Zechariah 1:13

1:13 The Lord then addressed good, comforting words to the angelic messenger who was speaking to me.

Zechariah 2:3

2:3 At this point the angelic messenger¹ who spoke to me went out, and another messenger came to meet him

Zechariah 4:1

Vision Five: The Menorah

4:1 The angelic messenger² who had been speaking with me then returned and woke me, as a person is wakened from sleep.

Zechariah 4:4

4:4 Then I asked the messenger who spoke with me, “What are these,³ sir?”

Zechariah 5:10

5:10 I asked the messenger who was speaking to me, “Where are they taking the basket?”

Zechariah 6:4

6:4 Then I asked the angelic messenger⁴ who was speaking with me, “What are these, sir?”

Zechariah 10:2

10:2 For the household gods⁵ have spoken wickedness, the soothsayers have seen a lie, and as for the dreamers, they have disclosed emptiness and give comfort in vain. Therefore the people set out like sheep and become scattered because they have no shepherd.⁶

Zechariah 1:9

The Interpretation of the First Vision

1:9 Then I asked one nearby, “What are these, sir?” The angelic messenger⁷ who replied to me said, “I will show you what these are.”

Zechariah 1:14

1:14 Turning to me, the messenger then said, “Cry out that the Lord who rules over all says, ‘I am very much moved⁸ for Jerusalem and for Zion.

Zechariah 2:4

2:4 and said to him, “Hurry, speak to this young man⁹ as follows: ‘Jerusalem will no longer be enclosed by walls¹⁰ because of the multitude of people and animals there.

Zechariah 4:5

4:5 He replied, “Don’t you know what these are?” So I responded, “No, sir.”

Zechariah 5:5

Vision Seven: The Ephah

5:5 After this the angelic messenger¹¹ who had been speaking to me went out and said, “Look, see what is leaving.”

Zechariah 6:8

6:8 Then he cried out to me, “Look! The ones going to the northland have brought me¹² peace about the northland.”¹³

Zechariah 8:16

8:16 These are the things you must do: Speak the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts.¹⁴

Zechariah 1:19

1:19 So I asked the angelic messenger¹⁵ who spoke with me, “What are these?” He replied, “These are the horns¹⁶ that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”¹⁷

Zechariah 9:10

9:10 I will remove¹⁸ the chariot from Ephraim

and the warhorse from Jerusalem,

and the battle bow will be removed.

Then he will announce peace to the nations.

His dominion will be from sea to sea

and from the Euphrates River¹⁹ to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 13:3

13:3 Then, if anyone prophesies in spite of this, his father and mother to whom he was born will say to him, ‘You cannot live, for you lie in the name of the Lord.’ Then his father and mother to whom he was born will run him through with a sword when he prophesies.²⁰

¹tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.

¹sn Here these must refer to the lamps, since the identification of the olive trees is left to vv. 11-14.

¹tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.

¹tn The Hebrew word תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim, “teraphim”) refers to small images used as means of divination and in other occult practices (cf. Gen 31:19, 34-35; 1 Sam 19:13, 16; Hos 3:4). A number of English versions transliterate the Hebrew term (cf. ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV) or simply use the generic term “idols” (so KJV, NIV, TEV).

²sn Shepherd is a common OT metaphor for the king (see esp. Jer 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 23:1-2; 50:6; Ezek 34).

¹tn Heb “messenger” or “angel” (מַלְאָךְ, mal’akh). This being appears to serve as an interpreter to the prophet (cf. vv. 13, 14).

¹tn 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.

¹sn That is, to Zechariah.

²tn 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 Lord will be an invisible but strong wall (v. 5).

¹tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.

¹tn Heb “my spirit.” The subject appears to be the Lord who exclaims here that the horsemen have accomplished their task of bringing peace.

²sn The immediate referent of peace about the northland is to the peace brought by Persia’s conquest of Babylonia, a peace that allowed the restoration of the Jewish people (cf. 2 Chr 36:22-23; Isa 44:28; 45:1-2). However, there is also an eschatological dimension, referring to a time when there will be perfect and universal peace.

¹sn For a similar reference to true and righteous judgment see Mic 6:8.

¹tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in v. 9.

²sn 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.

³map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹tc The MT first person pronoun (“I”), which seems to shift the subject too abruptly, becomes 3rd person masculine singular (“he”) in the LXX (הִכְרִית, hikhrit, presupposed for הִכְרַתִּי, hikhratti). However, the Lord is the subject of v. 8, which speaks of his protection of Jerusalem, so it is not surprising that he is the subject in v. 10 as well.

²tn Heb “the river.” The Hebrew expression typically refers to the Euphrates, so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹sn Death (in this case being run…through with a sword) was the penalty required in the OT for prophesying falsely (Deut 13:6-11; 18:20-22).