¹sn Darius is Darius Hystaspes, king of Persia from 522-486 b.c

²sn The eighth month of Darius’s second year was late October—late November, 520 b.c., by the modern (Julian) calendar. This is two months later than the date of Haggai’s first message to the same community (cf. Hag 1:1).

³sn Both Ezra (5:1; 6:14) and Nehemiah speak of Zechariah as a son of Iddo only. Quite likely Zechariah’s actual father Berechiah had died and the prophet was reared by his grandfather Iddo. The “Zechariah son of Berachiah” of whom Jesus spoke (Matt 23:35; Luke 11:51) was probably the martyred prophet by that name who may have been a grandson of the priest Jehoiada (2 Chr 24:20-22).

⁴tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 4, 5).

⁵tn Heb “to them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶sn The epithet sovereign Lord (traditionally, “Lord of hosts”), very common in Zechariah (53 times), emphasizes the majestic sovereignty of the Lord, an especially important concept in the post-exilic world of great human empires and rulers.

⁷tn The Hebrew verb bWv is common in covenant contexts. To turn from the Lord is to break the covenant and to turn to him (to repent) is to renew the covenant relationship (cf. 2 Kgs 17:13).

⁸tc BHS suggests <k#t=a# (“you”) for the MT <k#yt@b)a& (“your fathers”) to harmonize with v. 4. In v. 4 the ancestors would not turn but in v. 6 they appear to have done so. The subject in v. 6, however, is to be construed as Zechariah’s own listeners.

⁹tn Heb “they turned.”

¹⁰sn The twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month…in Darius’s second year was February 15, 519 b.c.

¹¹tn Heb “riding,” but since this verb in English is usually associated with horses in motion rather than standing still, the translation uses “seated.”

¹²tc The LXX presupposes <yr]h*h# (“mountains”) rather than the MT <yS!d~h&h^ (“myrtles”), probably because of reference to the ravine. This is unnecessary.

¹³sn The Hebrew <yQ!r%c= means “red.” Modern translations such as “speckled” or “spotted” are based on ancient versions that attempt to bring the color of this horse into line with those of Zech 6:2-3. This is a methodological fallacy since these are two different and unrelated visions.

¹⁴tn Heb “messenger” or “angel” (Ea*l=m^). This being appears to serve as an interpreter to the prophet (cf. vv. 13, 14).

¹⁵sn The stem used here (hithpael) with the verb walk (El^h*) suggests the exercise of dominion (cf. Gen 13:17; Job 1:7; 2:2-3; Ezek 28:14; Zech 6:7). The Lord is here about to claim sovereignty over the nations.

¹⁶sn The angel of the Lord is a special being who throughout the OT represents God himself and on occasion almost approaches divine hypostatization or incarnation (cf. Gen 18:2, 13, 17, 22; Exod 23:20-21; Josh 5:13-15; Judg 6:11-24; 13:2-20).

¹⁷sn Here the angel of the Lord is clearly distinct from the sovereign Lord himself.

¹⁸sn The seventy years refers to the predicted period of Babylonian exile, a period with flexible beginning and ending points depending on the particular circumstances in view (cf. Jer 25:1; 28:1; 29:10; Dan 9:2). Here the end of the seventy years appears to be marked by the completion of the temple in 516 b.c., exactly seventy years after its destruction in 586.

¹⁹tn Heb “jealous for.” The meaning is that Jerusalem/Zion is the special object of God’s grace and purposes. This results in his unusual protection of his people, a protection not accorded others with whom he does not have such intimacy.

²⁰tn Or “the nations that are at ease.” The Hebrew word in question is /n`a&v^ which has the idea of a careless, even arrogant attitude (see BDB 983). Here it suggests that the nations take for granted that God will never punish them just because he hasn't already done so. Thus they presume on the grace and patience of the Lord. This nuance has been brought out with a more dynamic translation.

²¹tn Heb “I have turned.” This suggests that the Lord has responded to the “turning” (i.e., repentance) of the people (v. 6) and now, with great love and forgiveness, allows temple building to go forward.

²²tn Heb “house.”

²³sn This marks the beginning of ch. 2 in the Hebrew text. Beginning with 1:18, the verse numbers through 2:13 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 1:18 ET = 2:1 HT, 1:19 ET = 2:2 HT, 1:20 ET = 2:3 HT, 1:21 ET = 2:4 HT, 2:1 ET = 2:5 HT, etc., through 2:13 ET = 2:17 HT. From 3:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.

²⁴tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in v. 9.

²⁵sn The (animal) horn is a common OT metaphor for military power (Pss 18:2; 75:10; Jer 48:25; Mic 4:13). The fact that there are four horns here (as well as four blacksmiths, v. 20) shows a correspondence to the four horses of v. 8 which go to four parts of the world, i.e., the whole world.

²⁶sn The horns, one may infer, are iron, the strongest of all metals known to the ancient Near Eastern world. Only blacksmiths can cut them off. If the horns are oppressive nations, the blacksmiths must be deliverers whom the Lord raises up, kings like Cyrus of Persia (cf. Isa 54:16).

²⁷tn Heb “so that no man lifts up his head.”

²⁸tn Heb “terrify them”; the referent (Judah’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁹tn Heb “to scatter it.” The word “people” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.