Zechariah 7:4-6

Fasting not an essential element of true religion, 4-6.

The new revelation (Zechariah 7:4 ff.; see on Zechariah 1:1) has to do with this inquiry. 5.

Unto all the people All were interested in the fast, hence all would be interested in the prophet’s teaching.

The priests They were always the conservatives, the prophets the progressives; the former were prone to emphasize the letter of the law, the latter the spirit, and because they were not bound to the letter they were able to lead the people into new and higher truth, though in doing this they frequently encountered the most bitter opposition of the priests. The new message had to do with the spirit of the law; therefore it was only natural that it should pass from the prophet to the priests, who in turn might pass it on to the people. We have here an illustration of a fact noted by Beecher, “The record represents the prophets as the medium through which the torah is given from the deity; the priests as the official custodians and administrators of the torah; and both as the expounders and interpreters of torah.”

The… seventh month The third day of this month was observed as a day of fasting and mourning in commemoration of the murder of Gedaliah (2 Kings 25:25-26; Jeremiah 41:1 ff.).

Fifth See on Zechariah 7:3.

Seventy years In round numbers, seventy years had elapsed since the fall of the city.

Did ye at all fast unto me Was the fast observed as a means of grace by which the people drew closer to God? Was Jehovah benefited in any way by their fasting? The pronoun is repeated for the sake of emphasis (Haggai 1:4). 6.

Did not ye eat for yourselves Eating is of value only to the eater. Jehovah derives no benefit either from their fasting or their feasting, but they should know whether or not the one or the other is useful to them.