This is an appropriate title for a commentary on the book of zechariah since god has not forgotten his people. His name, common to more than 29 old testament men, means the lord remembers. This is the name of many characters in the old testament, including the prophet zechariah, the author of the book of zechariah. From the hebrew name zekharyah meaning yahweh remembers, from meaning to remember and referring to the hebrew god. Teaching young children the message of hope in the book of. Zechariah definition is a hebrew prophet of the sixth century b.
The myrtle trees from their fragrance and lowness, probably symbolize the church, as at once yielding a sweet odor, and in a low estate, or lowly. For a meaning of the name zechariah, nobse study bible name list reads yahweh remembers and jones dictionary of old testament proper names has remembered of the lord. Jul 07, 2017 gcbi is a one year bible program designed to give students the tools and knowledge required to understand the bible and form a biblical worldview, with the goal of following jesus last command to. The book of zechariah was written during the effort of the ancient people of judah to rebuild the temple, which had been destroyed by the babylonians. The prophet zechariah wrote chapters 18 approximately 520518 b. Zechariah 2 definition and meaning bible dictionary.
A book of the old testament and the hebrew tanakh a hebrew prophet traditionally considered the author of the book of zechariah, the eleventh of the twelve minor prophets zechariah meaning. Meaning yahweh remembers, zechariahs name was appropriate to the purpose of his prophecies. Not much is known about zechariah s life other than what may be inferred from the book. The reason for this supposition is probably that in the hebrew bible the chronicles are placed at the very end. The words son of barachiah in matthew are due to confusing this zechariah with the prophet. This prophecy was the eleventh in a collection of a dozen short books known as the twelve minor prophets, coming at the end of the second division of the heb. The book of zechariah, because of its great variation in style, content, and language, is widely believed to be a composite work.
Zechariah was a prophet who lived in the 6th century before the birth of christ. This theme of repentance is developed more fully through the subsequent eight visions. Zechariah definition of zechariah by merriamwebster. Why is wickedness portrayed as a woman in zechariah.
Before the temple completed, and then wrote chapters 914 approximately 480 b. This commentary by mark boda provides clear insight into zechariahs meaning with sensitivity to the historical, literary, and theological dimensions of this prophetic book of the bible. Baldwin writes, even the tiny fragment of the greek manuscript found at qumran, which includes the end of chapter 8 and the beginning of chapter 9, shows no gap or spacing whatsoever to suggest a break between the two parts. It has been speculated that his grandfather iddo was the head of a priestly family who returned with zerubbabel, and that zechariah may himself have been a priest as well as a prophet. In addition the canonical history of the book of zechariah has always included all fourteen chapters in the book. Book of zechariah bible survey what are the major prophets and minor prophets. Zechariahs amazing prophecy of the betrayal of christ. What is the historical background of the book of zechariah. Zechariah pictures christ in both his first coming zechariah 9. Conclusion literature few books of the old testament are as difficult of interpretation as the book of zechariah.
In the eighth month of the second year of darius, the word of the lord came to zechariah the son of berechiah, the son of iddo the prophet, saying. Definition of zechariah from the collins english dictionary. But unfortunately we came to the end of that book and now we need to move on to something else. From the hebrew name zekharyah meaning yahweh remembers, from zakhar meaning to remember and yah referring to the hebrew god. The title plays on the meaning of the name zechariah which in the hebrew means god remembers. Zechariah definition of zechariah by the free dictionary. The book of zechariah is an extraordinary and clearly inspired book of the bible. Brief commentary on the book of zechariah the book of zechariah is called the apocalypse of the old testament. Brown, the gospel according to john ixii in the anchor bible, 29. The male given name zechariah is derived from the hebrew, meaning the lord has remembered. What does the bible mean when it refers to the four winds. As 2 chronicles is the last book in the hebrew old testament, zechariah was regarded as the last of the old testament martyrs, and hence, is coupled with abel the first martyr in matthew 23.
Da vinci had painted each and every verse of the final chapter of the old testaments book of zechariah. It has been translated into english in many variant forms and spellings, including zachariah, zacharias and zachary. What are the meanings of the various visions in the book of. The eightnight visions in chapters 16 are especially challenging, but a good study bible or commentary can help unravel their meaning, such as. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another. Zechariah definition, a minor prophet of the 6th century b. Study zechariah 8 using matthew henrys bible commentary concise to better understand scripture with full outline and verse meaning.
In his book, the life and times of jesus the messiah, edersheim wrote. A summary, synopsis or recap is a shortened version of the original. It comes from the hebrew word zakhar, meaning to remember, and yah, one of the names of the jewish god. Book of zechariah, the 11th of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the. Zechariah received this vision under the reign of darius after cyrus let the jews return to their homeland. Zechariah chapter three is a vision of joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the lord. The messianic application of this verse in all its parts has already been repeatedly indicated. The prophecy of zechariah is noted for its rich use of visions, pictures, and symbols. Boda presents a fresh translation of zechariah based on the original hebrew. In this book, zechariah s visions foster hope in the future promise of. Here is an excerpt from the hcsb study note on zechariah 14. Myrtle trees are evergreen shrubs with small leaves and they give off a pleasant aroma. The name zechariah means the lord remembers, and is a fitting name for a prophet of restoration. Zechariah summary we have detailed a brief summary of the book of zechariah for bible study or sunday school lessons.
