1:1 In the eighth month of Darius’ 6 second year, 7 the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, 8 son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows:
1 tn Heb “clothed.”
2 tn Heb “did not remember.”
3 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoiada) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Heb “and seek [ – ].” The direct object of “seek” is omitted in the Hebrew text but implied; “vengeance” is supplied for clarification.
6 sn Darius is Darius Hystaspes, king of Persia from 522-486
7 sn The eighth month of Darius’ second year was late October – late November, 520
8 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).
9 sn Gen 4:10 indicates that Abel’s blood cried out for justice.
10 sn It is not clear which Zechariah is meant here. It is probably the person mentioned in 2 Chr 24:20-25.
11 tn Or “who perished.”
12 tn Or “and the temple”; Grk “and the house,” but in this context a reference to the house of God as a place of sanctuary.
13 tn Or “required from.”