Book of Zechariah

The presence of a female donkey (a “jenny”) in Matthew’s account of the triumphal entry (Matt 21:1-9) has been perplexing because her presence is not mentioned in either of Matthew’s sources, Mark 11:1-10 and Zech 9:9. Some scholars hold that the jenny comes from another tradition, but this does not make her presence a fulfillment of the prophecy. Others hold that Matthew broke the parallelism of Zech 9:9, where the humble Messiah is to ride into Jerusalem “on a (male) donkey, and on a colt,” but this too does not account for a female donkey at the scene. In this article, I argue for a plenary reading of the Hebrew prophecy where Matthew sees the presence of the jenny fulfilled in Zechariah’s characterization of the colt as a “son of jennies.”

Mark Boda’s new commentary on Zechariah in the NICOT series from Eerdmans sets the standard for exegetical commentaries on this important post-exilic prophet. Too often Zechariah is bundled in brief commentaries along with Haggai and Malachi. For example, The WBC commentary, for example, devotes a mere 130 pages to the prophet. Joyce G. Baldwin’s useful commentary on Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary Series was replaced by Andrew Hill still only manages about 170 pages on Zechariah. Boda himself contributed Haggai, Zechariah to the NIV Application Commentary. George Klein’s 2008 NAC commentary is a notable exception trend.

The image of the stone with seven eyes in the book of Zechariah 3-4 is very puzzling, and has been interpreted in various ways. In this study I will suggest that the most logical interpretation of this image lies in the Babylonian kalû ritual and the well-known mythological Sibittu iconography that was familiar and accepted by the returning Babylonian exiles. This iconography was chosen for a specific reason, and then was given a new identity by the prophet, probably as part of a certain agenda.

Many scholars have noted the way that elements of the character creed of Exod. 34.6-7 recur throughout the book of the Twelve. This article proposes that a passage that is overlooked in relation to this theme in the Twelve is Zech. 5.1-4. This association seems to go unnoticed because of the tendency to mistranslate niqqâ in Zech. 5.3. It should have its usual sense of ‘to be acquitted’ or ‘to go unpunished’, which is in keeping with its meaning elsewhere and in Exod. 34.7. The associations of the flying scroll and the ‘Law of Moses’ in the vision of Zech. 5.1-4 strengthen the case for seeing an allusion to the character creed of Exodus 34. This article shows how a connection back to the theophany of glory in Exodus suits the unfolding of Zechariah's night visions. With God's return to Jerusalem, and the removal of the guilt of the land (Zech. 3.9), this sixth vision declares that God will continue to act according to his name and glory and ‘will by no means acquit the guilty’.

Designed to strengthen the global church with a widely accessible, theologically sound, and pastorally wise resource for understanding and applying the overarching storyline of the Bible, this commentary series features the full text of the ESV Bible passage by passage, with crisp and theologically rich exposition and application. Editors Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton, and Jay A. Sklar have gathered a team of experienced pastor-theologians to provide a new generation of pastors and other teachers of the Bible around the world with a globally minded commentary series rich in biblical theology and broadly Reformed doctrine, making the message of redemption found in all of Scripture clear and available to all.

Michael R. Stead, "The Interrelationship between Vision and Oracle in Zechariah 1-6" in  Hayes, E.R and Tiemeyer, L-S (eds.) 'I Lifted my Eyes and Saw': Reading Dream and Vision Reports in the Hebrew Bible, London, Bloomsbury and T & T Clark, 2014, pp.149-168

