Zechariah 1

Introduction

Zechariah 1 opens with a brief but urgent call to repentance (vv. 1–6), delivered in the eighth month of the second year of Darius I (October/November 520 BC). The prophet warns the returned exiles not to repeat the sins of their ancestors, who ignored the earlier prophets and suffered the consequences. This short oracle sets the tone for the entire book: God is willing to return to His people, but they must first return to Him.

The rest of the chapter (vv. 7–21) records the first three of Zechariah's eight night visions, received about three months later on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (Shebat, roughly February 519 BC). In these visions, Zechariah sees horsemen patrolling a peaceful earth, learns of God's fierce jealousy for Jerusalem, and witnesses four horns (representing the nations that scattered God's people) being confronted by four craftsmen sent to throw them down. The visions are mediated by an interpreting angel — a figure who will guide Zechariah throughout the vision sequence. The chapter moves from warning to comfort: God has not forgotten His people, and He is actively working to restore Jerusalem and judge the nations that oppressed her.

A Call to Repentance (vv. 1–6)

Notes

• בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁמִינִי בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ (bachodesh hashemini bishnat shetayim ledaryavesh, "in the eighth month, in the second year of Darius") — This dates the oracle to October/November 520 BC. Darius I (Darius Hystaspes) ruled the Persian Empire from 522 to 486 BC. The dating by a foreign king's reign reflects Israel's continued subjection to foreign powers, even after the return from exile. The prophet Haggai had been prophesying since the sixth month of the same year (Haggai 1:1), and the rebuilding of the temple had just resumed.

• זְכַרְיָה בֶּן בֶּרֶכְיָה בֶּן עִדּוֹ (Zekharyah ben Berekhyah ben Iddo, "Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo") — Zechariah's genealogy traces back through his father Berechiah to his grandfather Iddo. Iddo is listed in Nehemiah 12:4, 16 as one of the priestly families that returned from exile, making Zechariah both a prophet and a priest. The name Zechariah itself (Zekharyah) means "the LORD remembers" — a fitting name for a prophet whose message is that God has not forgotten His people. Berechiah (Berekhyah) means "the LORD blesses."

• קָצַף יְהוָה עַל אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם קָצֶף (qatsaf YHWH 'al avoteikhem qatsef, "the LORD was angry at your ancestors with anger") — The Hebrew uses a cognate accusative construction: the verb qatsaf ("to be angry") is paired with the noun qetsef ("anger") from the same root, creating an intensive effect — literally "the LORD was angry with anger." I rendered this as "furiously angry" to capture the force. The BSB's "very angry" is accurate but somewhat understates the Hebrew construction.

• שׁוּבוּ אֵלַי ... וְאָשׁוּב אֲלֵיכֶם (shuvu elai ... ve'ashuv aleikhem, "return to me ... and I will return to you") — The verb shuv ("to turn, return") is the fundamental Old Testament word for repentance. It appears seven times in this short passage (vv. 3, 4, 6), making it the thematic keyword. The promise is reciprocal: if the people turn back to God, He will turn back to them. This same dynamic appears in Malachi 3:7 and James 4:8 ("Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you"). The triple repetition of "the LORD of Hosts" (YHWH tseva'ot) in verse 3 alone underscores the weight and authority behind this call.

• יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת (YHWH tseva'ot, "the LORD of Hosts") — This title occurs over fifty times in Zechariah, more than in any other prophetic book relative to its length. Tseva'ot means "armies" or "hosts" and can refer to angelic armies, the armies of Israel, or the celestial bodies. The title emphasizes God's sovereign power over all forces in heaven and on earth — a particularly encouraging title for a small, vulnerable community trying to rebuild.

• הַנְּבִיאִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים (hanevi'im harishonim, "the former prophets") — This phrase refers to the pre-exilic prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos, and Micah, who warned Israel and Judah to repent before the exile came. Zechariah's point is that those prophets' message was vindicated by history — the warnings came true. The present generation should learn from this.

• אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם אַיֵּה הֵם (avoteikhem ayyeh hem, "your ancestors — where are they?") — The Hebrew word order places "your ancestors" first for emphasis. The rhetorical question makes a stark point: the ancestors who ignored the prophets are dead, and the prophets themselves are dead. But God's word outlasted them all. The warnings the prophets delivered "overtook" (hissigu, from nasag, "to reach, overtake") the ancestors like a pursuer catching up to a fugitive. God's word cannot be outrun.

• וַיָּשׁוּבוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ (vayyashuvu vayyomeru, "and they turned back and said") — This describes the ancestors' eventual admission, likely in exile, that God's judgment was just. The verb shuv here takes on an ironic coloring: the ancestors finally "returned" — not in obedience, but in acknowledgment that God had done exactly what He promised. The word זָמַם (zamam, "purposed, planned") emphasizes that God's judgment was not arbitrary but deliberate and purposeful.

The Vision of the Horsemen Among the Myrtle Trees (vv. 7–11)

Notes

• בְּיוֹם עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה לְעַשְׁתֵּי עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ הוּא חֹדֶשׁ שְׁבָט (beyom 'esrim ve'arba'ah le'ashtei 'asar chodesh hu chodesh shevat, "on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, that is, the month of Shebat") — This is approximately February 519 BC, about three months after the opening oracle. Shebat (שְׁבָט) corresponds roughly to January–February. This date falls exactly five months after the rebuilding of the temple was resumed (Haggai 1:14–15), and two months after Haggai's last recorded oracle (Haggai 2:20). The series of eight visions that follows was apparently received in a single night.

• רָאִיתִי הַלַּיְלָה (ra'iti hallaylah, "I saw in the night") — The Hebrew literally says "I saw the night." The visions are nocturnal, possibly received in a state between waking and sleeping. The phrase introduces the first of the eight night visions that form the core of chapters 1–6.

• אִישׁ רֹכֵב עַל סוּס אָדֹם (ish rokhev 'al sus adom, "a man riding on a red horse") — The identity of this rider is debated. Some identify him as the angel of the LORD (since in v. 11 the riders report to "the angel of the LORD standing among the myrtle trees"), while others distinguish the rider from the angel. The "man" (ish) likely represents a divine or angelic figure. The red horse may symbolize war or bloodshed, though the text does not explain the color symbolism. The vision recalls the four horsemen of Revelation 6:1–8.

• הַהֲדַסִּים (hahadasim, "the myrtle trees") — The myrtle (hadas) is an evergreen shrub native to the region, known for its fragrant leaves and white flowers. In Isaiah 41:19 and 55:13, myrtle trees are associated with God's restoration of Israel — they will replace thorns in the wilderness. The name Hadassah (Esther's Hebrew name, Esther 2:7) comes from this word. The myrtle trees in the vision may symbolize Israel — humble and fragrant, awaiting restoration.

• בַּמְּצֻלָה (bametsulah, "in the hollow/ravine/deep place") — This word can mean "depth," "deep place," or "ravine." The KJV has "in the bottom," the NIV has "in a ravine," and the BSB has "in the hollow." The root tsul relates to depth or sinking. The myrtle trees standing in a low place may symbolize Israel's lowly, humiliated condition at this point in history — hidden away in a ravine while the surrounding nations are at ease.

• שְׂרֻקִּים (seruqqim, "sorrel") — This word describes a reddish-brown color. The KJV translates it as "speckled," the NIV as "brown," and the BSB as "sorrel." The word appears only here in the Old Testament, making its exact meaning uncertain. It is likely a shade between red and white, given that it appears alongside those colors.

• הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי (hammal'akh haddover bi, "the angel who was speaking with me") — This interpreting angel is a recurring figure throughout Zechariah's visions. The phrase dover bi is unusual — bi can mean "with me" or "in me," and some scholars suggest the angel spoke within Zechariah in a kind of internal communication. Most translations render it simply "who was speaking with me."

• לְהִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ (lehithallekh ba'arets, "to walk throughout the earth") — The Hithpael form of halakh ("to walk") means "to walk about, patrol, traverse." This same expression is used of Satan in Job 1:7 and 2:2, where Satan tells God he has been "roaming through the earth." The horsemen serve a similar function as divine scouts, but they serve the LORD, not an adversarial purpose.

• יֹשֶׁבֶת וְשֹׁקָטֶת (yoshevet veshoqatet, "sitting still and at rest") — The earth is peaceful and undisturbed. Paradoxically, this is bad news for Israel: the nations that oppressed God's people are living in comfortable ease while Jerusalem lies in ruins and the temple is barely being rebuilt. This tranquility provokes the angel's lament in the next verse.

The LORD's Compassion for Jerusalem (vv. 12–17)

Notes

• עַד מָתַי ('ad matai, "how long?") — This is the classic lament formula found throughout the Psalms (Psalm 6:3, 13:1, 74:10, 79:5, 89:46). The angel of the LORD himself takes up Israel's lament, interceding before God on behalf of Jerusalem. This is remarkable — a heavenly being expressing anguish over the length of God's judgment.

• שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה (shiv'im shanah, "seventy years") — This refers to the period of exile prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11–12, 29:10). Counting from the destruction of the temple in 586 BC to this date (approximately 519 BC) yields roughly sixty-seven years. Counting from the first deportation in 605 BC yields about eighty-six years. The "seventy" may be a round number, or it may indicate that the full period of judgment was nearing completion but not yet finished.

• דְּבָרִים טוֹבִים דְּבָרִים נִחֻמִים (devarim tovim devarim nichumim, "good words, words of comfort") — The word נִחֻמִים (nichumim, "comforts, consolations") is from the same root as the name Nahum and as the verb used in Isaiah 40:1: "Comfort, comfort my people" (nachamu nachamu 'ammi). God responds to the angel's intercession not with rebuke but with tender, encouraging words. The content of these comforting words is spelled out in verses 14–17.

• קִנֵּאתִי לִירוּשָׁלִַם וּלְצִיּוֹן קִנְאָה גְדוֹלָה (qinneti lirushalaim uletsiyyon qin'ah gedolah, "I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy") — The verb qana can mean "to be jealous" or "to be zealous." God's jealousy here is not petty envy but the fierce, protective passion of a husband for his wife (cf. Exodus 20:5, 34:14). God cares intensely about Jerusalem and will not allow her to remain desolate. The cognate accusative (qinneti ... qin'ah gedolah, "I am jealous with a great jealousy") intensifies the expression, just as in verse 2 with anger.

• וְקֶצֶף גָּדוֹל אֲנִי קֹצֵף עַל הַגּוֹיִם הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּים (veqetsef gadol ani qotsef 'al haggoyim hasha'anannim, "and with great wrath I am angry at the nations that are at ease") — The word שַּׁאֲנַנִּים (sha'anannim, "at ease, complacent") carries a negative connotation of careless indifference. The BSB footnote mentions an alternative rendering: "they have overdone the punishment." God used the nations as instruments of judgment, but they exceeded their mandate. They took what was meant to be a limited discipline (me'at, "a little") and turned it into excessive destruction. God holds the nations accountable for their cruelty, even though He initiated the judgment.

• עָזְרוּ לְרָעָה ('azru lera'ah, "they helped toward evil/disaster") — The verb 'azar normally means "to help" in a positive sense. Here it is used ironically: the nations "helped" — but toward evil. They made the disaster worse than God intended. This is a profound theological statement: God can use human agents in judgment while still holding them morally responsible for exceeding His purposes.

• שַׁבְתִּי לִירוּשָׁלִַם בְּרַחֲמִים (shavti lirushalaim berachamim, "I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion") — The verb shavti ("I have returned") is a prophetic perfect — using the past tense to express a future action so certain it is spoken of as already accomplished. God's return to Jerusalem is as good as done. The word רַחֲמִים (rachamim, "compassion, mercy") is related to the word rechem ("womb"), suggesting a deep, visceral, motherly tenderness.

