Bible Reading October 8 
Zechariah 1:1--2:13
Context1:1 In the eighth month of Darius’ 1 second year, 2 the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, 3 son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows:
1:2 The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. 4 1:3 Therefore say to the people: 5 The Lord who rules over all 6 says, “Turn 7 to me,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and I will turn to you,” says the Lord who rules over all. 1:4 “Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets called out, saying, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “Turn now from your evil wickedness,”’ but they would by no means obey me,” says the Lord. 1:5 “As for your ancestors, where are they? And did the prophets live forever? 1:6 But have my words and statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, not outlived your fathers? 8 Then they paid attention 9 and confessed, ‘The Lord who rules over all has indeed done what he said he would do to us, because of our sinful ways.’”
1:7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month Shebat, in Darius’ second year, 10 the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows:
1:8 I was attentive that night and saw a man seated 11 on a red horse that stood among some myrtle trees 12 in the ravine. Behind him were red, sorrel, 13 and white horses.
1:9 Then I asked one nearby, “What are these, sir?” The angelic messenger 14 who replied to me said, “I will show you what these are.” 1:10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke up and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk about 15 on the earth.” 1:11 The riders then agreed with the angel of the Lord, 16 who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have been walking about on the earth, and now everything is at rest and quiet.” 1:12 The angel of the Lord then asked, “Lord who rules over all, 17 how long before you have compassion on Jerusalem 18 and the other cities of Judah which you have been so angry with for these seventy years?” 19 1:13 The Lord then addressed good, comforting words to the angelic messenger who was speaking to me. 1:14 Turning to me, the messenger then said, “Cry out that the Lord who rules over all says, ‘I am very much moved 20 for Jerusalem and for Zion. 1:15 But I am greatly displeased with the nations that take my grace for granted. 21 I was a little displeased with them, but they have only made things worse for themselves.
1:16 “‘Therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘I have become compassionate 22 toward Jerusalem 23 and will rebuild my temple 24 in it,’ says the Lord who rules over all. ‘Once more a surveyor’s measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’ 1:17 Speak up again with the message of the Lord who rules over all: ‘My cities will once more overflow with prosperity, and once more the Lord will comfort Zion and validate his choice of Jerusalem.’”
1:18 (2:1) 25 Once again I looked and this time I saw four horns. 1:19 So I asked the angelic messenger 26 who spoke with me, “What are these?” He replied, “These are the horns 27 that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 28 1:20 Next the Lord showed me four blacksmiths. 29 1:21 I asked, “What are these going to do?” He answered, “These horns are the ones that have scattered Judah so that there is no one to be seen. 30 But the blacksmiths have come to terrify Judah’s enemies 31 and cut off the horns of the nations that have thrust themselves against the land of Judah in order to scatter its people.” 32
2:1 (2:5) I looked again, and there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2:2 I asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “To measure Jerusalem 33 in order to determine its width and its length.” 2:3 At this point the angelic messenger 34 who spoke to me went out, and another messenger came to meet him 2:4 and said to him, “Hurry, speak to this young man 35 as follows: ‘Jerusalem will no longer be enclosed by walls 36 because of the multitude of people and animals there. 2:5 But I (the Lord says) will be a wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem 37 and the source of glory in her midst.’”
2:6 “You there! 38 Flee from the northland!” says the Lord, “for like the four winds of heaven 39 I have scattered you,” says the Lord. 2:7 “Escape, Zion, you who live among the Babylonians!” 40 2:8 For the Lord who rules over all says to me that for his own glory 41 he has sent me to the nations that plundered you – for anyone who touches you touches the pupil 42 of his 43 eye. 2:9 “I am about to punish them 44 in such a way,” he says, “that they will be looted by their own slaves.” Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me.
