Tyndale Open Study Notes

Verse 1

1:1-6 The prelude identifies the book’s themes as repentance and spiritual renewal, and establishes a tone of hope and encouragement.

1:1 This superscription, or introductory statement, classifies the book of Zechariah as an oracle, an authoritative message inspired by God. The prophet Zechariah was God’s emissary, designated to speak with God’s authority. • King Darius’s reign (521–486 BC) was in the early years of the Persian Empire (539–331 BC).

Verse 3

1:3 the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: God has an infinite number of angelic troops ready to carry out his will (see 2 Kgs 6:17; Matt 26:53). The phrase was probably meant to be an encouragement to the Judeans. • Return to me: A person who repents makes a complete turnaround—a shift away from sin and self toward loyalty to God and his covenant (see Isa 44:22; Mal 3:7; see also Pss 80:3-14; 85:4-8).

Verse 4

1:4 Before the Exile, earlier prophets actively called Judah and Israel to repentance. Zechariah especially reflects the prophetic influence of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. • ancestors who would not listen: The people of Israel (2 Kgs 17:13-14) and Judah (2 Chr 36:15-16) were taken into exile because they stubbornly refused to heed the word of the Lord (cp. 2 Chr 30:7).

Verse 6

1:6 everything . . . happened: The covenant curses (Deut 28:15-68) had overtaken their ancestors who refused to obey God.

Verse 7

1:7–6:15 These eight visions addressed the Judeans’ fears that prevented them from responding in faith to God’s promises. These visions, which occurred two months after Haggai’s final two messages (Hag 2:10-19, 20-23), suggest that Haggai’s prophecies were being fulfilled.

1:7-17 Zechariah’s first vision depicts God’s concern for Jerusalem (1:7-15), followed by a response (1:16-17) that confirmed God’s intentions to rebuild his Temple and restore the city’s prosperity.

Verse 8

1:8 The vision during the night follows a standard pattern: an introductory statement, a description of the vision, the prophet’s request for an interpretation, and an angelic explanation. • The myrtle trees were probably in the wooded Kidron valley outside of Jerusalem. The Lord had symbolically returned to the city’s outskirts but had not yet entered Jerusalem because the Temple was still under construction. • The colors of the red, brown, and white horses are not significant to this vision’s meaning. These angelic riders patrolled the earth (1:10), showing God’s continuing concern over Jerusalem.

Verse 10

1:10 Patrol suggests the angelic riders’ ongoing scrutiny of the earth.

Verse 11

1:11 The man sitting on a red horse among the myrtle trees (1:8) is called the angel of the Lord (cp. Gen 16:7-13; Exod 23:23; 32:34; Judg 13:21-22).

Verse 14

1:14 My love . . . is passionate and strong: This phrase, sometimes translated as “I am very jealous,” reflects intense, single-minded devotion that could produce hatred and envy or zeal and devotion. God is jealous—as the one true and living God, he has exclusive rights to his creatures’ worship (see Exod 20:5; 34:14). • Jerusalem signifies the territories ruled by Judean kings; Mount Zion was the site of the Lord’s Temple.

Verse 17

1:17 The repetition of again (four times in Hebrew) emphasizes the certainty of God’s intention to restore Jerusalem.

Verse 18

1:18-21 The second vision states God’s plan to bring his judgment against the nations who destroyed Jerusalem and exiled Judah. The prophet leaves unspecified the identity of the nations represented by the four horns; it is best to view the number four as symbolic of all those nations who will face divine judgment for scattering the people of God.

1:18-19 Then I looked up suggests that the prophet was interrupted by another vision while still preoccupied with the previous one (also in 2:1; 5:1; 6:1). • Horns symbolized power and authority in the biblical world and might represent an individual ruler (see Dan 7:8; 8:8), a dynasty, or nations.

Verse 20

1:20 The word translated blacksmiths could refer to any sort of craftsmen (mason, carpenter, smith). If the horns representing the nations were metal (see 1 Kgs 22:11), then blacksmiths were appropriate to the task of destroying them (see 2 Chr 24:12; Isa 44:12).

Verse 21

1:21 humbled Judah: They literally lifted up their horns against Judah. • The Lord would cut off those horns, throw them down to the ground, and bring an end to their authority. The Judeans did not need to fear the surrounding nations.