Zechariah 1

Zechariah 1
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The beginning of the Book of Zechariah (1:1–6:15) in Latin in Codex Gigas, circa 13th century.
Book	Book of Zechariah
Category	Nevi'im
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	38

Zechariah 1 is the first chapter^[a] of the Book of Zechariah in the Hebrew Bible^[1] or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.^[2][3] This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Zechariah, and is a part of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets.^[4] As the first of the 14 chapters in the book,^[1] this chapter is a part of a section (so-called "First Zechariah") consisting of Zechariah 1-8.^[5] It records an introduction and the first two of eight visions received by the prophet.^[6]

Text

The original text was written in the Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 21 verses in English Bibles.^[b] The Hebrew Bible uses different "verse numbering" (see below).

Verse numbering

There are some differences in verse numbering of this chapter in English Bibles and Hebrew texts:^[1][7]

This article generally follows the common numbering in Christian English Bible versions, with notes to the numbering in Hebrew Bible versions.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Codex Cairensis (from year 895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).^[8][9][c]

Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, including: 4Q80 (4QXII^e; 75–50 BCE) with extant verses 4–6, 8–10, 13–15,^{[10][11][12][13]} and Mur88 (MurXII; from Wadi Murabba'at; from early 2nd century CE) with extant verses 1–4.^[11][14][15]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint (with a different verse numbering), made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^S; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^Q; 6th century).^[16] Some fragments containing parts of this chapter (a revision of the Septuagint) were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, i.e., Naḥal Ḥever 8Ḥev1 (8ḤevXII^gr); late 1st century BCE) with extant verses 1–4, 12–14, 19–21 (verses 2:2–4 in Masoretic verse numbering)^[11][17][18]

Time

This chapter contains two "date formulas", in

• Verse 1: "in the eighth month" corresponds to mid October–mid November 520 BCE.
• Verse 7: "the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month" corresponds to a date between mid-January and mid-February 519 BCE.[19]

Preface (1:1–6)

Verses 1–6 serve as an "Introduction" to the subsequent visions and prophecies received by Zechariah with a call for the people to repentance.^[1][19] This section together with chapters 7 and 8 form an editorial frame of the book.^[20]

Verse 1

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius,

came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet,

saying,^[21]

• "In the eighth month, in the second year of
  Haggai 1:1) Haggai, conjointly with Zechariah,^[22] exhorted Zerubbabel and the people to resume the intermitted building of the temple, despite the partial discouragement of the Persian Government,^[23] and "in the seventh month" Haggai conveyed the magnificent promise about 'the later glory of the temple'.^[24]). However, Haggai also warned them, that the conversion was not complete, and Zechariah "in the eighth month", as well as Haggai "in the ninth month",^[25]), urges a “thorough and inward repentance,” as the condition of receiving God's promises.^[26]
• "The eighth month": it was called Bul before the Captivity,[27] and afterward Marchesvan;^[28] corresponds to parts of October and November, usually a time of rain in the area.^[29]
• "Darius": Darius son of Hystaspes, and the third Persian monarch:^[30]; not to be confused with Darius the Mede.^[31][32]
• "Zechariah": The name means "one whom Jehovah remembers": a common name, four others of the same name occurring in the Old Testament. Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, he was a priest as well as a prophet, which adapts him for the sacerdotal character of some of his prophecies.
  Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 23:29–36: "...shedding the blood of the prophets... from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar".^[37] There is another Zechariah son of the priest Jehoiada that was murdered as recorded in 2 Chronicles 24:20–21, but this Zechariah is from the 9th century, during the First Temple period, before the exile to Babylon, and he was killed by officials of Judah who wanted to worship pagan deities, not by priests.^[37]
• "The son of Iddo the prophet": the word "prophet", as Kimchi observes, belongs to Zechariah; not but that his grandfather Iddo might be a prophet too; and the same writer takes notice, that in the Midrash mention is made of Iddo the prophet; and so there is an Iddo that is called the seer and the prophet in 2 Chronicles 9:29.^[31]

Vision of horses (1:7–17)

This section records the first of Zechariah's eight night visions, which are his primary and most distinctive feature, with a high literary form and a standardized format, structured in a concentric pattern.^[38] In the first vision, the earth is peaceful and expectant, patrolled by the four horsemen (the first of numerous symbols from Zechariah to be reused in the Book of Revelation).^[39] The 'seventy years of the Lord's withholding mercy^[40] are fulfilled, the people are returned and the temple is to be rebuilt.^[39]

Verse 7

Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius,

came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet,

saying,^[41]

• "the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month... in the second year of Darius": Corresponds to mid-January to mid-February 519 BCE,^[39] exactly five months after the building of the temple was resumed,^[42] and two months after Haggai's last prophecy.^[43][26]
• "the month Sebat": The Hebrew month "Shevat" (called here by its Chaldean name) answered to parts of January and February.^[29] It was three months since Zechariah had been called to the prophetical office, and two months after Haggai delivered his final prophecies, so now Zechariah carries on the revelation.^[29] The term is Chaldee, meaning a "shoot," namely, the month when trees begin to "shoot" or "bud".^[32] Called Sabat in the Septuagint version, and in the Apocrypha.^[44][31]

Verse 12

Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, "O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?"^[45]

Vision of the horns and craftsmen (1:18–21)

The second vision contains the symbolism of the 'powerful nations that have terrorized the chosen people' and the 'counterforces ("blacksmiths" or "craftsmen") raised by

Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen.[46]^{[Zechariah 2:3 Hebrew Bible]}

• "Craftsmen" (MEV, NASB, NIV, NKJV): from Hebrew חָרָשִֽׁים, khā-rā-shîm;^[47] KJV: "carpenters"; NET Bible: "blacksmiths"; a generic term which can mean "metalworker, smith, armorer".^[d]

Verse 21

And I said, "What are these coming to do?"

And he said, "These are the horns that scattered Judah after which no one could raise his head; and these four craftsmen have come to terrify and throw down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it."^{[48][Zechariah 2:4 Hebrew Bible]}

• "These four craftsmen": lit. "these",^[e] referring to the four persons in previous verse. As the horns are perhaps made of strong metal (representing oppressive nations with strong military), they can only be cut off by "craftsmen" or "blacksmiths", who represent 'deliverers whom the Lord raises up, such as kings like Cyrus of Persia'.^[49][f]

See also