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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] 3 Therefore 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. 4 Do 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. 5 As for your ancestors, where are they? And did the prophets live forever? 6 But 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

7 On 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

8 I 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

9 Then I asked one nearby, “What are these, sir?” The angelic messenger[n] who replied to me said, “I will show you what these are.” 10 Then 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.” 11 The 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.” 12 The 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] 13 The Lord then addressed good, comforting words to the angelic messenger who was speaking to me. 14 Turning 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. 15 But 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.’ 17 Speak 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. 19 So 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.” 20 Next the Lord showed me four blacksmiths.[z] 21 I 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

  1. Zechariah 1:1 sn Darius is Darius Hystaspes, king of Persia from 522-486 b.c.
  2. 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).
  3. 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).
  4. Zechariah 1:2 tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB); NIV “forefathers” (also in vv. 4, 5).
  5. Zechariah 1:3 tn Heb “to them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  6. 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, yehvah tsevaʾot), 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.
  7. 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).
  8. 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.
  9. Zechariah 1:6 tn Heb “they turned” (so ASV). Many English versions have “they repented” here; cf. CEV “they turned back to me.”
  10. Zechariah 1:7 sn The twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month…in Darius’ second year was February 15, 519 b.c.
  11. 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.”
  12. 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.
  13. Zechariah 1:8 sn The Hebrew שְׂרֻקִּים (seruqqim) 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.
  14. 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).
  15. 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.”
  16. 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).
  17. Zechariah 1:12 sn Note that here the angel of the Lord is clearly distinct from the Lord who rules over all himself.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.”
  21. 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.
  22. Zechariah 1:16 tn Heb “house.”
  23. 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.
  24. Zechariah 1:19 tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in v. 9.
  25. 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.
  26. 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).
  27. Zechariah 1:21 tn Heb “so that no man lifts up his head.”
  28. Zechariah 1:21 tn Heb “terrify them”; the referent (Judah’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  29. Zechariah 1:21 tn Heb “to scatter it.” The word “people” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
Close LSB

Zechariah 1
Legacy Standard Bible

Return to Me, Declares Yahweh

1 In the eighth month of the second year of (A)Darius, the word of [a]Yahweh came to (B)Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of (C)Iddo, saying, 2 “Yahweh was very (D)wrathful against your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “(E)Return to Me,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says Yahweh of hosts. 4 “Do not be (F)like your fathers, to whom the (G)former prophets called out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “(H)Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did (I)not listen or give heed to Me,” declares Yahweh. 5 “Your (J)fathers, where are they? And the (K)prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My slaves the prophets, (L)overtake your fathers? Then they [b]returned and said, ‘(M)As Yahweh of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has done with us.’”’”

A Man on a Red Horse

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying, 8 I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a (N)red horse, and he was standing among the (O)myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel, and (P)white horses behind him. 9 Then I said, “My (Q)lord, what are these?” And the (R)angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” 10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are those whom Yahweh has sent to [c](S)patrol the earth.” 11 So they answered the angel of Yahweh who was (T)standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have [d]patrolled the earth, and behold, (U)all the earth is sitting still and quiet.”

12 Then the angel of Yahweh answered and said, “O Yahweh of hosts, (V)how long will You (W)have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been (X)indignant these (Y)seventy years?” 13 Yahweh answered the (Z)angel who was speaking with me with good words, (AA)comforting words. 14 So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “(AB)Call out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I am (AC)exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. 15 But I am very (AD)wrathful with the nations who are (AE)at ease; for I was only a little wrathful, but they (AF)helped increase the calamity.” 16 Therefore thus says Yahweh, “I will (AG)return to Jerusalem with compassion; My (AH)house will be built in it,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “and a measuring (AI)line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ 17 Again, call out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “My (AJ)cities will again overflow with good, and Yahweh will again (AK)comfort Zion and again (AL)choose Jerusalem.”’”

Four Horns and Craftsmen

18 [e]Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there were four horns. 19 So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the (AM)horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 20 Then Yahweh showed me four (AN)craftsmen. 21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the (AO)horns which have scattered Judah so that no man lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to cause them to tremble, to (AP)throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 1:1 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  2. Zechariah 1:6 Or repented
  3. Zechariah 1:10 Lit walk about through
  4. Zechariah 1:11 Lit walked about through
  5. Zechariah 1:18 Ch 2:1 in Heb
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