8: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text (Baylor Handbook on the Hebrew Bible). Baylor University Press, Waco 2016. Pp. xii + 250. Price: $29:95 paperback. ISBN: 978-1-60258-674-1. This recent addition to Baylor's philological commentary series is the latest publication on Hebrew and Semitic Languages by Max Roglund, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Erskine Theological Seminary. According to the Baylor University Press website, the purpose of the series is to lay a foundation of linguistic and philological analysis for the Hebrew texts of the Bible upon which theological and exegetical studies may build. Although this book may serve that function, Roglund has expressly written his commentary with intermediate and advanced students of Hebrew in mind, entailing at least two things: at minimum, Roglund assumes a basic knowledge of Biblical Hebrew (BH) and of key terminology; at maximum, the commentary generally stays within the bounds of the traditional analyses offered by the standard reference works. Following the acknowledgments, the book includes a list of abbreviations (pp. xi-xii), an introduction to the approach taken and to recurring themes (pp. 1-11), the commentary on Haggai (pp. 13-59), the commentary on Zechariah 1-8 (pp. 60-215), an appendix concerning the three prophetic formulae used in the two books (pp. 217-225), a short glossary of linguistic terms (pp. 227-228), a works cited (pp. 229-243), and three indices arranged by subject (pp. 245-246), Hebrew words (p. 247), and names of scholars (pp. 248-250). The commentary portions are organized as follows: each main section is briefly introduced, followed by an English translation, and then by verse by verse commentary on the Hebrew text. All verbs are parsed (e.g. ‫ֵעֹור‬ ‫נ‬ in Zech. 2:17 is parsed 'Nifal qatal 3 m s ‫'עור√‬ [p. 111]). In addition to sketching the structures of Haggai and Zechariah 1-8, Roglund uses the Introduction to discuss three issues which recur throughout the commentary. First, referencing the ongoing debate on the subject of diachronic language variation in BH, Roglund follows the traditional position which explains the variation as the development of the Hebrew language through time from Standard Biblical Hebrew (SBH) in the pre-exilic period to Late Biblical Hebrew (LBH) in the post-exilic period. In keeping with this position, Roglund takes every opportunity throughout the commentary to highlight LBH features within the text of Haggai and Zechariah which, it is argued, generally belong to the LBH profile which later developed further into the Hebrew attested in the Dead Sea Scrolls and in Rabbinic literature. Second, Roglund discusses the nature of the text of Haggai, whether it is to be classified as prose or poetry. Making use of Wilfred Watson's poetic criteria as a guide, he concludes that

<b>Abstract/Intro:</b>  In what follows, I outline a chronology of the activities of Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, and Nehemiah.  Post-exilic life in Judah has a distinctly Sabbatical rhythm, which is aligned with all the known observances of Sabbatical years in Israel’s intertestamental period.  In particular, post-exilic life in Judah is punctuated by a number of important events when the people gather in a public square and God’s word is ministered in a public manner.

<b>Key Words:</b>  <i>Sabbatical years, Sabbatical cycle, dates, week, chronology, Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, Nehemiah, post-exilic, Second Temple</i>

Commentators have recognized that removal of “iniquity” (און) in Zech 3:4, 9 alludes to the Day of Atonement. However, this intertextual study goes further by demonstrating that Zech 3 specifically references the rituals of Lev 16 with three key words—“before” (פני) (Zech 3:1, 3; cf. Lev 16:12-13), “clothes” (בגדים) (Zech 3:3-5; cf. Lev 16:4, 32), and “iniquity” (און) (Zech 3:4, 9; cf. Lev 16:21-22)—in a vision of the high priest in the Most Holy Place, contaminated by the very kind of evil his rituals are intended to remove. Other intertexual references in Zech 3 support and develop atonement/judgment themes related to Lev 16 and 23:27-32. These include the identity of the Messenger of the LORD, the need to remove moral "filth," renewal of priesthood and sanctuary, the heavenly council scene, and the presence of Satan. Zech 3 culminates in the promise of an eschatological Day of Atonement, which the priests symbolize but God alone is able to accomplish. This ultimate Day of Atonement/judgment is a historical process, beginning with the messianic Branch and ending on the day all iniquity is finally removed. Through this process, God answers implied questions of his justice in forgiving his people’s iniquity.

All four canonical Gospels recount Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey in the days preceding his passion. In every case, a crowd is there acclaiming him with words from Ps 118. But there are few other similarities when comparing the Johannine version to the synoptic accounts. John's account is brief (12:12-16), and lacks the preparatory work of the disciples dispatched to find the donkey. It is not followed by the cleansing of the temple (2:13-22). There are no people marching in alongside Jesus, laying down garments and branches before him. Rather, the crowd comes out to meet him from Jerusalem waving palm fronds (12:12-13). Jesus then responds to the crowd by finding a donkey and sitting upon it (12:14). Unique elements such as these cannot be understood by reading John's account with "synoptic lenses." A fresh reading within the larger context of the gospel is necessary for appreciating why John has chosen to tell the story in this way, and what he intends for his readers to understand through it (20:30-31).

