Zacharias, Prophet

ZACHARIAS, Prophet. - Penultimate of the minor prophets. His name (Zéhharjâh "Yahweh remembers") well corresponds to the content of his prophecy. Son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo, he was of priestly stock (Zech. 1:1; Ezra 5:1; 6:14; Neh. 12:16). He was a contemporary of Haggai; he uttered the first oracle preserved in his book in the 8th month of the second year of Darius I, that is, in Oct.-Nov. of 520 B.C., two months after Haggai's first discourse (Zech. 1:1, 7); ch. 7:1 is from the 4th year of Darius (518 B.C.). He is not to be confused with Zechariah of Mt. 23:35 (cf. II Chron. 24:20 ff.).

Haggai and Zechariah infused new ardor into the souls of the repatriates, who had been discouraged by the difficulties encountered in rebuilding the Temple. The first caravan of the returning exiles, in the year 537, was led by Zerubbabel (v.) and the high priest Joshua; there were about 40,000 from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, mostly priests and Levites; they settled in Jerusalem and its surroundings. Seven months after the return they erected the altar and began the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 1-3). But the bitter hostility of the neighbors, led by the Samaritans, induced the distrustful Persian court to have the work suspended.

In setting out on the long desert road for the return to their homeland, the exiles regarded themselves as "the true people of Yahweh," "the remnant" or "holy seed" that Yahweh had reserved for himself (Ezra 2:2b; 9:8; Hag. 1:12). They thought that the promises of prosperity which fill the 2nd part of Is. and Ez. 34:25-31; 35; 36; 47 were being realized in them; these are the chapters to which Zech. 9-14 especially refers. Instead, as appears from Ezra 3-4 and from Nehemiah, they found nothing of the dreamed-of happiness, but rather the usual life, burdened by greater labor and threatened by dangers of every sort. From the dream of the fairest hopes they had fallen into the harshest experience of reality; cf. Ps 126 (125) and 85 (84).

The prophecies described the part that Yahweh would take in the reborn theocracy and joined to this the messianic kingdom which was its end and perfection; but the two stages of the rebirth had to be kept distinct: the preparatory and the definitive; only to the latter, that is, to the kingdom of the Messiah, did many of the fairest prophetic promises refer. Haggai and Zechariah intervened to reanimate the faithful, and had the rebuilding of the Temple resumed and carried through to completion, with the consequent resumption of worship: the first step of the national rebirth. Once the works were resumed in the 2nd year of Darius, they were brought to completion in the 6th year, 515 B.C. (Ezra 5-6).

The book of Zechariah, already called by St. Jerome "most obscure" and "the longest among the 12 minor prophets" (PL 25, 1417), consists of two clearly distinct parts (linked to each other by chs. 7-8): the eight "night" visions (chs. 1-6) and the prophecies (chs. 9-14). In the visions as in the discourses the theme developed is one and the same: the certain realization of the rebirth promised by Yahweh, and of the punishment of the neighboring peoples foretold by Ez. 35-36; its perpetuity, with the triumph over the violent attacks of the nations (Ez. 38-39 = Zech. 9:14; cf. Dan. 7-12); the new theocracy is in fact ordered to, and is the immediate preparation of, the kingdom of the Messiah, by which it will be raised up and "absorbed." The repatriates therefore are the object of the "jealousy of Yahweh"; they are called "the daughter of Zion" (1:14), "the people of Yahweh" (8:8, 12); they are the "remnant" of Israel (8:6, 11), the object of divine blessings; Yahweh dwells in their midst, he places his dwelling, once again, in Jerusalem (2:9, 14; Vulg. 2:5, 10).

In the first vision (horsemen or instruments of divine justice: 1:7-17) formal assurance is given of the rebirth of the nation and of the punishment of the nations. Where was the fulfillment of the prophecies about the prosperous rebirth of the new Israel on the hills of Palestine and the punishment of Edom and the other peoples, who, rejoicing over the ruin of Judah, have despised Yahweh? (cf. Ez. 35; 36:1-5, 33-36; etc.). Yahweh answers: "I am deeply jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion; and I am deeply angry with these nations that are now at ease, who, when I was a little indignant with my people, helped to increase its misfortune." The hour has come, the Lord assures, of my favor toward Judah: the new Israel, behold, is rising; "Yahweh will again consider Zion, and once more will make Jerusalem his chosen city"; while the punishment of the nations is certain (2:1-4: Vulg. 1:18-21). Israel will have in Yahweh its defender and will embrace a countless multitude (cf. Ez. 36:10 f.; 37). Therefore Zechariah invites the exiles, still in Babylon, to return to their homeland, to share in the extraordinary glory of the new community, which "will embrace many nations" and will have the Lord at its center (2:5-17: Vulg. 2:1-13). The emphasis on the countless multitude, on the conversion of the nations (cf. Is. 2:3 f.; Mc. 4:2) recalls the kingdom of the Messiah, the ultimate and definitive end of the risen Israel, guided by the priesthood and by the Davidic prince. The Jewish priesthood (ch. 3), now purified, will attend to all that concerns worship (v. 7): Joshua and his priests are a sign and pledge of the rebuilding of the Temple and the restoration of worship (v. 8), an essential part of the risen Israel. To Joshua is associated Zerubbabel (v. 8b); together they will carry to completion the work begun, to which the Lord reserves the right to give the final touch (v. 9). Zerubbabel (ch. 4) is placed over the material construction of the Temple, Joshua over worship: the former in particular must rely solely on the action of God: Yahweh will overcome all difficulties that appear humanly insurmountable. An essential element of the reborn, purified Israel is holiness (ch. 5). As the ephah is carried off to Babylon, so iniquity is about to be banished forever from the young Jewish community. As for the material rebuilding, so for spiritual perfection Yahweh proceeds gradually, working through the prophets and his other representatives for the progressive sanctification of Israel. There follows in ch. 6 the exaltation of Joshua (vv. 9-11) and that of Zerubbabel (vv. 12-15). The latter realizes the messianic hope insofar as he is the root from which the Messiah will be born. There emerges again the link between the new Israel, which is rising, and the kingdom of the Messiah, which will succeed it; the former is temporary and preparatory. Moreover, the purpose of the covenant of Sinai is brought into relief, now restricted to the tribe of Judah alone; a covenant given concrete form in the promise made by Yahweh to David. This rebirth of the covenant, this wondrous work (the new theocracy) is the exclusive fruit of God's love (8:2) and of his omnipotence (8:6 ff.); with it the essence of the pact is realized: "Behold, I save my people; I bring them back from the lands of the East... that they may dwell in Jerusalem; they shall be my people and I will be their God with faithfulness and with justice" (8:8). Therefore let the repatriates take heart; they are the object of the choicest blessings from Yahweh (8:14 f.): "As I purposed to do you harm when your fathers provoked me to anger... and I had no compassion, so, on the contrary, I have purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not!" In return, Yahweh demands, besides worship (3:1-8), the practice of justice (8:16 f.).

In chs. 7-8, to the question of the pious faithful of Bethel whether the days of fasting in the 4th, 5th, 7th and 10th months, freely undertaken by the exiles to commemorate the fall and plundering of Jerusalem and the Temple (58th year B.C.), Zechariah answers that far more important is the observance of the precept given to the fathers: "Be just in judgment, practice love and mercy each toward his own brother" (7:9); thus the days of fasting are changed into days of joy and the peoples will come to Jerusalem to adore the Lord (ch. 8).

The 2nd part presents the same themes as chs. 1-6, with a predominance and development of the messianic prophecies. Puni-

of the neighboring peoples (9:1-7 = 2:1-4), and protection of the risen Israel (9:8) with the realization of the Kingdom of the Messiah, a peaceful king, over all peoples (cf. Ps. 72:8); an invitation to the other exiles to return and become part of the reborn theocracy (9:9-12 = 2:5-17). The protection of Yahweh is manifested when the peoples (here specified: the Hellenists, 9:13) attack Israel (9:13-17 = Ez. 38-39). In ch. 10 Z. takes up again the idea developed by Ezekiel, especially in chs. 34 and 38-39. The national disaster was a punishment for Judah's infidelity and not a defect of Yahweh's power; this power, together with his mercy, was demonstrated in the return of the exiles, preceded by their conversion; and it will be shown in the future triumph against the overwhelming attack of the peoples. This theme is continued in chs. 12-13, to be concluded in ch. 14 with the image of Jerusalem as a source of salvation for all (Zech. 14:8-11 = Ez. 47:1-11).