2:10 “Sing out and be happy, Zion my daughter! 45 For look, I have come; I will settle in your midst,” says the Lord. 2:11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on the day of salvation, 46 and they will also be my 47 people. Indeed, I will settle in the midst of you all.” Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to you. 2:12 The Lord will take possession of 48 Judah as his portion in the holy land and he will choose Jerusalem once again. 2:13 Be silent in the Lord’s presence, all people everywhere, 49 for he is being moved to action in his holy dwelling place. 50
[1:1] 1 sn Darius is Darius Hystaspes, king of Persia from 522-486
[1:1] 2 sn The eighth month of Darius’ second year was late October – late November, 520
[1:1] 3 sn Both Ezra (5:1; 6:14) and Nehemiah (12:16) speak of Zechariah as a son of Iddo only. A probable explanation is that Zechariah’s actual father Berechiah had died and the prophet was raised by his grandfather Iddo. The “Zechariah son of Barachiah” of whom Jesus spoke (Matt 23:35; Luke 11:51) was probably the martyred prophet by that name who may have been a grandson of the priest Jehoiada (2 Chr 24:20-22).
[1:2] 4 tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB); NIV “forefathers” (also in vv. 4, 5).
[1:3] 5 tn Heb “to them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:3] 6 sn The epithet
[1:3] 7 tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv) is common in covenant contexts. To turn from the
[1:6] 8 tc BHS suggests אֶתְכֶם (’etkhem, “you”) for the MT אֲבֹתֵיכֶם (’avotekhem, “your fathers”) to harmonize with v. 4. In v. 4 the ancestors would not turn but in v. 6 they appear to have done so. The subject in v. 6, however, is to be construed as Zechariah’s own listeners.
[1:6] 9 tn Heb “they turned” (so ASV). Many English versions have “they repented” here; cf. CEV “they turned back to me.”
[1:7] 10 sn The twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month…in Darius’ second year was February 15, 519
[1:8] 11 tn Heb “riding,” but since this verb in English is usually associated with horses in motion rather than standing still, the translation uses “seated.” Cf. NAB “the driver of a red horse.”
[1:8] 12 tc The LXX presupposes הֶהָרִים (heharim, “mountains”) rather than the MT הַהֲדַסִּים (hahadassim, “myrtles”), probably because of reference to the ravine. The MT reading is preferred and is followed by most English versions.
[1:8] 13 sn The Hebrew שְׂרֻקִּים (sÿruqqim) means “red” (cf. NIV, NCV, NLT “brown”). English translations such as “speckled” (KJV) or “dappled” (TEV) are based on the reading of the LXX (ψαροί) that attempts to bring the color of this horse into conformity with those described in Zech 6:2-3. However, since these are two different and unrelated visions, this is a methodological fallacy.
[1:9] 14 tn Heb “messenger” or “angel” (מַלְאָךְ, mal’akh). This being appears to serve as an interpreter to the prophet (cf. vv. 13, 14).
[1:10] 15 sn The stem used here (Hitpael) with the verb “walk” (הָלַךְ, halakh) suggests the exercise of dominion (cf. Gen 13:17; Job 1:7; 2:2-3; Ezek 28:14; Zech 6:7). The
[1:11] 16 sn The angel of the
[1:12] 17 sn Note that here the angel of the
[1:12] 18 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:12] 19 sn The seventy years refers to the predicted period of Babylonian exile, a period with flexible beginning and ending points depending on the particular circumstances in view (cf. Jer 25:1; 28:1; 29:10; Dan 9:2). Here the end of the seventy years appears to be marked by the completion of the temple in 516
[1:14] 20 tn Heb “jealous for” (so KJV, ASV); NIV, NRSV “very jealous for”; CEV “very protective of.” The meaning is that Jerusalem/Zion is the special object of God’s grace and purposes. This results in his unusual protection of his people, a protection not accorded others with whom he does not have such a close relationship.
[1:15] 21 tn Or “the nations that are at ease” (so ASV, NRSV). The Hebrew word in question is שַׁאֲנָן (sha’anan) which has the idea of a careless, even arrogant attitude (see BDB 983 s.v. שַׁאֲנָן); cf. NAB “the complacent nations.” Here it suggests that the nations take for granted that God will never punish them just because he hasn't already done so. Thus they presume on the grace and patience of the Lord. The translation attempts to bring out this nuance rather than the more neutral renderings of TEV “nations that enjoy quiet and peace” or NLT “enjoy peace and security.”
