Zakharia 5:5

Vision Seven: The Ephah

5:5 After this the angelic messenger ¹  who had been speaking to me went out and said, “Look, see what is leaving.”

Zakharia 6:5

6:5 The messenger replied, “These are the four spirits ²  of heaven that have been presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth.

Zakharia 6:8

6:8 Then he cried out to me, “Look! The ones going to the northland have brought me ³  peace about the northland.” ⁴ 

Zakharia 8:17

8:17 Do not plan evil in your hearts against one another. Do not favor a false oath – these are all things that I hate,’ says the Lord.”

Zakharia 9:4

9:4 Nevertheless the Lord will evict her and shove her fortifications ⁵  into the sea – she will be consumed by fire.

Zakharia 12:1

The Repentance of Judah

12:1 The revelation of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: The Lord – he who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth, who forms the human spirit within a person ⁶  – says,

[5:5]  ¹ tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.

[6:5]  ² tn The Hebrew term translated “spirit” here may also be translated “wind” or “breath” depending on the context (cf. ASV, NRSV, CEV “the four winds of heaven”; NAB similar).

[6:8]  ³ tn Heb “my spirit.” The subject appears to be the Lord who exclaims here that the horsemen have accomplished their task of bringing peace.

[6:8]  ⁴ sn The immediate referent of peace about the northland is to the peace brought by Persia’s conquest of Babylonia, a peace that allowed the restoration of the Jewish people (cf. 2 Chr 36:22-23; Isa 44:28; 45:1-2). However, there is also an eschatological dimension, referring to a time when there will be perfect and universal peace.

[9:4]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew word חַיִל (khayil, “strength, wealth”) can, with certain suffixes, look exactly like חֵל (khel, “fortress, rampart”). The chiastic pattern here suggests that not Tyre’s riches but her defenses will be cast into the sea. Thus the present translation renders the term “fortifications” (so also NLT) rather than “wealth” (NASB, NRSV, TEV) or “power” (NAB, NIV).

[12:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “who forms the spirit of man within him” (so NIV).