"Behold, the man whose name is the Branch!"  A marvelous prophesy with many significant implications which find their fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.  This paper exegetically defends the Messianic nature of the prophesy and makes appropriate applications.

Zechariah has been used by the author of the Fourth Gospel to address one of the most important issues for both the early Church and first century AD Judaism: the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. The Johannine references to this prophecy served to express the revolutionary truth that there is a new temple, the body of Jesus, the King-Messiah, which is rebuilt by means of his resurrection. The same prophecy served to illustrate yet another dramatic truth: just as the eschatological Jerusalem Temple is the source of the outflow of paradisiac water, so this Temple-Messiah is the source of the re-creating Spirit. Thus, the main contribution of this study is to show the relevance of Zechariah for the Johannine christology and pneumatology, both centered around the idea of the Temple.

A Handbook on the Hebrew Text Max Rogland is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Associate Dean at Erskine Theological Seminary. "Students of the Hebrew Bible who are looking for a reliable guide to the exegesis of Haggai and Zechariah 1-8 need this book. It provides insight into the morphology and syntax of these writings without unnecessary terminological clutter. Haggai and Zechariah 1-8 handles text-critical details with accuracy and restraint and illustrates how careful exegesis of the Hebrew text can yield interpretational precision and illumination. -Richard A. Taylor, Senior Professor of Old Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary 9781602586741 / Paperback / 262 pages / 5.25 x 8 / September 1, 2016 / $29.95 / 1-800-537-5487 / baylorpress.com

This thesis investigates the rhetorical structure of Zechariah’s night visions (Zech. 1:7-6:15). First, the internal relationship between the various sentences in the vision report is analyzed, and second, the night report as a whole is discussed with regard to an overall, coherent message. Fundamental to this study is a functional understanding of grammar, i.e. grammatical structures are intentionally employed by an author to communicate a particular message. In order to investigate the rhetorical structure of Zechariah’s night visions, this study combines Jan Renkema’s Connectivity Model, Knud Lambrecht’s Information-Structure and Robert Van Valin’s Role and Reference Grammar.
The results of this thesis suggest that the night visions do not adhere to a plot in any modern sense but, in various ways, they unfold the rebuilding of the temple and its cultic, social and politic implications. Accordingly, the night visions are a response to a crucial issue at the time of the prophet, viz. the Persians’ political dominance and the cancelling of the temple building. In terms of methodological implications, the rhetorical-structural criticism conducted in this thesis is also a response to a rigid form-critical distinction between visions and oracles as well as to a post-structuralist reading in which the inherent structure of the night visions and the rhetorical implications of such structure are ignored.

This paper plots the theme of exile across the Twelve, exploring its implications for theodicy and hope. Of particular focus is the idea in Zechariah 12–14 that Jerusalem will have to endure another attack by the nations, but after initial devastation and “re-exile”, YHWH will deliver his people with a glorious outcome. This paper examines how Zechariah draws on Israel’s past history to paint a picture of the future and how this idea of “re-exile” functions in the Twelve, especially after many of the people of Judah have returned to the land after the exilic experience that the earlier prophets of the Twelve foresaw. Even though they have returned from Babylon and the temple has been rebuilt, the books of Zechariah and Malachi give evidence that the earlier judgment of God has not dealt decisively with the enduring problem of sin. These latter chapters of Zechariah speak of a further refining purification of Jerusalem that is needed before YHWH’s kingship over the earth is established in all its glory. Crucial to the presentation in Zechariah 9–14 is a future Davidic king whose death results in cleansing and a renewed covenant relationship between YHWH and his people, a message inspiring hope.

It has recently been argued that the Book of the Twelve reflects a variety of views concerning the restoration of the Davidic monarchy, including optimism in the early Persian period and later criticism. The interpretation of Zechariah 11 and the texts concerning Zerubbabel is critical in this. This article presents an interpretation of these texts which coheres with Zechariah and the Book of the Twelve. The shape of the Davidic hope across the Book of the Twelve is then traced and it is observed that the hope for a future king from the house of David occurs at key points. This suggests that those who collected the Twelve sought to preserve the earlier prophetic hope for a future Davidic king.

