撒迦利亞書 1

Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Traditional)

撒迦利亞勸民歸主

1 大流士王第二年八月，耶和華的話臨到易多的孫子、比利家的兒子先知撒迦利亞說： ²「耶和華曾向你們列祖大大發怒。 ³所以你要對以色列人說：『萬軍之耶和華如此說：你們要轉向我，我就轉向你們。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。 ⁴不要效法你們列祖，從前的先知呼叫他們說「萬軍之耶和華如此說：你們要回頭，離開你們的惡道惡行」，他們卻不聽，也不順從我。這是耶和華說的。 ⁵你們的列祖在哪裡呢？那些先知能永遠存活嗎？ ⁶只是我的言語和律例，就是所吩咐我僕人眾先知的，豈不臨到你們列祖嗎？他們就回頭，說：「萬軍之耶和華定意按我們的行動作為向我們怎樣行，他已照樣行了！」』」

見乘馬者之異象

⁷大流士第二年十一月，就是細罷特月二十四日，耶和華的話臨到易多的孫子、比利家的兒子先知撒迦利亞說： ⁸我夜間觀看，見一人騎著紅馬，站在窪地番石榴樹中間，在他身後又有紅馬、黃馬和白馬。 ⁹我對與我說話的天使說：「主啊，這是什麼意思？」他說：「我要指示你這是什麼意思。」 ¹⁰那站在番石榴樹中間的人說：「這是奉耶和華差遣在遍地走來走去的。」 ¹¹那些騎馬的對站在番石榴樹中間耶和華的使者說：「我們已在遍地走來走去，見全地都安息平靜。」

天使為耶路撒冷祈禱耶和華許以復施憐憫

¹²於是，耶和華的使者說：「萬軍之耶和華啊，你惱恨耶路撒冷和猶大的城邑已經七十年，你不施憐憫要到幾時呢？」 ¹³耶和華就用美善的安慰話回答那與我說話的天使。 ¹⁴與我說話的天使對我說：「你要宣告說：『萬軍之耶和華如此說：我為耶路撒冷為錫安，心裡極其火熱。 ¹⁵我甚惱怒那安逸的列國，因我從前稍微惱怒我民，他們就加害過分。 ¹⁶所以耶和華如此說：現今我回到耶路撒冷，仍施憐憫，我的殿必重建在其中，準繩必拉在耶路撒冷之上。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。』 ¹⁷你要再宣告說：『萬軍之耶和華如此說：我的城邑必再豐盛發達。耶和華必再安慰錫安，揀選耶路撒冷。』」

撒迦利亞見四角

¹⁸我舉目觀看，見有四角。 ¹⁹我就問與我說話的天使說：「這是什麼意思？」他回答說：「這是打散猶大、以色列和耶路撒冷的角。」

見四匠

²⁰耶和華又指四個匠人給我看。 ²¹我說：「他們來做什麼呢？」他說：「這是打散猶大的角，使人不敢抬頭，但這些匠人來威嚇列國，打掉他們的角，就是舉起打散猶大地的角。」

Zechariah 1

New English Translation

Introduction

1 In the eighth month of Darius’^[a] second year,^[b] the Lord’s message came to the prophet Zechariah,^[c] son of Berechiah son of Iddo:

²“The Lord was very angry with your ancestors.^[d] ³Therefore say to the people:^[e] The Lord of Heaven’s Armies^[f] says, ‘Turn^[g] to me,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘and I will turn to you,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ⁴Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets called out, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said, “Turn now from your evil wickedness.”’ But they would by no means obey me, says the Lord. ⁵As for your ancestors, where are they? And did the prophets live forever? ⁶But have my words and statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, not outlived your fathers?^[h] Then they paid attention^[i] and confessed, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has indeed done what he said he would do to us, because of our sinful ways.’”

The Introduction to the Visions

⁷On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month Shebat, in Darius’ second year,^[j] the Lord’s message came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo:

The Content of the First Vision

⁸I was attentive that night and saw a man seated^[k] on a red horse that stood among some myrtle trees^[l] in the ravine. Behind him were red, sorrel,^[m] and white horses.