• בֵּיתִי יִבָּנֶה בָּהּ (beiti yibaneh bah, "my house will be built in her") — This is a direct promise that the temple would be completed. The temple rebuilding had been stalled since 536 BC due to opposition (Ezra 4:1–5) and was only recently resumed under Haggai's and Zechariah's prophetic encouragement. The temple was eventually completed in 516 BC (Ezra 6:15).

• וְקָו יִנָּטֶה עַל יְרוּשָׁלִָם (veqav yinnateh 'al yerushalaim, "and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem") — A measuring line (qav) was used in construction. Stretching a measuring line over Jerusalem signifies rebuilding and restoration, not demolition. The image recurs in the next vision (chapter 2), where a man sets out to measure Jerusalem.

• עוֹד תְּפוּצֶינָה עָרַי מִטּוֹב ('od tefutseinah 'arai mittov, "my cities will again overflow with good things") — The verb puts in the Qal means "to scatter, spread out." The cities of Judah will spread out and expand because of their prosperity (mittov, "from good/prosperity"). The BSB translates this as "overflow with prosperity," which captures the sense well. The triple repetition of 'od ("again, still, yet") in verse 17 is emphatic: God will again bring prosperity, again comfort Zion, again choose Jerusalem. The age of judgment is ending; the age of restoration is beginning.

The Vision of the Four Horns and Four Craftsmen (vv. 18–21)

Notes

• וָאֶשָּׂא אֶת עֵינַי (va'essa 'et 'einai, "and I lifted up my eyes") — This formula introduces several of Zechariah's visions (2:1, 5:1, 6:1). It suggests a shift in perspective — Zechariah looks up and sees a new scene in his vision.

• אַרְבַּע קְרָנוֹת (arba' qeranot, "four horns") — In the Old Testament, a horn (qeren) is a symbol of power and strength, drawn from the image of a powerful animal's horns (Deuteronomy 33:17, 1 Kings 22:11, Psalm 75:4–5, Daniel 7:7–8, 8:3–9). The number four often represents totality or universality (the four winds, the four corners of the earth). The four horns represent the totality of foreign powers that oppressed and scattered God's people. Specific identifications vary — some suggest Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece, or Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia — but the symbolic point is comprehensive: all the powers that scattered Israel.

• זֵרוּ (zeru, "scattered") — From zarah, meaning "to scatter, winnow." This is the verb used for winnowing grain — tossing it into the wind so the chaff blows away. It evokes the scattering of exile, where the people were flung to the winds among the nations.

• אַרְבָּעָה חָרָשִׁים (arba'ah charashim, "four craftsmen") — The word charash means a skilled worker — a craftsman, artisan, or smith. The KJV has "carpenters," but the word can refer to workers in wood, metal, or stone. The number four matches the four horns, suggesting that for every hostile power God raises up a counterforce. The craftsmen come to "terrify" (lehacharid) the horns and "throw them down" (leyadot). God answers oppression not by ignoring it but by sending agents of justice.

• לֹא נָשָׂא אִישׁ רֹאשׁוֹ (lo nasa ish rosho, "no one raised his head") — The idiom "to raise one's head" means to stand with dignity, to recover from humiliation (cf. Judges 8:28, Job 10:15). The scattering was so thorough that Judah was completely subjugated. The craftsmen reverse this — they terrify the oppressors and break the instruments of their power.

• לְיַדּוֹת (leyadot, "to throw down") — This verb means "to cast, throw." It suggests a violent, decisive removal of the horns. The same root is used for throwing stones (Lamentations 3:53) and casting down (2 Chronicles 25:12). The nations' power will be forcibly broken.

• The pairing of visions — peaceful earth (vv. 7–11) followed by the horns and craftsmen (vv. 18–21) — establishes a pattern throughout Zechariah. The earth may appear calm, but God sees the injustice behind that tranquility and is already preparing to set things right. The visions move from diagnosis (the nations are at ease while Jerusalem suffers) to promise (God will restore) to action (the craftsmen will tear down the oppressors).