The explicit references to the Scripture ("grafe") in the Johannine cleansing narrative in 2:22 as well as in the Johannine narrative about the empty tomb in 20:9 were always a perplexing mystery which raised a plethora of scholarly proposals. The article presents an argument in favor of Zech 6:12-13 as a scriptural referent in both these occurrences of "grafe". The Zechariah oracle about the future rebuilding of the temple by a messianic king perfectly dovetails with the Johannine Temple-Christology which depicts the resurrection of Jesus as the rebuilding of the temple by the King-Messiah.

The 'as is' version of my master's thesis submitted for the Master of Theological Studies course at Malyon Theological College.

This paper challenges the validity of Zoroastrian Influence Theory, which claims that Zoroastrianism influenced Old Testament Monotheism and Eschatology. This is true both in the sense that the Old Testament does not absorb Zoroastrian ideas, nor does it define itself against Zoroastrian ideas via polemics.

An expanded version is currently in the works

This contribution analyses the theophany of Yhwh as a storm deity in
Zech 9:14, which takes place in a context of a fight against the Greeks. While past scholarship has already pointed out traditional and mythical elements in this text, unusual aspects of this description, such as Yhwh blowing the trumpet by himself, remain to be explained. It is argued that ancient Levantine traditions are employed in an original way, so as to depict the warlike storm deity with more specific traits of a military leader. This emphasis on concrete military divine leadership is best understood in light of the absence of any mention of an individual human leader in the conflicts depicted in Zech 9(-10); the humble and pacific king of MT Zech 9:9-10 is anything but a military leader. The use of local storm-god traditions when representing Yhwh fighting against the Greeks can be interpreted as cultural resistance against Greek domination, especially in the absence of a local king or chief to lead the armies of Israel. It also serves as a polemic statement according to which Yhwh is the ultimate military leader able to defeat the martial Hellenistic kings.

This essay is concerned with the concept of royal leadership in Zech 9-14, and in particular how the monarchy and the royal house are envisaged in the utopian future that these prophetic materials depict. While the book of Zechariah clearly emphasizes the importance of the cult of Jerusalem-legitimizing its rebirth at the start of Persian period-, biblical scholars have long discussed to what extent the book could be read as a messianic text which also announces the restoration of the local monarchy and Davidic kingship in particular. Within this book, chs. 9-14 stand out as being particularly relevant to the study of royal leadership, since they arguably develop a more explicit discourse concerning the future of local kingship and the royal family than is evident in the earlier chapters. 1 This discourse on royal leadership is especially visible in Zech 9:9-10 and Zech 12:1-13:1. 2 Zechariah 9:9-10 explicitly announces the installation of a king (‫מ‬ ‫ל‬ ‫ך‬) in Jerusalem-a major innovation compared to Zech 1-8, where the only leader given the title of "king" is the Persian emperor Darius (7:1). 3 1 The greater importance attributed to the future of local kingship and the Davidic dynasty in Zech 9-14 than in Zech 1-8 did not go unnoticed by the authors of the New Testament, who often refer to Zech 9-14 to develop their messianic ideas; see, e.g.

At the heart of the Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth are His Sermon on the mount, and His most profound showing of HOW to live in God's grace. At the heart of Medieval and modern Christianity are the Dogma of the Holy Trinity & the Christian Creeds.

Jesus loved His Father in Heaven and He loved common people. Bible stories tell about Him being amongst them. He listened to them, comforted them, and taught them by telling everything in parabels.

Medieval and modern Christianity love God and Christ, but also doctrines. And those doctrines can feel too narrow at some times. Want to read more ? Open the paper.

