Links to biblical citations are to the New Revised Standard Version. Scripture quotes are taken from the RSV in accordance with their copyright permission: The [New] Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.
Notice of copyright must appear on the title or copyright page of the work as follows:
“Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
Background~Around 926 BC King Solomon died, leaving behind him a kingdom in disarray. He had failed to abide by the laws laid down for the king and, in fact, appears to have broken most of them (compare Deut 17:14-20 with 1 Kings 11). His heavy-handed policies had brought disaffection upon the people, and his son exacerbated the situation and, as a result, the kingdom split into two (1 Kings 12:1-16). At first the division was political, willed by God, but latter, the first king of the new northern kingdom-which retained the name Israel-instituted a religious rebellion which was to last about 200 years and lead, eventually (722 BC), to that kingdom’s downfall (Rebellion: 1 kings 12:26-33. Downfall: 2 Kings 17:1-12). The southern kingdom-called Judah-remained under the the authority of the line of David and would last as a political entity until 587 BC when it was conquered by the Babylonians (2 Chron 36:15-21; 2 Kings 25:1-21).
In 538 Cyrus the Persian conquered Babylon and within a year issued a decree allowing the people of Judah to return to Jerusalem and its environs, and allowing them to also rebuild the temple (Ezra 1). The altar at the ruined temple was quickly restored and, shortly thereafter, work began on the foundations of the temple (Ezra 3), but opposition from various factions, including the Samaritans led to the reconstruction being halted (Ezra 4). This situation lasted until 520 and the advent of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (see Ezra 5:1-2 and the books of Haggai and Zechariah).
The book of Zechariah opens with a call to repentance (1:1-6). This should perhaps be seen in relation to the critique of Haggai who chided the people for being more concerned with their own homes than with the temple (Haggai 1, see Matt 6:25-34). There then follows a series of 8 visions (1:7-6:8) which appear to be arranged in the form of a reverse parallel.
Vision 1, the four horsemen (1:7-17), parallels vision 8, the four chariots (6:1-8). See both texts here.
Vision 2 (1:18-21 or 2:1-4 in some translations) is a vision concerning four horns and four blacksmiths. The horns represent forces that had scattered and destroyed Judah. The blacksmiths concern powers which will bring down the hostile powers represented by the horns. This parallels vision 7 (5:5-11), the vision of the flying container. The power of wickedness in the land of Judah is taken away and deposited in a temple in Shinar (i.e., Babylon). The power of wickedness that once afflicted Judah now comes to rest in a pagan temple in the recently conquered Babylon. See both texts here.
Vision 3 (2:1-13 or 2:5-17 in some translations) is a vision of the new Jerusalem in which the Lord will dwell. This parallels vision 6 (5:1-4), the flying scroll which contains a curse and which will dwell in the houses of those who do evil. See both texts here.
Vision 4 (3:1-10), is concerned with the purification and exaltation of the high priest. Vision 5 (4:1-14) is a vision of Zerubbabel, the davidic prince, and of Joshua, the high priest. See both texts here.
NOTES:
(RSV 2:10=NAB 2:14). Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the LORD.
In the first vision God had stated through his angel `Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion…I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion; my house shall be built in it, says the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Cry again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’ (1:14, 16-17).
Sing and rejoice. Joy, crying out and songs of praise are hallmarks of Luke’s infancy narrative from which today’s Gospel reading is taken (for joy see Lk 1:14, 42, 44, 47, 58; 2:10. For song see 1:46-55, 67-79; 2:14, 29-32). See also Zephaniah 3:14-15 where daughter Zion is told to sing and rejoice because the Lord dwells in her.
Daughter Zion. A title often applied to the Virgin Mary. The Greek word chaire (Hail! Rejoice), used in the angelic greeting to Mary was used in several OT Zion texts of the Septuagint. A parallel was especially seen between the angel’s words and those of Zephaniah: 3:14-17. Beside chaire, the text of Zephaniah speaks of God being in the midst of Daughter Zion, employing the word בקרבך, which can mean womb (Gen 25:22 “within her”). Luke twice used the phrase “in the womb” in reference to the conception of Jesus (Lk 1:31; 2:21). Also it is said by Zephaniah (3:17) that the King of Israel who is in the midst of Zion has cast out its enemies, showing himself to be mighty (RSV “warrior”) and victorious (see Lk 1:49-52).