There is no doubt whatsoever about the authenticity of the 1st part; while non-Catholic criticism is almost unanimous in denying the 2nd part to Z., even though it then no longer knows how to resolve positively the origin and exegesis of these chapters. It suffices to consider the principal solutions proposed. 1) H. L. Strack, E. Koenig, Orelli place cc. 9-11 before 722 B.C., and cc. 12-14 before 587 (they would have been composed after the death of Josiah at the battle of Megiddo); 2) B. Stade, B. Duhm, K. Marti, E. Sellin assign 9-14 to after the exile (3rd or 2nd century B.C.); 3) some recent scholars attribute: cc. 9-11 to a contemporary of Hosea or of Isaiah, cc. 12-13 to a contemporary of Jeremiah, c. 14 to an unknown author after the exile (E. Sellin). Among the literary arguments, the one drawn from 9:13 is well known, where "the sons of Javan," that is, the Greeks, are named, for all those who maintain the more recent origin of this 2nd part. The expression is considered a gloss by van Hoonacker, Nowack and Mitchell; and such a solution is not to be neglected, although it is not necessary for one who acknowledges the supernatural character of prophetic inspiration (cf. Is. 45:1). The principal argument, as A. Clamer well summarizes it, would lie in the difference of "eschatological conceptions" between the first and the second part; in the latter there is the attack of all the nations against Jerusalem (14:2), the fountain that flows out from the capital (13:1), the "apocalyptic" character of the description in Zach. 14, elements that lie outside the first part. Before speaking of opposition, however, it is wiser to study objectively whether a relationship is impossible: whether there is not rather a harmonious development between the two parts (H. Junker, cited in bibl., p. 113). This harmony exists; it suffices to refer to the prophecies of Ezekiel (cc. 34-39, 47). It is useless to speak of an "apocalyptic" genre or character, when one finds the prophetic complex employed by Ezekiel. Recently, by internal criteria alone, the unity of the second part has been affirmed (cf. Delcor), already maintained moreover by van Hoonacker, Junker and others.

The Hebrew text, on the whole, is well preserved. L. G. Rignell concludes, after a careful analysis, that for the first 6 chapters the Masoretic text must not be unduly corrected; the readings of the other versions have a value inferior to the Hebrew text; and thus many passages ordinarily considered glosses should instead be preserved (e.g., 1:9b; 2:4, 10, 12, 13, etc.); verses considered corrupt or out of place instead offer an intelligible and coherent text (e.g., 1:8; 3:4, 9; 4:2, 6, etc.): cf. Revue biblique, 58 (1951), p. 467 ff.

Sacra, 99-103 (1942-46); A. Jepsen, Kleine Beiträge zum Zwölfprophetenbuch. III, 4 Sacharia, in Zeitschrift für alttestam. Wissenschaft, 61 (1945-48), pp. 95-114; C. Brouwer, Wachter en Herder (Zach. 11 e 13,7 seg.), Wageningen 1949; K. Elliger, Ein Zeugnis aus der jüdischen Gemeinde im Alexanderjahr 33: v. c., in Zeits. f. a. W., 62 (1949 seg.), pp. 63-115; A. Clamer, s. v. in DThC, XV (1950), coll. 3648-70; E. E. Le Bas, Zachariah's contribution to the dormer stone (3,8 seg.), in Palestine exploration quarterly, 82 (1950), pp. 102-22; 83 (1951), pp. 139-55; M. Delcee, Les allusions à Alexandre le Grand dans Zach. 9, 18, in Vetus Testamentum, 1 (1951), pp. 110-24; id., Un problème de critique textuelle et d'exégèse: Zach. 12, 10, in Revue biblique, 58 (1951), pp. 189-99; id., Les sources du Deutéro-Zacharie et ses procédés d'emprunt, ibid., 59 (1952), pp. 385-411; H. J. Fugman, The messianic teachings of Zech. 9-14, Southern 1950; L. Rost, Bemerkungen zu Sacharia 4, in Zeits. f. a. W., 63 (1951), pp. 216-21; *K. Galling, Die Exilierende in der Sicht des Propheten Sacharia, in Vetus Testamentum, 2 (1952), pp. 18-36; F. Spadafora, Collettivismo e individualismo nel Vecchio Testamento, Rovigo 1953, pp. 266-75.

Francesco Spadafora