The Interpretation of the First Vision

⁹Then I asked one nearby, “What are these, sir?” The angelic messenger^[n] who replied to me said, “I will show you what these are.” ¹⁰Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke up and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk about^[o] on the earth.” ¹¹The riders then agreed with the angel of the Lord,^[p] who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have been walking about on the earth, and now everything is at rest and quiet.” ¹²The angel of the Lord then asked, “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,^[q] how long before you have compassion on Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that you have been so angry with for these seventy years?”^[r] ¹³The Lord then addressed good, comforting words to the angelic messenger who was speaking to me. ¹⁴Turning to me, the messenger then said, “Cry out that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘I am very much moved^[s] for Jerusalem and for Zion. ¹⁵But I am greatly displeased with the nations that take my grace for granted.^[t] I was a little displeased with them, but they have only made things worse for themselves.

The Oracle of Response

¹⁶“‘Therefore,’ this is what the Lord has said, ‘I have become compassionate^[u] toward Jerusalem and will rebuild my temple^[v] in it,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ‘Once more a surveyor’s measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’ ¹⁷Speak up again with the message of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: ‘My cities will once more overflow with prosperity, and once more the Lord will comfort Zion and validate his choice of Jerusalem.’”

Vision Two: The Four Horns

¹⁸(2:1)^[w] Once again I looked and this time I saw four horns. ¹⁹So I asked the angelic messenger^[x] who spoke with me, “What are these?” He replied, “These are the horns^[y] that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” ²⁰Next the Lord showed me four blacksmiths.^[z] ²¹I asked, “What are these going to do?” He answered, “These horns are the ones that have scattered Judah so that there is no one to be seen.^[aa] But the blacksmiths have come to terrify Judah’s enemies^[ab] and cut off the horns of the nations that have thrust themselves against the land of Judah in order to scatter its people.”^[ac]

