Zechariah 1:10

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 ¹  on the earth.”

Zechariah 4:4

4:4 Then I asked the messenger who spoke with me, “What are these, ²  sir?”

Zechariah 4:11

4:11 Next I asked the messenger, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the menorah?”

Zechariah 4:13-14

4:13 He replied, “Don’t you know what these are?” And I said, “No, sir.” 4:14 So he said, “These are the two anointed ones ³  who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

Zechariah 6:4

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

Zechariah 13:6

13:6 Then someone will ask him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest?’ ⁵  and he will answer, ‘Some that I received in the house of my friends.’

[1:10]  ¹ 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 Lord is here about to claim sovereignty over the nations. Cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT “to patrol”; TEV “to go and inspect.”

[4:4]  ² sn Here these must refer to the lamps, since the identification of the olive trees is left to vv. 11-14.

[4:14]  ³ tn The usual word for “anointed (one),” מָשִׁיַח (mashiakh), is not used here but rather בְנֵי־הַיִּצְהָר (vÿne-hayyitshar), literally, “sons of fresh oil.” This is to maintain consistency with the imagery of olive trees. In the immediate context these two olive trees should be identified with Joshua and Zerubbabel, the priest and the governor. Only the high priest and king were anointed for office in the OT and these two were respectively the descendants of Aaron and David.

[6:4]  ⁴ tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.

[13:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “wounds between your hands.” Cf. NIV “wounds on your body”; KJV makes this more specific: “wounds in thine hands.”