This paper aims to analyse the inscription of Paul, found by Orsi in 1894 in the catacomb of San Giovanni. Broken on each side, this slab is very peculiar due to the formula of the curse against any possible violator of the sepulchre that it brings. This is alluded to in a fragmentary form in the final lines. The completions of the closing lines proposed by the editors subsequent to Orsi are not totally cogent, as they are not borne out by the autopsy on the slab (such as in Wessel’s reading) or create a philological hypothesis absolutely unnecessary (such as in father Ferrua’s reading). The very purpose of this essay is to present the data that allow me to identify these issues and ascertain the identity of the saint.

This Th.M. thesis argues that Zechariah 8:3 presents YHWH as having already returned to Jerusalem in a spatially imminent sense before the completion of the second temple. In response to scholars that interpret שַׁבְתִּי in Zechariah 8:3 as future, this paper offers a corrective that this verb should be taken as past tense to denote that YHWH has already taken up residence among his people in Jerusalem.
The paper argues that a past tense interpretation of שַׁבְתִּי in Zechariah 8:3 is consistent with recent research by John A. Cook and Max Rogland regarding the suffixed (qatal) conjugational form. Furthermore, cognate accusatives and other features form a literary arc in Zechariah 1:1–6, 1:14–17, and 8:2–3 that supports reading שַׁבְתִּי in 1:15 and 8:3 as past tense.
In order to demonstrate that Zechariah 8 portrays YHWH as spatially present in the environs of Jerusalem amid his people, the paper undertakes brief intertextual studies to argue that Zechariah 8 draws upon the theology of YHWH being present without a sanctuary or temple in Haggai and Exodus 24–29.
The paper concludes with a brief argument that the prophecies in Zechariah 2 and 8 amplify the temple visions in Ezekiel 40–48 without abrogating them. This argument offers a corrective to scholars who see Zechariah as a “corrective” to Ezekiel.

Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar. .v-r.de Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Das Werk und seine Teile sind urheberrechtlich geschützt. Jede Verwertung in anderen als den gesetzlich zugelassenen Fällen bedarf der vorherigen schriftlichen Einwilligung des Verlages.

Resumo: Esse estudo procura verificar a aplicabilidade da Teoria da Intertextualidade para a exegese bíblica. Para a averiguação dessa questão foi selecionada a seção de Zacarias 7:1-8:23 para a análise intertextual. Antes, contudo, são consideradas as questões históricas e literárias da seção, que têm implicações diretas para a realização do estudo. Após o exame intertextual, os autores avaliam a contribuição da teoria para a interpretação da passagem estudada, e por extensão, para os demais textos da Bíblia nos quais essa metodologia for aplicada. Palavras-chaves: Análise Intertextual; Zacarias 7:1-8:23; intertexto; jejum; aliança. Intertextual Investigation of Zechariah 7:1-8:23 Abstract: This study deals with the Theory of Intertextuality and its usage in biblical exegesis. The section of Zechariah 7:1-8:23 was selected for an intertextual analysis. Before such an analysis, some historical and literary issues, with direct implications for this study, were addressed. At the end, the authors discuss the contribution of Theory of Intertextuality for the interpretation of the passage, and the implications of this theory as a methodology for interpretations of other texts of the Bible.

"This book investigates the nature of the hope for the house of David in the final form of the book of Zechariah. It focuses particularly on the following themes: the roles of Joshua and Zerubbabel; the nature and identity of the Shoot; the coming King; the Shepherd; and the Pierced One.

It challenges the scholarly consensus, going back to the thesis of Julius Wellhausen, that the high priest took over the role and prerogatives of the pre-exilic monarch in the early post-exilic period. Instead, Zechariah merely envisages Joshua the high priest being reinstated to the temple duties that were undertaken before the exile. Furthermore, Zechariah does not identify Zerubbabel as the promised future Davidic king ("Shoot"). Rather, Zechariah demonstrates a hope for the restoration of a Davidic king who will have a key role in temple building after the time of Zerubbabel.

The belief that Zechariah 9-11 and 12-14 are oracles that seek to reinterpret prophecies that have become problematic is also challenged. There is no strong evidence that the hope for the house of David in Zechariah 9-14 contradicts the presentation of Zechariah 1-8. This thesis shows how these later chapters continue and develop many of the themes related to the Davidic hope in Zechariah 1-8.

The picture of the Davidic hope that emerges from the book of Zechariah is consistent with the expectations of earlier prophets and confirms that the book, when read as a whole, provides a strong impetus for later messianism in the post-exilic period."

