撒迦利亚书 6
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
四辆马车的异象
6 我又举目观看，看见有四辆战车从两座山中间出来，那两座山是铜山。 2 第一辆战车套着红马，第二辆套着黑马， 3 第三辆套着白马，第四辆套着有斑点的马；这些马都很雄壮。 4 于是我问那与我说话的天使：“我主啊，这些是甚么意思？”
5 天使回答我：“这些是天的四风（“风”或译：“灵”），是从侍立在全地之主面前出来的。”
6 套着黑马的车出来，往北方之地去；套着白马的车出来，跟在牠们后面（“跟在牠们后面”或译：“往西方去”）；套着有斑点的马的车出来，往南方之地去。
7 这些雄壮的马出来，切望在全地走遍各处；天使说：“你们去吧，只管在全地走遍各处。”牠们就在全地走遍各处。
8 他又呼唤我，对我说：“你看，那些出来往北方之地去的，已经在北方之地使我心灵的忿怒平息下来。”
把金冠冕戴在约书亚头上
9 耶和华的话临到我，说： 10 “你要从黑玳、多比雅和耶大雅手中收取被掳的人奉献的金银；他们已经从巴比伦回来了。你要即日去，进入西番雅的儿子约西亚的家里。 11 你要拿这金银来做冠冕，戴在约撒答的儿子大祭司约书亚的头上， 12 告诉他说：‘万军之耶和华这样说：看哪！有一个人名叫大卫的苗裔，他必从自己的地方生长起来，并要建造耶和华的殿。 13 他必建造耶和华的殿，必得尊荣；他必坐在宝座上执掌王权，又必在他的宝座上作祭司，使两者之间和谐共济。’” 14 这冠冕要在耶和华的殿中给希连（“希连”有古译本作“黑玳”）、多比雅、耶大雅和西番雅的儿子贤（“贤”有古译本作“约西亚”）作记念。
15 远方的人也要来建造耶和华的殿，你们就知道万军之耶和华差遣了我到你们这里来。你们若留心听从耶和华你们 神的话，这事必定成就。
Zechariah 6
New English Translation
Vision Eight: The Chariots
6 Once more I looked, and this time I saw four chariots emerging from between two mountains of bronze.[a] 2 Harnessed to the first chariot were red horses, to the second black horses, 3 to the third white horses, and to the fourth spotted horses, all of them strong.[b] 4 Then I asked the angelic messenger[c] who was speaking with me, “What are these, sir?” 5 The messenger replied, “These are the four spirits[d] of heaven going out after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses is going to the north country, and the white ones are going after them, but the spotted ones are going to the south country. 7 All these strong ones[e] are scattering; they have sought permission to go and walk about over the earth.” The Lord had said, “Go! Walk about over the earth!” So they are doing so. 8 Then he cried out to me, “Look! The ones going to the northland have brought me[f] peace about the northland.”[g]
A Concluding Oracle
9 The Lord’s message came to me as follows: 10 “Choose some people[h] from among the exiles, namely, Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, all who have come from Babylon, and when you have done so go to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.[i] 11 Then take some silver and gold to make a crown[j] and set it on the head of Joshua the high priest, the son of Jehozadak. 12 Then say to him, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “Look—here is the man whose name is Branch,[k] who will sprout up from his place and build the temple of the Lord. 13 Indeed, he will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed in splendor, sitting as king on his throne. Moreover, there will be a priest[l] with him on his throne and they will see eye to eye on everything. 14 The crown will then be turned over to Helem,[m] Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen[n] son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. 15 Then those who are far away[o] will come and build the temple of the Lord so that you may know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me to you. This will all come to pass if you completely obey the voice of the Lord your God.”’”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 6:1 tn Heb “two mountains, and the mountains [were] mountains of bronze.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.sn Bronze, a hard, almost impenetrable metal, is an apt figure to speak of the obstacles standing in the way of the accomplishment of God’s purposes for the postexilic Jewish community (cf. 4:7). The cleft between the two from which the chariots emerge might be related to the eschatological triumph of the Lord who will return to the Mount of Olives and divide it into two mountains, one on the north and the other on the south (cf. Zech 14:1-8; Ezek 47:1-12).
- Zechariah 6:3 tc For the MT reading אֲמֻצִּים (ʾamutsim, “strong”) Aquila and Syriac presuppose אֲדֻמִּים (ʾadummim, “red”), thus giving the red horse an assignment and eliminating the problem of a fifth, “spotted” horse. The fourth would be a mottled red horse according to this view. There is, however, no manuscript support for this interpretation.
- Zechariah 6:4 tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.
- Zechariah 6:5 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).
- Zechariah 6:7 tn The present translation takes אֲמֻצִּים (ʾamutsim, “strong”) to be a descriptive of all the horses—white, black, red, and spotted (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT).
- Zechariah 6:8 tn Heb “my spirit.” The subject appears to be the Lord who exclaims here that the horsemen have accomplished their task of bringing peace.
- Zechariah 6:8 sn The immediate referent of peace about the northland is to the peace brought by Persia’s conquest of Babylonia, a peace that allowed the restoration of the Jewish people (cf. 2 Chr 36:22-23; Isa 44:28; 45:1-2). However, there is also an eschatological dimension, referring to a time when there will be perfect and universal peace.
- Zechariah 6:10 tn The words “some people” are supplied in the translation. The Hebrew verb translated “choose” (alternatively “take” [NAB, NIV]; “collect” [NRSV, CEV]) has no direct object specified in the text. Some translations supply “silver and gold” (NIV, NRSV) or “an offering” (NASB).
- Zechariah 6:10 sn Except for Joshua (v. 11) none of these individuals is otherwise mentioned and therefore they cannot be further identified.
- Zechariah 6:11 tn Heb “crowns” (so KJV, ASV; also in v. 14). The Hebrew word for “crown” here is עֲטֶרֶת (ʿateret), 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.
- Zechariah 6:12 tn The epithet “Branch” (צֶמַח, tsemakh) derives from the verb used here (יִצְמָח, yitsmakh, “will sprout up”) to describe the rise of the Messiah, already referred to in this manner in Zech 3:8 (cf. Isa 11:1; 53:2; Jer 33:15). In the immediate context this refers to Zerubbabel, but the ultimate referent is Jesus (cf. John 19:5).
- Zechariah 6:13 sn The priest here in the immediate context is Joshua but the fuller and more distant allusion is to the Messiah, a ruling priest. The notion of the ruler as a priest-king was already apparent in David and his successors (Pss 2:2, 6-8; 110:2, 4), and it finds mature expression in David’s greater Son, Jesus Christ, who will combine both offices in his kingship (Heb 5:1-10; 7:1-25).
- Zechariah 6:14 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).
- Zechariah 6:14 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).
- Zechariah 6:15 sn Those who are far away is probably a reference to later groups of returning exiles under Ezra, Nehemiah, and others.
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