1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;
2 When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the Lord,
3 And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
4 Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying,
5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
7 Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?
8 And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying,
9 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.
11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.
13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts:
14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.
<html><b>And Beth-El Shar-Etser sent, with Regem-Melekh and his men — </b> Righteous men were they, and they sent from Babylon to their relatives in Beth-el to come to plea for mercy before the face of the L<small>ORD</small> in Jerusalem for their sake, and to ask of the priests to find out if they should weep in the month of Av, since the house was built again.</html>
<html><b> Shall I abstain </b> to part oneself from pleasure, as I did these seventy years. There is never any abstention anywhere in the Bible without parting.</html>
<html><b> And on the seventh — </b> That is the fast of Gedaliah. <b> Did you fast Me, I? </b> The letter <i> hei </i> is vocalized with a <i> ḥaṭaf pataḥ </i> since it is serving the purpose of expressing surprise. If for My honor you fasted, then you will need to fast even now.</html>
<html><b> And when you eat and when you drink — </b> And also, if you don't fast, what's it to Me? Was it not for your own pleasure that you ate and drank?</html>
<html><b> Was it not the words — </b> Who made you fast and weep? Was it not the words of rebute that the L<small>ORD</small> called etc, etc, that destroyed you? And that is why you fast, and these are the words that He called: judge justice and truth.</html>
<html><b> set like a <i> shamir </i>—</b> A worm, stronger than rock. They show it on the rock and it splits.</html>
<html><b> And it was, when He called and they did not listen — </b> the L<small>ORD</small> of hosts said about them at that time, “Let <i>them</i> call, and <i>I</i> will not listen!”</html>
<html><b> And I dispersed them — </b> in exile, and thus I did. <b> And they caused — </b> in their iniquity. <b> The desired land to desolation — </b> and that was what triggered the fasting and weeping. But now I am jealous for Zion, for Zion's sake I will have vengeance on the Chaldeans.</html> Chapter 7
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<html><b>And Sharezer and Regem Melech and his men sent to Bethel</b> They were righteous men, and they sent [word] to their kinsmen in Bethel to come to pray before the Lord in Jerusalem for them, and to ask the priests to let them know if they should [still] weep in the month of Av, since the Temple had been rebuilt.</html>
<html><b>abstaining</b> To abstain from pleasure, as I have done these seventy years. The word נְזִירָה always means separation.</html>
<html><b>and in the seventh [month]</b> That is the fast of Gedaliah. <b>did you fast for Me, even for Me</b> The ‘he’ is vowelized with a ‘hataf pattah’ because it is used as the interrogative: Did you fast in My honor that you should be required to fast now, too?</html>
<html><b>And when you eat and when you drink</b> And, if you do not fast, that, too, means nothing to Me. Are not the food and the drink for your own pleasure?</html>
<html><b>Was it not the words</b> Who caused you the fast and the mourning? Was it not the words of reproof that the Lord proclaimed, etc.? They brought about your destruction, and therefore you fasted. And these are the words that He proclaimed: Execute true judgment.</html>
<html><b>shamir</b> A worm stronger than flint. They would show it to the stone, which would split.</html>
<html><b>And it came about; as He called and they did not hearken</b> the Lord said concerning them in those days: So shall they call and I will not hearken.</html>
<html><b>I will scatter them</b> in exile. And so I did. <b>they made</b> with their iniquity. <b>desolation</b> And that brought about the fast (and the mourning), but now [I am jealous for Zion, etc.]</html>