Zechariah 1 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

This chapter is written in prose mainly with imagery used throughout to portray Zechariah’s vision given by the Lord.

Some translations prefer to set apart quotations. The ULT and many other English translations set lines 1:3–6, 14–17, which are extended quotations, farther to the right on the page than the rest of the text.

The Eight Night Visions as a Chiasm

Chapters 1:7–6:8 present eight visions arranged in a mirrored (chiastic) pattern: patrolling horses (1:7–17) match the closing chariot vision (6:1–8); the horns that scattered Judah (1:18–21) match the removal of wickedness in the basket vision (5:5–11); Jerusalem without walls (2:1–5) matches the scroll of judgment (5:1–4); and Joshua reclothed (3:1–10) matches the two anointed leaders, Joshua and Zerubbabel (4:1–14). This chapter contains the first two panels of that pattern.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Visions

This book contains a number of visions given to Zechariah, so the images are not ones Zechariah actually saw but were given to him in a vision or dream. It is important for each of these visions to keep their meanings and not be interpreted to mean any specific thing.

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Date

Zechariah uses two separate dates in this first chapter. When compared to the book of Haggai, Zechariah’s prophecy was proclaimed just a few weeks after Haggai. However, they prophesied in two different places: Haggai was in Jerusalem and Zechariah was somewhere outside of Jerusalem. (See: prophet)