Study notes

Zechariah 2

Introducing ZechariahWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

1:1–8:23 Section

God gave some messages to Zechariah by speaking to him. He gave Zechariah other messages through visions. Zechariah shared these messages while the people of Judah were rebuilding the temple. The story about this is recorded in Ezra chapters 5 and 6.

The messages had two main points. The first main point was about the Mount Sinai covenant. The people of Zechariah’s time needed to be faithful to the covenant. Their people from long ago hadn’t done this. They hadn’t worshipped only God. They hadn’t treated others the way God taught them to in the Law of Moses. They hadn’t listened to the prophets who warned them to stop doing evil deeds. They hadn’t turned away from their sin and repented.

That is why God brought judgement against the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. The Assyrian government had taken control of the northern kingdom of Israel. The Babylonian government had taken control of the southern kingdom of Judah. The temple had been destroyed. Many of God’s people had been forced to leave their land. They had been scattered among other nations and lived in exile.

Many of God’s people understood that God’s judgement against them was right and fair. The people had shown how sad they were about God’s judgement. They showed it by mourning and going without food at certain times. Zechariah explained the way that God wanted them to show their sadness. It wasn’t by fasting. It was by treating people with justice. This was like the message about fasting recorded in Isaiah chapter 58. God had explained how to treat people with justice in the Law of Moses. After the exile God’s people were still required to follow those laws.

1:7–6:15

These eight visions helped the Judeans overcome their fears and trust in God's promises. The visions happened two months after Haggai's last two messages (Haggai 2:10–19, 20–23). They suggest that Haggai's prophecies were coming true.

2:1–5

The visions move from a wide focus to a narrow one. They begin with the whole world (vision 1), then move to the nations (vision 2), and finally focus on the city of Jerusalem. The vision itself appears in 2:1–3, followed by an explanation of its meaning in 2:4–5.

2:2

determine its width and length: By taking this measurement, God showed he was planning for Jerusalem's future.

2:5

  • The wall of fire symbolizes divine protection (compare 2 Kings 6:17).

  • I will be: The strong form of the verb to be emphasizes God’s personal presence. It may point to God’s name revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:14–15).

  • Fire and glory point back to the Exodus, when God showed his presence through fire and glory (see Exodus 13:22; 14:20; 40:34).

2:6

  • Get up!: This strong command promises that the Lord will lead his people out of exile and into a restored Jerusalem (compare Isaiah 55:1).

  • the land of the north: Travelers had to go north to then move east, so people thought of Babylonia as being in the north.

  • four winds: Hebrew exiles would return to Judah and Jerusalem from all directions (see Ezekiel 12:14; 37:9).

2:6–13

God called the exiles to return from Babylon, which predicted their return to Israel (Zechariah 2:6–9) and God's presence returning to Jerusalem (2:10–13).

2:8

whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye: This could refer to Israel as God's chosen people. It might also mean that those who harmed Israel hurt themselves by bringing God's judgment upon them.

2:9

they will become plunder for their own servant: During the exodus, the Egyptians gave the Israelites valuables to encourage them to leave (see Exodus 11:2–3; 12:35–36).

2:12

  • Israel is the Lord’s inheritance or special possession. The people of Israel belong to the Lord (Deuteronomy 32:9–10).

  • The land is holy because of God’s glorious presence in the Jerusalem temple (see Psalms 11:4; 15:1).

2:13

Be silent: The force of the Hebrew word (has) is like the English word "hush" (see Habakkuk 2:20; Zephaniah 1:7). This command calls for quiet respect in God’s presence.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources