Commentary on Zechariah, Malachi

1In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah to Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo, the Prophet, saying —

2Very angry has Jehovah been with your fathers:

3Thou shalt therefore say to them, — Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — Return ye to me, saith Jehovah of hosts; And I will return to you, saith Jehovah of hosts:

4Be ye not like your fathers, For cry to them did the former Prophets, saying, — Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — “Return ye, I pray, from your evil ways, And from your evil works;” But they heard not, nor attended to me, Saith Jehovah.

5Your fathers — where are they? And the Prophets — do they for ever live?

6But my words and my statutes, Which I committed to my servants the Prophets, Have they not laid hold on your fathers? — When they returned, they said, — “As Jehovah of hosts had purposed to do to us According to our ways and our works, So hath he done to us.”

7On the twenty-fourth of the eleventh month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah to Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo, the Prophet, saying, —

8I saw by night, and behold a man riding on a red horse; and he stood among the myrtles in a low place; and after him were horses, red, variegated, and white.

9And I said, What are these, my Lord? And the Angel, who spoke with me, said to me, I will show thee what these are.

10And the Angel, who stood among the myrtles, answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah has sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

11And they answered the angel of Jehovah, who stood among the myrtles, and said — “We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, the whole earth rests and is quiet.”

12And the Angel of Jehovah answered and said, Jehovah of hosts! How long wilt thou not pity Jerusalem And the cities of Judah, Which thou hast despised these seventy years! (42)

13Then answered Jehovah the Angel, who spoke with me, with good words, with comfortable words.

14And the Angel, who spoke with me, said to me, Cry, saying, —— Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Sion, with great zeal: (44)

15And with great anger am I angry With the nations which are quiet; For I was angry a little, And they helped on the evil.

16Therefore thus saith Jehovah, — I am turned to Jerusalem in compassions; My house shall be built in it, Saith Jehovah of hosts; And a line shall be extended over Jerusalem.

17Cry again, saying, — Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — Yet wear out shall cities through abundance, (51) And Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion, And will yet choose Jerusalem.

18And I raised my eyes and saw, and behold four horns;

19and I said to the angel, who was speaking with me, What are these? and he said to me, These are the four horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

20Then Jehovah showed me four smiths:

21and I said, What are these coming to do? and he said, saying, Those are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no one could raise up his head; but these are come to frighten them, to thrust away the horns of the nations, which raised the horn against the land of Judah to scatter it. (57)