariah, together with Haggai, encouraged the people to complete the temple.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:12–21 The Nations Humbled and Brought into Submission. After the nations have suffered a gruesome defeat, they will dedicate themselves to worshiping the true God in Jerusalem.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:12–13 Instead of judging his own city, the Lord will now curse the nations that have come against it. Their bodies will instantaneously rot under the effects of this hideous curse, and they will fight among themselves (v. 13).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:15 The same curse will affect the military animals within their camp: the horses, mules, camels, and donkeys. Judah will also be involved in this conflict, fighting either against Jerusalem (along with the nations) or at Jerusalem (against the other nations). In contrast to the spoil that the nations took from Jerusalem in v. 1, now Judah will collect vast spoil from the nations who assaulted it.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:16 The nations that once came up against Jerusalem for war will now come to the city for the three annual festivals, especially the climactic Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles, in the fall. Like Ezekiel before him (Ezek. 46:9–12), Zechariah envisages ongoing festival worship in renewed Israel but broadens this to include those from beyond Israel’s bounds.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up. This requirement will be enforced by the threat of the judgment of a lack of rain, which would cripple their harvests. While Ezekiel seemed to have understood that foreigners could become members of the covenant community (e.g., Ezek. 44:9; but cf. 37:28), Zechariah depicts them as simultaneously retaining their distinctive identities (cf. Zech. 8:20–23; also Isa. 19:23–25).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:18 Egypt is singled out for mention with a separate plague, since its crops were watered by the Nile, without need for rainfall.
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:20 An elevated state of ritual holiness will affect everything within Jerusalem, down to the most humble artifacts. Even the bells of the horses will now be inscribed with the phrase Holy to the LORD, which was previously inscribed on a plate on the high priest’s turban (Ex. 28:36–38). Ordinary cooking pots will share the status of the consecrated bowls before the altar, so that there might be enough utensils to boil the meat from all the sacrifices. The whole city will become a temple, the place where the Lord dwells among his people (cf. Rev. 21:22–23).
ZECHARIAH—NOTE ON 14:21 On that day there will no longer be a trader (or a “Canaanite”; see esv footnote) in the Lord’s house, a reference to those Gentiles who were there in the temple for business reasons, whose presence defiled the holiness of the Lord’s house (see Ezek. 44:9). The temple would finally become a fit place for the Lord to dwell among his people.