[1:16] 22 tn Heb “I have turned.” This suggests that the
[1:16] 23 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:18] 25 sn This marks the beginning of ch. 2 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 1:18, the verse numbers through 2:13 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 1:18 ET = 2:1 HT, 1:19 ET = 2:2 HT, 1:20 ET = 2:3 HT, 1:21 ET = 2:4 HT, 2:1 ET = 2:5 HT, etc., through 2:13 ET = 2:17 HT. From 3:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
[1:19] 26 tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in v. 9.
[1:19] 27 sn An animal’s horn is a common OT metaphor for military power (Pss 18:2; 75:10; Jer 48:25; Mic 4:13). The fact that there are four horns here (as well as four blacksmiths, v. 20) shows a correspondence to the four horses of v. 8 which go to four parts of the world, i.e., the whole world.
[1:19] 28 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:20] 29 tn Heb “craftsmen” (so NASB, NIV; KJV “carpenters”), a generic term which can mean “metalworker, smith, armorer” (HALOT 358 s.v. חָרָשׁ). “Blacksmiths” was chosen for the present translation because of its relative familiarity among contemporary English readers.
[1:21] 30 tn Heb “so that no man lifts up his head.”
[1:21] 31 tn Heb “terrify them”; the referent (Judah’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:21] 32 tn Heb “to scatter it.” The word “people” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[2:2] 33 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:3] 34 tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.
[2:4] 35 sn That is, to Zechariah.
[2:4] 36 tn Heb “Jerusalem will dwell as open regions (פְּרָזוֹת, pÿrazot)”; cf. NAB “in open country”; CEV “won’t have any boundaries.” The population will be so large as to spill beyond the ancient and normal enclosures. The people need not fear, however, for the
[2:5] 37 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:6] 38 sn These are the scattered Jews of eschatological times (as the expression four winds of heaven makes clear) and not those of Zechariah’s time who have, for the most part, already returned by 520
[2:6] 39 tn Or “of the sky.” The same Hebrew term, שָׁמַיִם (shamayim), may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
[2:7] 40 tn Heb “live in [or “with” (cf. NASB), i.e., “among”] the daughter of Babylon” (so NIV; NAB “dwell in daughter Babylon”).
[2:8] 41 tn Heb “After glory has he sent me” (similar KJV, NASB). What is clearly in view is the role of Zechariah who, by faithful proclamation of the message, will glorify the
[2:8] 42 tn Heb “gate” (בָּבָה, bavah) of the eye, that is, pupil. The rendering of this term by KJV as “apple” has created a well-known idiom in the English language, “the apple of his eye” (so ASV, NIV). The pupil is one of the most vulnerable and valuable parts of the body, so for Judah to be considered the “pupil” of the
[2:8] 43 tc A scribal emendation (tiqqun sopherim) has apparently altered an original “my eye” to “his eye” in order to allow the prophet to be the speaker throughout vv. 8-9. This alleviates the problem of the
[2:9] 44 tn Heb “I will wave my hand over them” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV “raise my hand against them.”
[2:10] 45 sn This individualizing of Zion as a daughter draws attention to the corporate nature of the covenant community and also to the tenderness with which the
[2:11] 46 tn Heb “on that day.” The descriptive phrase “of salvation” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[2:11] 47 tc The LXX and Syriac have the 3rd person masculine singular suffix in both places (“his people” and “he will settle”; cf. NAB, TEV) in order to avoid the
[2:12] 48 tn Heb “will inherit” (so NIV, NRSV).
[2:13] 49 tn Heb “all flesh”; NAB, NIV “all mankind.”
[2:13] 50 sn The sense here is that God in heaven is about to undertake an occupation of his earthly realm (v. 12) by restoring his people to the promised land.