This paper will attempt to prove that Zechariah 10:1-2 contains an intended inner-biblical allusion to Deuteronomy 11:14-15, which changes the meaning of Zechariah 10:1-2 if the reader recognizes the allusion. In order to demonstrate the presence of a literary allusion, this paper will utilize several criteria for determining allusion, some of which have been used in previous works by other scholars such as Tracy McKenzie, Bernard Maurer, Michael Lyons, and David Klingler. Some of the criteria are: verbal similarities, same style, genre appropriate, same structure, and same themes. Any discussion of allusion must include a suggestion for which text is alluding to the other. Rather than employ debated discussions on the dating of completed Old Testament books, this paper will utilize textual arguments similar to text critical discussions in order to determine the direction of the allusion. Some of the criteria are: modification of context or vocabulary, interpretive expansion or summarization, conceptual dependence, conflation, and demonstration of imported meaning. Based upon an application of these criteria, one may conclude that the author of Zechariah 10:1-2 alluded to Deuteronomy 11:14-15 in order to communicate to his readers that if the people followed Yahweh’s ways that their return to Yehud would be like a return to Eden. But, if they did not follow Yahweh’s ways, then they would be punished again.

This analysis of Mark 13 finds the paradigm of a Christology of divine identity-specifically, a Christology that sees Jesus in the place of God in the expectations of God's coming-to be fruitful for understanding the Christological implications of several statements in Mark 13. In the case of this text, the paradigm emerges from the allusive connections between Mark 13 and Zech 13-14, one of the most extensive explications of the hope of God's coming. Although it is not the only text that influences the content of Mark 13, the Christocentric use of the Zecharian text particularly affects the shape of Christological expressions of the Markan text and other aspects of prophetic expectation linked to those expressions (such as the fate of Jerusalem and the identity of who constitutes the remnant). Given the content of the prophecy and given the presence of other allusions to Zech 9-14 in the passion narrative, it is not surprising that there are multiple connections to Zechariah here. Markas the storyteller-and the Markan Jesus-as the central char acter-find in Zechariah fitting language to express Jesus's identity as one who embodies the expectation of God's coming, bears God's presence, enacts God's expected roles, and exercises God's unique authority.

Exclusivity and Inclusivity in Post-Monarchic Society and Literature: A Conversation on Dalit Rom-Shiloni’s Exclusive Inclusivity: Identity Conflicts Exclusivity and Inclusivity in Post-Monarchic Society and Literature: A Conversation on Dalit Rom-Shiloni’s Exclusive Inclusivity: Identity Conflicts between the Exiles and the People Who Remained (6th–5th Centuries BCE)
Edited by Mark Leuchter, JHS 2018.v.18.a1

This recent JHS issue brings six reviews of the above mentioned monograph authored by Mark J. Boda, John Kessler, Marvin A. Sweeney, Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, Mark Leuchter and Andrew Mein, with Dalit Rom-Shiloni's response. These are the written adapted and expanded versions of the papers presented in a review session at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature.

This essay attempts demonstrate that the only two citations of Zechariah in the Fourth Gospel likely derive from “proto-Theodotion” Zechariah (Zech-θ). We first see that the Greek revision Theodotion was extant and available to the authors of the New Testament (NT). Next, we see that the Fourth Gospel’s citation of Zechariah 9:9 in John 12:15 derives from Zech-θ and does not necessarily rely on Matthew’s Gospel, which itself uses Zech-θ. The most critical piece of evidence for this conclusion is found in the genitive ὄνου, which neither the OG nor Matthew’s Gospel preserves, but is found explicitly in Zech-θ. We then examine Zechariah 12:10 in John 19:37 and conclude that it, too, ultimately derives from Zech-θ. This conclusion is plausible because (1) the Fourth Gospel typically uses the Greek versions when citing the OT, (2) Zech-θ was likely at the author’ss disposal when writing the Gospel, and (3) the prepositional phrase εἰς ὃν ἐξεκέντησαν reads verbatim with Zech-θ.

https://brill.com/view/journals/nt/63/2/article-p221_6.xml