Zechariah 1:3

Context
1:3 Therefore say to the people:¹ The Lord who rules over all² says, “Turn³ to me,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and I will turn to you,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Zechariah 8:14

Context

8:14 “For the Lord who rules over all says, ‘As I had planned to hurt⁴ you when your fathers made me angry,’ says the Lord who rules over all, ‘and I was not sorry,

[1:3] ¹tn Heb “to them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:3] ²sn The epithet Lord who rules over all occurs frequently as a divine title throughout Zechariah (53 times total). This name (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, yÿhvah tsÿva’ot), traditionally translated “Lord of hosts” (so KJV, NAB, NASB; cf. NIV, NLT “Lord Almighty”; NCV, CEV “Lord All-Powerful”), emphasizes the majestic sovereignty of the Lord, an especially important concept in the postexilic world of great human empires and rulers. For a thorough study of the divine title, see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 123-57.

[1:3] ³tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv) is common in covenant contexts. To turn from the Lord is to break the covenant and to turn to him (i.e., to repent) is to renew the covenant relationship (cf. 2 Kgs 17:13).

[8:14] ⁴tn The verb זָמַם (zamam) usually means “to plot to do evil,” but with a divine subject (as here), and in light of v. 15 where it means to plan good, the meaning here has to be the implementation of discipline (cf. NCV, CEV “punish”). God may bring hurt but its purpose is redemptive and/or pedagogical.