Footnotes

Zechariah 1:1 sn Darius is Darius Hystaspes, king of Persia from 522-486 b.c.
Zechariah 1:1 sn The eighth month of Darius’ second year was late October—late November, 520 b.c., by the modern (Julian) calendar. This is two months later than the date of Haggai’s first message to the same community (cf. Hag 1:1).
Zechariah 1:1 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).
Zechariah 1:2 tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB); NIV “forefathers” (also in vv. 4, 5).
Zechariah 1:3 tn Heb “to them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Zechariah 1:3 sn The epithet Lord of Heaven’s Armies occurs frequently as a divine title throughout Zechariah (53 times total). This name (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, y^ehvah ts^evaʾot), 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.
Zechariah 1:3 tn 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).
Zechariah 1:6 tc BHS suggests אֶתְכֶם (ʾetkhem, “you”) for the MT אֲבֹתֵיכֶם (ʾavotekhem, “your fathers”) to harmonize with v. 4. In v. 4 the ancestors would not turn but in v. 6 they appear to have done so. The subject in v. 6, however, is to be construed as Zechariah’s own listeners.
Zechariah 1:6 tn Heb “they turned” (so ASV). Many English versions have “they repented” here; cf. CEV “they turned back to me.”
Zechariah 1:7 sn The twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month…in Darius’ second year was February 15, 519 b.c.
Zechariah 1:8 tn Heb “riding,” but since this verb in English is usually associated with horses in motion rather than standing still, the translation uses “seated.” Cf. NAB “the driver of a red horse.”
Zechariah 1:8 tc The LXX presupposes הֶהָרִים (heharim, “mountains”) rather than the MT הַהֲדַסִּים (hahadassim, “myrtles”), probably because of reference to the ravine. The MT reading is preferred and is followed by most English versions.
Zechariah 1:8 sn The Hebrew שְׂרֻקִּים (s^eruqqim) means “red” (cf. NIV, NCV, NLT “brown”). English translations such as “speckled” (KJV) or “dappled” (TEV) are based on the reading of the LXX ψαροί (psaroi) that attempts to bring the color of this horse into conformity with those described in Zech 6:2-3. However, since these are two different and unrelated visions, this is a methodological fallacy.
Zechariah 1:9 tn Heb “messenger” or “angel” (מַלְאָךְ, malʾakh). This being appears to serve as an interpreter to the prophet (cf. vv. 13, 14).
Zechariah 1:10 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.”
Zechariah 1:11 sn The angel of the Lord is a special being who throughout the OT represents God himself and on occasion almost approaches divine hypostatization or incarnation (cf. Gen 18:2, 13, 17, 22; Exod 23:20-21; Josh 5:13-15; Judg 6:11-24; 13:2-20).
Zechariah 1:12 sn Note that here the angel of the Lord is clearly distinct from the Lord who rules over all himself.
Zechariah 1:12 sn The seventy years refers to the predicted period of Babylonian exile, a period with flexible beginning and ending points depending on the particular circumstances in view (cf. Jer 25:1; 28:1; 29:10; Dan 9:2). Here the end of the seventy years appears to be marked by the completion of the temple in 516 b.c., exactly seventy years after its destruction in 586.
Zechariah 1:14 tn Heb “jealous for” (so KJV, ASV); NIV, NRSV “very jealous for”; CEV “very protective of.” The meaning is that Jerusalem/Zion is the special object of God’s grace and purposes. This results in his unusual protection of his people, a protection not accorded others with whom he does not have such a close relationship.
Zechariah 1:15 tn Or “the nations that are at ease” (so ASV, NRSV). The Hebrew word in question is שַׁאֲנָן (shaʾanan) which has the idea of a careless, even arrogant attitude (see BDB 983 s.v. שַׁאֲנָן); cf. NAB “the complacent nations.” Here it suggests that the nations take for granted that God will never punish them just because he hasn’t already done so. Thus they presume on the grace and patience of the Lord. The translation attempts to bring out this nuance rather than the more neutral renderings of TEV “nations that enjoy quiet and peace” or NLT “enjoy peace and security.”
Zechariah 1:16 tn Heb “I have turned in compassion.” This suggests that the Lord has responded to the “turning” (i.e., repentance) of the people (v. 6) and now, with great love and forgiveness, allows construction of the temple to proceed.
Zechariah 1:16 tn Heb “house.”
Zechariah 1:18 sn This marks the beginning of ch. 2 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 1:18, the verse numbers through 2:13 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 1:18 ET = 2:1 HT, 1:19 ET = 2:2 HT, 1:20 ET = 2:3 HT, 1:21 ET = 2:4 HT, 2:1 ET = 2:5 HT, etc., through 2:13 ET = 2:17 HT. From 3:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
Zechariah 1:19 tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in v. 9.
Zechariah 1:19 sn An animal’s horn is a common OT metaphor for military power (Pss 18:2; 75:10; Jer 48:25; Mic 4:13). The fact that there are four horns here (as well as four blacksmiths, v. 20) shows a correspondence to the four horses of v. 8 which go to four parts of the world, i.e., the whole world.
Zechariah 1:20 tn Heb “craftsmen” (so NASB, NIV; KJV “carpenters”), a generic term which can mean “metalworker, smith, armorer” (HALOT 358 s.v. חָרָשׁ). “Blacksmiths” was chosen for the present translation because of its relative familiarity among contemporary English readers.sn The horns are perhaps made of iron, the strongest of all metals known to the ancient Near Eastern world, since military activity is implied in the context. Only blacksmiths can cut the horns off. If the horns represent oppressive nations, the blacksmiths must represent deliverers whom the Lord raises up, kings like Cyrus of Persia (cf. Isa 54:16).
Zechariah 1:21 tn Heb “so that no man lifts up his head.”
Zechariah 1:21 tn Heb “terrify them”; the referent (Judah’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Zechariah 1:21 tn Heb “to scatter it.” The word “people” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Traditional) (CUVMPT)

New English Translation (NET)

撒迦利亞書 1 Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Traditional)