meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Rashi/Prophets/Rashi on Zechariah/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Rashi on Zechariah
  רש"י על זכריה
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Rashi on Zechariah
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  Zechariah's prophecy is very obscure, filled with dreamlike  visions meant for interpretation, but we can't establish a reliable one until the 'just teacher'.  I will attempt to thoughtfully give the texts appropriate interpretations, in step with Yonatan's interpretations.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  And Beth-El Shar-Etser sent, with Regem-Melekh and his men —  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 LORD 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.
  
  Verse 3
  
   Shall I abstain  to part oneself from pleasure, as I did these seventy years. There is never any abstention anywhere in the Bible without parting.
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
   And on the seventh —  That is the fast of Gedaliah.
   Did you fast Me, I?  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.
  
  Verse 6
  
   And when you eat and when you drink —  And also, if you don't fast, what's it to Me? Was it not for your own pleasure that you ate and drank?
  
  Verse 7
  
   Was it not the words —  Who made you fast and weep? Was it not the words of rebute that the LORD called etc, etc, that destroyed you? And that is why you fast, and these are the words that He called: judge justice and truth.
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
   set like a <i> shamir </i>— A worm, stronger than rock. They show it on the rock and it splits.
  
  Verse 13
  
   And it was, when He called and they did not listen —  the LORD of hosts said about them at that time, "Let <i>them</i> call, and <i>I</i> will not listen!"
  
  Verse 14
  
   And I dispersed them —  in exile, and thus I did.
   And they caused —  in their iniquity.
   The desired land to desolation —  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.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  For I bend Judah for Me – in the end, Antiochus will take the kingship from the hands of the kings of Persia and do evil to you. Then I will draw out Yehudah to be like my war bow and they will fight Antiochus in days of the Hasmoneans:
  I filled Ephraim – this is a cut short statement which ought to read ‘like a bow; I filled the hand of Ephraim,’ similar to “…And Jehu put all his strength into his bow…” (Melachim II 9:24), meaning that Ephraim will be to Me as a quiver full of arrows:
  And I will arouse your children, O Zion – upon the armies of Antiochus
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  And the Lord their God shall save them on that day like the flocks of His people, for crown stones are exalted on His land.