meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Radak/Prophets/Radak on Zechariah/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Radak on Zechariah
  רד"ק על זכריה
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Radak on Zechariah
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
   To say to the house of the LORD —  meaning, "in the house of the LORD." And Targum Jonathan translates as "who were serving in the Holy Temple of the LORD."
   And to the prophets —  Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. And Targum Jonathan translates as "and to the scribes."
   Shall I weep —  because they still did not believe in the construction of the House because of the enemies who had forced the work for many years, and now, even though they heard that they had built it, they were of little faith and did not want to go up from Babylon, because they did not believe that the construction of the House was finished and stood because of the enemies. And they asked if they should fast on the Ninth of Av as they did during the seventy years.
   and shall I keep abstinent  That is to say, "should I abstain from food and drink and pleasure." And Targum Jonathan translates as "shall I refrain my soul from enjoyable things."
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
   Say —  They said "on the fifth and the severth" even though there are four fast days. It mentions the fifth because upon it was the destruction, and the seventh because in it Gedaliah was killed, and it was a second destruction, because already the poorest of the land remained and were not destroyed, since the poorest of the land were kept by Nebuzadaran to be vine dressers and ditch diggers (II Kings 25:12), but Gedaliah was killed on the first day of the seventh month, and since it was a holiday they declared a fast the day after.
   Did you fast Me, I? —  did you fast Me, meaning did you fast for Me, that is to say, if you fasted on Mu account, on account of your sins the Temple was destroyed and you were exiled. On account of this you fast. If you perform justice and righteousness, you will not need to fast, for the House will be built and you will go up from exile and dwell in the land all days. If you do good in My eyes you will not ever be exiled from it. And what is the purpose that the "I" after "did you fast Me" serves? It is meant to say "Did I command you to fast?" And the Targum Yonatan translates as "On the fast did you fast your fasting before Me?"
  
  
  
  
  
  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 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
   And the word of the LORD —  And if you do these things that I command you, says haShem of Hosts, then the fasts about which you asked if you should fast on those days, you will no longer fast, but rejoice on them, from all the good that will be yours.
  
  Verse 19
  
   The fast of the fourth —  This is Tammuz, when they fasted in exile on the seventeenth of the month, the day that the city was broken into.
   And the fast of the fifth —  This is Av, when they fasted on the ninth.
   And the fast of the seventh —  This is the fast of Gedaliah, as we explained above.  And the fast of the tenth —  This is the Tenth of Tevet, when the king of Babylon began to besiege Jerusalem.
   Will be  All of these fasts <i> had been </i> kept for the house of Judah during the Second Temple period, because the Ten Tribes had not returned.
   And the truth and peace you will love  This will happen provided that you love the truth and peace as I commanded you.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  And it shall come to pass on that day - on the day that he mentioned that there would be the sign, this is the matter, that there will not be light of yeqarot nor of qippa'on, and the interpretation by way of analogy is that the light of day will not be bright, which is the light of yeqarot, as in "the moon walks yaqar (in brightness)" (Job 31:26), and neither [will there be] light of qippa'on, which is frozen and thick, which is like darkness.  And the interpretation is that that day will not be neither all like light nor all like darkness, meaning neither comfortable nor troubling, but rather both of them will be in it. And likewise he (Zechariah) says after it (verse 7)"not day and not night."  And Jonathan translated, "there will not be light, but rather passing light and ice/thickness/congealment"