Zechariah 1: Edit history

Zechariah 1 is the opening chapter of the Book of Zechariah. Its message was delivered in the second year of King Darius (c. 520 BC), when the people who had returned from the Babylonian exile were resuming the rebuilding of the temple. It dates from the same year as the prophecies of Haggai, who also urged the rebuilding of the temple.

Outline

• Verses 1–6: In the eighth month of the second year of King Darius, the word of the Lord comes to Zechariah. The people are called not to follow the example of their fathers, who would not heed the warnings of the former prophets, but to "turn ye unto me."
• Verses 7–11: A vision on the night of the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month Sebat) of the same year. A man riding a red horse stands among the myrtle trees, and behind him are red, speckled, and white horses. Those who have walked to and fro through the earth report that all the earth is at rest.
• Verses 12–17: The angel of the Lord asks how long the Lord will withhold mercy from Jerusalem, which has been under His indignation for seventy years. The Lord answers with words of comfort and promises the restoration of Jerusalem and the rebuilding of His house.
• Verses 18–21: Four horns that scattered Judah appear, followed by four craftsmen ("carpenters" in the KJV) who come to cast them down.

Key Verses

• Zechariah 1:3: "Turn ye unto me … and I will turn unto you" — This verse shows that the book's promises of restoration begin with a call to repentance.
• Zechariah 1:12: "against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years" — This verse connects with Jeremiah's prophecy of seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10).

People and Places

• Zechariah: A prophet active after the return from exile. His father was Berechiah, and his grandfather was Iddo.
• Darius: King of Persia, generally identified as Darius I.
• The angel of the Lord and the angel that talked with the prophet: Figures in the visions who answer questions and explain their meaning. → Angels
• Jerusalem, Zion, and Judah: The places to which restoration is promised.

Points for Reflection

• The Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible numbers verses 18–21 as 2:1–4.
• Interpretations of the angel of the Lord differ. Some interpreters in the Christian tradition regard him as the preincarnate Christ, while others see him as an angel sent by God.
• The four horns are likewise read in two ways. Some interpreters connect them with the four kingdoms of Daniel, while others take them to represent the four points of the compass, that is, all the powers that attacked Judah.
• The imagery of horses of different colors is frequently compared with Revelation 6.
• Calls similar to 1:3 appear in Malachi 3:7 and James 4:8.
• Opinions differ on whether "Zacharias son of Barachias" in Matthew 23:35 refers to this prophet. Some identify him instead with Zechariah the son of Jehoiada in 2 Chronicles 24:20–22.

In the Korean Church

In Korean churches, Zechariah 1:3 is frequently cited as a sermon text on repentance and returning to God.