1:1 In the eighth month of Darius’ 1 second year, 2 the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, 3 son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows:
3:1 Next I saw Joshua the high priest 10 standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan 11 standing at his right hand to accuse him.
7:1 In King Darius’ fourth year, on the fourth day of Kislev, the ninth month, 13 the word of the Lord came to Zechariah.
7:13 “‘It then came about that just as I 16 cried out, but they would not obey, so they will cry out, but I will not listen,’ the Lord Lord who rules over all had said.
8:14 “For the Lord who rules over all says, ‘As I had planned to hurt 18 you when your fathers made me angry,’ says the Lord who rules over all, ‘and I was not sorry,
13:8 It will happen in all the land, says the Lord,
that two-thirds of the people 27 in it will be cut off and die,
but one-third will be left in it. 28
14:16 Then all who survive from all the nations that came to attack Jerusalem will go up annually to worship the King, the Lord who rules over all, and to observe the Feast of Tabernacles. 30 14:17 But if any of the nations anywhere on earth refuse to go up to Jerusalem 31 to worship the King, the Lord who rules over all, they will get no rain.
1 sn Darius is Darius Hystaspes, king of Persia from 522-486
2 sn The eighth month of Darius’ second year was late October – late November, 520
3 sn Both Ezra (5:1; 6:14) and Nehemiah (12:16) speak of Zechariah as a son of Iddo only. A probable explanation is that Zechariah’s actual father Berechiah had died and the prophet was raised by his grandfather Iddo. The “Zechariah son of Barachiah” of whom Jesus spoke (Matt 23:35; Luke 11:51) was probably the martyred prophet by that name who may have been a grandson of the priest Jehoiada (2 Chr 24:20-22).
4 tn Heb “to them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 sn The epithet
6 tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv) is common in covenant contexts. To turn from the
7 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
8 sn The angel of the
9 tn Heb “I will wave my hand over them” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV “raise my hand against them.”
10 sn Joshua the high priest mentioned here is the son of the priest Jehozadak, mentioned also in Hag 1:1 (cf. Ezra 2:2; 3:2, 8; 4:3; 5:2; 10:18; Neh 7:7; 12:1, 7, 10, 26). He also appears to have been the grandfather of the high priest contemporary with Nehemiah ca. 445
11 tn The Hebrew term הַשָּׂטָן (hassatan, “the satan”) suggests not so much a personal name (as in almost all English translations) but an epithet, namely, “the adversary.” This evil being is otherwise thus described in Job 1 and 2 and 1 Chr 21:1. In this last passage the article is dropped and “the satan” becomes “Satan,” a personal name.
12 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NRSV).
13 sn The fourth day of Kislev, the ninth month would be December 7, 518
14 tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
15 sn This lamentation marked the occasion of the destruction of Solomon’s temple on August 14, 586
16 tn Heb “he.” Since the third person pronoun refers to the
17 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
18 tn 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.
19 sn This expostulation best fits the whole preceding description of God’s eschatological work on behalf of his people. His goodness is especially evident in his nurturing of the young men and women of his kingdom.
20 sn On the NT use of the image of the cornerstone, see Luke 20:17; Eph 2:20; 1 Pet 2:6.
21 sn The metaphor of the wall peg (Heb. יָתֵד, yated), together with the others in this list, describes the remarkable change that will take place at the inauguration of God’s eschatological kingdom. Israel, formerly sheep-like, will be turned into a mighty warhorse. The peg refers to a wall hook (although frequently translated “tent peg,” but cf. ASV “nail”; TWOT 1:419) from which tools and weapons were suspended, but figuratively also to the promise of God upon which all of Israel’s hopes were hung (cf. Isa 22:15-25; Ezra 9:8).
22 tn This is not the usual word to describe a king of Israel or Judah (such as מֶלֶךְ, melekh, or נָשִׂיא, nasi’), but נוֹגֵשׂ, noges, “dictator” (cf. KJV “oppressor”). The author is asserting by this choice of wording that in the messianic age God’s rule will be by force.
23 tn Heb “and the riders on horses will be put to shame,” figurative for the defeat of mounted troops. The word “enemy” in the translation is supplied from context.
24 tn Or “sow” (so KJV, ASV). The imagery is taken from the sowing of seed by hand.
25 tn Heb “the tents” (so NAB, NRSV); NIV “the dwellings.”
26 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.
27 tn The words “of the people” are supplied in the translation for clarity (cf. NCV, TEV, NLT).
28 sn The fractions mentioned here call to mind the affliction of God’s people described by Ezekiel, though Ezekiel referred to his own times whereas Zechariah is looking forward to a future eschatological age. Ezekiel spoke of cutting his hair at God’s command (Ezek 5:1-4) and then of burning a third of it, striking a third with a sword, and scattering the rest. From this last third a few hairs would survive to become the nucleus of a new Israel. It is this “third” Zechariah speaks of (v. 9), the remnant who will be purified and reclaimed as God’s covenant people.
29 sn In the evening there will be light. The normal pattern is that light breaks through in the morning (Gen 1:3) but in the day of the
30 sn Having imposed his sovereignty over the earth following the Battle of Armageddon, the
31 sn The reference to any…who refuse to go up to Jerusalem makes clear the fact that the nations are by no means “converted” to the