I come and I will dwell in the midst of you. Many of the early Church Fathers saw this as an allusion to the incarnation of Christ: The Lord heard the prayer of the Prophets. The Father disregarded not the perishing of our race; He sent forth His Son, the Lord from heaven, as healer: and one of the Prophets saith, The Lord whom ye seek, cometh, and shall suddenly come (Mal 3:1). Whither? The Lord shall come to His own temple, where ye stoned Him. Then another of the Prophets, on hearing this, saith to him: In speaking of the salvation of God, speakest thou quietly? In preaching the good tidings of God’s coming for salvation, speakest thou in secret? O thou that bringest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain. Speak to the cities of Judah. What am I to speak? Behold our God! Behold! the Lord cometh with strength (Isa 40:9-10)! Again the Lord Himself saith, Behold! I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations shall flee unto the Lord (Zech 2:10-11 or 2:14-15 in some translations). The Israelites rejected salvation through Me: I come to gather all nations and tongues (Isa 66:18). For (He came to His own and His own received Him not (Jn 1:11). Thou comest and what dost Thou bestow on the nations? I come to gather all nations, and I will leave on them a sign (Isa 66:19). For from My conflict upon the Cross I give to each of My soldiers a royal seal to bear upon his forehead. Another also of the Prophets said, (He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under His feet (Ps 18:9). For His coming down from heaven was not known by men (St Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 12).
But it is written, say they (i.e., the Arian heretics), in the Proverbs, ‘The Lord created me the beginning of His ways, for His Works (Prov 8:22);’ and in the Epistle to the Hebrews the Apostle says, ‘Being made so much better than the Angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they (Heb 1:4).’ And soon after, ‘Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him that made Him ( Heb 3:1).’ And in the Acts, ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).’ These passages they brought forward at every turn, mistaking their sense, under the idea that they proved that the Word of God was a creature and work and one of things originate; and thus they deceive the thoughtless, making the language of Scripture their pretence, but instead of the true sense sowing upon it the poison of their own heresy. For had they known, they would not have been irreligious against ‘the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2:8),’ nor have wrested the good words of Scripture. If then henceforward openly adopting Caiaphas’s way, they have determined on judaizing, and are ignorant of the text, that verily God shall dwell upon the earth (Zech 2:10 or 2:14 is some translations, see also 1 Kings 8:27; Baruch 3:37), let them not inquire into the Apostolical sayings; for this is not the manner of Jews. But if, mixing themselves up with the godless Manichees (), they deny that ‘the Word was made flesh,’ and His Incarnate presence, then let them not bring forward the Proverbs, for this is out of place with the Manichees. But if for preferment-sake, and the lucre of avarice which follows, and the desire for good repute, they venture not on denying the text, ‘The Word was made flesh,’ since so it is written, either let them rightly interpret the words of Scripture, of the embodied presence of the Saviour, or, if they deny their sense, let them deny that the Lord became man at all. For it is unseemly, while confessing that ‘the Word became flesh,’ yet to be ashamed at what is written of Him, and on that account to corrupt the sense (St Athanasius, First Discourse Against the Arians).
(RSV 2:11 = NAB 2:15) And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
God would judge the foreign nations (RSV 1:14-2:9= NAB 1:15-2:13) but, in keeping with other OT prophecies, it is here implied that foreign nations would be converted by this judgement and join themselves to God’s people (see Isaiah 54:1-3; 56:6-8). This current verse should be seen as building upon the words of Zech 2:4 (2:8 in the NAB). Here Zechariah makes explicit what his fellow contemporary prophet Haggai only hinted at. In Haggai 2:6-9 it is stated that God would shake the heavens, the earth, the sea, the dry land and the nations so that all the treasures of the nations would come to the glorious new temple in the New Jerusalem. This statement of Haggai’s could be taken as implying that the people of the nations would themselves come bearing these gifts. Haggai speaks of treasures from the nations, Zechariah speaks of people from the nations and Isaiah combines both: “For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD (Isa 66:18-20).
(RSV 2:12 = NAB 2:16) And the LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”
Inherit…portion…choose. Covenant terms. Holy land is here used for the first time in Scripture to refer to the promised land (see Wisdom 12:3; 2 Macc 1:7). The phrase recalls Moses’ vision and call to ministry at Horeb (i.e., Mount Sinai) in Exodus 3 (see the reference to “holy ground” in verse 5). It would be on the “holy ground of this mountain that the the covenant would be established (Exodus 19-24). A new covenant is being hinted at here, one in which all people share, but in which Judah and Jerusalem will have a central role.
(RSV 2:13 = NAB 2:17) Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD; for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
Be silent. Reverential fear which should be manifested at temple liturgy and before cosmic upheaval (Hab 2:20, Zeph 1:7). God’s rousing himself implies judgement, his holy dwelling implies liturgy.
