Zechariah 1:13

1:13 The Lord then addressed good, comforting words to the angelic messenger who was speaking to me.

Zechariah 2:5

2:5 But I (the Lord says) will be a wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem ¹  and the source of glory in her midst.’”

Zechariah 2:10

2:10 “Sing out and be happy, Zion my daughter! ²  For look, I have come; I will settle in your midst,” says the Lord.

Zechariah 2:12-13

2:12 The Lord will take possession of ³  Judah as his portion in the holy land and he will choose Jerusalem once again. 2:13 Be silent in the Lord’s presence, all people everywhere, ⁴  for he is being moved to action in his holy dwelling place. ⁵ 

Zechariah 6:14

6:14 The crown will then be turned over to Helem, ⁶  Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen ⁷  son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord.

Zechariah 8:7

8:7 “The Lord who rules over all asserts, ‘I am about to save my people from the lands of the east and the west.

Zechariah 9:4

9:4 Nevertheless the Lord will evict her and shove her fortifications ⁸  into the sea – she will be consumed by fire.

Zechariah 11:15

11:15 Again the Lord said to me, “Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. ⁹ 

Zechariah 14:1

The Sovereignty of the Lord

14:1 A day of the Lord ¹⁰  is about to come when your possessions ¹¹  will be divided as plunder in your midst.

Zechariah 14:3

14:3 Then the Lord will go to battle ¹²  and fight against those nations, just as he fought battles in ancient days. ¹³ 

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¹ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² sn This individualizing of Zion as a daughter draws attention to the corporate nature of the covenant community and also to the tenderness with which the Lord regards his chosen people.

³ tn Heb “will inherit” (so NIV, NRSV).

⁴ tn Heb “all flesh”; NAB, NIV “all mankind.”

⁵ sn The sense here is that God in heaven is about to undertake an occupation of his earthly realm (v. 12) by restoring his people to the promised land.

⁶ tn “Helem” is probably the same individual as “Heldai” in v. 10. Since the MT and the major ancient versions leave the apparent conflict unresolved it is probably best to view “Helem” as interchangeable with “Heldai” (cf. “Heled” in 1 Chr 11:30 with “Heleb” [2 Sam 23:29] and “Heldai” [1 Chr 27:15]). A number of modern English versions use “Heldai” here (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

⁷ tn Since the “son of Zephaniah” in v. 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).

⁸ tn The Hebrew word חַיִל (khayil, “strength, wealth”) can, with certain suffixes, look exactly like חֵל (khel, “fortress, rampart”). The chiastic pattern here suggests that not Tyre’s riches but her defenses will be cast into the sea. Thus the present translation renders the term “fortifications” (so also NLT) rather than “wealth” (NASB, NRSV, TEV) or “power” (NAB, NIV).

⁹ sn The grammar (e.g., the incipient participle מֵקִים, maqim, “about to raise up,” v. 16) and overall sense of vv. 15-17 give the incident a future orientation. Zechariah once more is role-playing but this time he is a “foolish” shepherd, i.e., one who does not know God and who is opposed to him (cf. Prov 1:7; 15:5; 20:3; 27:22). The individual who best represents this eschatological enemy of God and his people is the Antichrist (cf. Matt 24:5, 24; 2 Thess 2:3-4; 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7).

¹⁰ sn The eschatological day of the Lord described here (and through v. 8) is considered by many interpreters to refer to the period known as the great tribulation, a seven year time of great suffering by God’s (Jewish) people culminating in the establishing of the millennial reign of the Lord (vv. 9-21). For other OT and NT references to this aspect of the day of the Lord see Amos 9:8-15; Joel 1:15–2:11; Isa 1:24-31; 2:2-4; 4:2-6; 26:16–27:6; 33:13-24; 59:1–60:22; 65:13-25; Jer 30:7-11; 32:36-44; Ezek 20:33-44; Dan 11:40; 12:1; Matt 24:21, 29; 25:31-46; Rev 19:11-16.

¹¹ tn Heb “your plunder.” Cf. NCV “the wealth you have taken.”

¹² sn The statement the Lord will go to battle introduces the conflict known elsewhere as the “battle of Armageddon,” a battle in which the Lord delivers his people and establishes his millennial reign (cf. Joel 3:12, 15-16; Ezek 38–39; Rev 16:12-21; 19:19-21).

¹³ tn Heb “as he fights on a day of battle” (similar NASB, NIV, NRSV).