² tn Heb “they turned” (so ASV). Many English versions have “they repented” here; cf. CEV “they turned back to me.”

¹ sn Note that here the angel of the Lord is clearly distinct from the Lord who rules over all himself.

³ tn Heb “for sin and for impurity.” The purpose implied here has been stated explicitly in the translation for clarity.

² sn The sense here is that God in heaven is about to undertake an occupation of his earthly realm (v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A38&tab=notes" ver="">12) by restoring his people to the promised land.

¹ sn Here these must refer to the lamps, since the identification of the olive trees is left to vv. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A38&tab=notes" ver="">11-14.

¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “spirit” here may also be translated “wind” or “breath” depending on the context (cf. ASV, NRSV, CEV “the four winds of heaven”; NAB similar).

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

¹ sn The speaker (Zechariah) represents the Lord, who here is asking what his service as faithful shepherd has been worth in the opinion of his people Israel.

² 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.

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.”

¹ tn Heb “crowns” (so KJV, ASV; also in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A38&tab=notes" ver="">14). The Hebrew word for “crown” here is עֲטֶרֶת (’ateret), a term never used in the OT for the priestly crown or mitre. Thus, the scene here describes the investing of the priest with royal authority.

² tn Since the “son of Zephaniah” in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A38&tab=notes" ver="">10 is Josiah, it might be best here to understand “Hen” in its meaning “grace” (חֵן, khen); that is, “Hen” is a nickname for Josiah – “the gracious one.” A number of modern English translations use “Josiah” here (e.g., NCV, NRSV, NLT).

¹ tn The verb זָמַם (zamam) usually means “to plot to do evil,” but with a divine subject (as here), and in light of v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A38&tab=notes" ver="">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.

² tn Some understand the Hebrew term עַיִן (’ayin) here to refer to facets (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT) or “faces” (NCV, CEV “seven sides”) of the stone rather than some representation of organs of sight.

¹ sn In context, the great mountain here must be viewed as a metaphor for the enormous task of rebuilding the temple and establishing the messianic kingdom (cf. TEV “Obstacles as great as mountains”).

¹ tn Heb “[This is] the ephah.” An ephah was a liquid or solid measure of about a bushel (five gallons or just under twenty liters). By metonymy it refers here to a measuring container (probably a basket) of that quantity.

¹ sn Here two women appear as the agents of the Lord because the whole scene is feminine in nature. The Hebrew word for “wickedness” in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A38&tab=notes" ver="">8 (רִשְׁעָה) is grammatically feminine, so feminine imagery is appropriate throughout.

² tn The word “Zion” is not repeated here in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation to indicate that the statement refers to Zion and not to Greece.

¹ tn Heb “they will drink and roar as with wine”; the LXX (followed here by NAB, NRSV) reads “they will drink blood like wine” (referring to a figurative “drinking” of the blood of their enemies).

¹ sn The juxtaposition of the messenger of the Lord in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A38&tab=notes" ver="">1 and the Lord in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A38&tab=notes" ver="">2 shows that here, at least, they are one and the same. See Zech 1:11, 12 where they are distinguished from each other.