Hath been sore displeased ; literally, displeased with displeasure, which the versions render, ὠργίσθη ὀργὴν μεγάλην : iratus iracundia (cf. Zechariah 1:15 ). Not only events connected with their earlier history proved that God had been incensed with their forefathers, but the ruin of their kingdom, and the late Captivity, and the desolation around them, were evidence of the same sad truth. read more
§ 2. The prophet admonishes the people not to follow their forefathers' evil example, but to turn to the Lord with all their heart. read more
In the eighth month - o. The date joins on Zechariah’s prophecy to those of Haggai. Two months before, “in the sixth month” Haggai 1:1, had Haggai, conjointly with Zechariah Ezra 5:1-2, exhorted Zerubbabel and the people to resume the intermitted building of the temple. These had used such diligence, notwithstanding the partial discouragement of the Persian Government, that God gave them “in the seventh month” Ezra 5:3-5, the magnificent promise of the later glory of the temple through the... read more
Wroth was the Lord against your fathers with wrath - o, that is, a wrath which was indeed such, whose greatness he does not further express, but leaves to their memories to supply. Cyril: “Seest thou how he scares them, and, setting before the young what befell those before them, drives them to amend, threatening them with the like or more grievous ills, unless they would wisely reject their fathers’ ways, esteeming the pleasing of God worthy of all thought and care. He speaks of great wrath.... read more
Zechariah 1:1-2. In the eighth month This month, according to that reckoning which begins the year with the month Abib, or Nisan, Exodus 12:2, falls in with the latter part of our October, and the beginning of November. Haggai had begun to exhort the Jews to resume the work of building the temple two months before this, and they had actually resumed it on the 24th day of the sixth month, that is, in the beginning of September. In the second year of Darius That is, Darius the son of... read more
1:1-6:15 ZECHARIAH’S VISIONSCall to repentance (1:1-6)At the time Zechariah delivered his first message, Haggai had already been preaching for about two months (1:1; cf. Haggai 1:1). In his two recorded messages of that time, Haggai had shown that all Israel’s current difficulties were because of the people’s selfishness and disobedience in failing to rebuild the temple. As a result of Haggai’s preaching the people stirred themselves and started building again (Haggai 1:1-2:9).Zechariah now... read more
In the eighth month, &c. Zechariah's first prophecy is dated (Zechariah 1:1 ) "in the eighth month in the second year of Darius" (Hystaspis) (410 b. c.) ; sixteen years after the Decree of Cyrus. It thus comes midway between Haggai's second and third messages. See notes on Haggai 1:1-10 . Modern critics first assume that the day ought to be named, and then further assume that it has "fallen out accidentally"! Darius. Darius (Hystaspis). See App-57 . the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 , ... read more
sore displeased. Hebrew displeased with a displeasure. Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6 . See note on Genesis 26:28 . your fathers. Compare verses: Zechariah 1:4 , Zechariah 1:6 , read more
This chapter has one of the most impressive calls to righteousness in the whole Bible (Zechariah 1:1-6), and the first two of eight remarkable visions: (1) that of the horsemen in the myrtle grove (Zechariah 1:7-11), with the divine interpretation of the vision (Zechariah 1:11-17), and (2) the vision of the four horns and the four smiths, including its divine interpretation (Zechariah 1:18-21).Despite the purpose of Zechariah's prophecy being that of conveying comfort, consolation, and... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Zechariah 1:1-6
The importance of repentance. "In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechish, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers," etc. Zechariah and Haggai were contemporaries—prophets of the restoration. The former began to prophesy about two months after Haggai. Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, he was of priestly descent; a son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo, the chief of one of the... read more