Zechariah 1:16

The Oracle of Response

1:16 “‘Therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘I have become compassionate ¹  toward Jerusalem ²  and will rebuild my temple ³  in it,’ says the Lord who rules over all. ‘Once more a surveyor’s measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’

Zechariah 4:9

4:9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this temple, ⁴  and his hands will complete it.” Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to you.

Zechariah 8:15

8:15 so, to the contrary, I have planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and Judah – do not fear!

Zechariah 9:8

9:8 Then I will surround my temple ⁵  to protect it like a guard ⁶  from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen it.

Zechariah 12:7

12:7 The Lord also will deliver the homes ⁷  of Judah first, so that the splendor of the kingship ⁸  of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not exceed that of Judah.

Zechariah 14:20

14:20 On that day the bells of the horses will bear the inscription “Holy to the Lord.” The cooking pots in the Lord’s temple ⁹  will be as holy as the bowls in front of the altar. ¹⁰ 

¹ tn Heb “I have turned.” This suggests that the Lord has responded to the “turning” (i.e., repentance) of the people (v. 6) and now, with great love and forgiveness, allows construction of the temple to proceed.

² map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

³ tn Heb “house.”

⁴ tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NRSV).

⁷ tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

⁸ tn Though a hapax legomenon, the מִצָּבָה (mitsavah) of the MT (from נָצַב, natsav, “take a stand”) is preferable to the suggestion מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”) or even מִצָּבָא (mitsava’, “from” or “against the army”). The context favors the idea of the Lord as a protector.

¹⁰ tn Heb “the tents” (so NAB, NRSV); NIV “the dwellings.”

¹¹ tn Heb “house,” referring here to the dynastic line. Cf. NLT “the royal line”; CEV “the kingdom.” The same expression is translated “dynasty” in the following verse.

¹³ tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).

¹⁴ sn In the glory of the messianic age there will be no differences between the sacred (the bowls before the altar) and the profane (the cooking pots in the Lord’s temple) – all will be dedicated to his use.