1:1 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:
2:10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year, 6 the Lord spoke again to the prophet Haggai: 7
2:20 Then the Lord spoke again to Haggai 8 on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 9
1 sn Darius is Darius Hystaspes, king of Persia from 522-486
2 sn The eighth month of Darius’ second year was late October – late November, 520
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).
4 tn Aram “in” or “by,” in the sense of accompaniment.
5 sn The sixth year of the reign of Darius would be ca. 516
6 sn The twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year was Kislev 24 or December 18, 520
7 tn Heb “the word of the
8 tn Heb “and the word of the
9 sn Again, the twenty-fourth day of the month was Kislev 24 or December 18, 520