And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another. He was one of those captives in babylon but, under the leadership of a political ruler whose name was zerubbabel, zechariah, together with some 50,000 of his hebrew kinsmen, returned to their native palestine cir. Another interesting observation is that zechariahs prophecy practically closes the old testamentit is next to the final bookand the new testament opens chronologically with lukes account of another zacharias meaning jehovah remembers and his wife elisabeth meaning his oath. Meaning, origin and history of the name zechariah behind. Zechariah synonyms, zechariah pronunciation, zechariah translation, english dictionary definition of zechariah. Written in 520 bc to the jews returning from the babylonian exile, zechariah encourages and exhorts gods people by laying out.
In that respect, its possible to think of the book of zechariah as a kind of miniature book of isaiah. Best zechariah commentaries updated for 2020 best bible. Few books of the old testament are as difficult of interpretation as the book of zechariah. Zechariah is a commonly used name in the old testament and means the lord remembers, a meaning that contributes to the hope of the messiahs first and second coming prophesied in zechariah s book. And as i prayed, a few different possibilities were in my mind. The name zechariah is ranked on the 16,776th position of the most used names. Only chapters 18 contain the prophecies of zechariah. The nations attack jerusalem, god intervenes and blesses jerusalem miraculously, god announces curses for jerusalems enemies, and the peoples of the world go up to jerusalem to worship.
Information and translations of zechariah in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. As zechariah was praying, the angel gabriel appeared at the right side of the altar. The prophet identifies himself as zechariah yahweh. In this way it is much like the book of revelation or daniel which also have significant visions. Over the years, zechariah has suffered from many accusations of obscurity and has frustrated readers seeking to unlock its treasures. This is supported by zechariah s interest in the temple and the priesthood, and. The book of zechariah contains the clearest and the largest number of messianic about the messiah passages among the minor prophets. John the baptists father luke tells us zechariah was chosen by lot that morning to offer incense in the holy place, the temples inner chamber where only priests were allowed. The book of zechariah is narrative history, prophetic and apocalyptic in genre. Book of zechariah overview insight for living ministries.
The ultimate hope for us all was predicted by zechariah this book has more predictions of christ than any of the other minor prophets. Book of zechariah, the 11th of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, collected in the jewish canon in one book, the twelve. Zechariah s prophetic ministry took place in the postexilic period, the time of the jewish restoration from babylonian captivity. You will also find options for commentaries on zechariah that help pastors, teachers, and readers with application of the bible, commentaries that approach the scripture versebyverse, classic christian commentaries, and much more. Now, in old time, the lord was a pillar of fire that guided israel from the wilderness to the promised land. Unlike haggai, zechariah was probably a young man when he prophesied cf.
The book of zechariah teaches that salvation may be obtained by all. Zechariah is the eleventh of the twelve prophets in the book of the twelve in hebrew scripture. What are the meanings of the various visions in the book. The dates mentioned in the book confirm that he was a contemporary of haggai zechariah 1. Zechariah definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Zechariah questions and answers mary janes drops of. Except for the apocalyptic sections the eight night visions, its basic language and style are simple and direct. Abel then would be a man out of the first and zechariah a man out of the last book. He is standing because he is conducting his priestly duties representing the nation israel deut. In general, these visions speak of gods plans for israel and especially for jerusalem and the temple. This was first raised as an issue by joseph mede 15861638.
What are the meanings of the various visions in the book of zechariah. Zechariah 8 bible commentary matthew henry concise. So, for the last year and a few weeks, weve grown accustomed to turning our attention to the book of job. The universal tradition of both jews and christians endorses the prophet zechariah as author. This zechariah has of old been connected with 2 chronicles 24. Zechariah, book of definition and meaning bible dictionary. The prophet zechariahs name means \god has remembered. It gives us some unique insight into the very workings of the mind of god, beginning even with the name of the book itself. Jews had returned 18 years before zechariah s appearance to lay the foundation of the temple, but then the work had stopped. Watch our overview video on the book of zechariah, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Zechariah is also one of the most devotional of the prophetic books, dwelling more completely on the person and work of christ than any other of the prophetic writings. This book is a good commentary that i used as a devotional through the prophetic book of zechariah. Zechariah gave us more of the story, and showed how god is interested in lives of his people, not only buildings. In the eighth month, in the second year of darius, hath a word of jehovah been unto zechariah, son of berechiah, son of iddo, the prophet, saying.
Zechariahs hebrew name, zekaryah, means yahweh remem. I will say, they are my people, and they will say, the lord is our god. Aug 01, 2016 watch our overview video on the book of zechariah, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Zechariah begins his book with a strong call for israel to repent 1. A contemporary of haggai the prophet, zerubbabel, and joshua, the high priest cf. In the book of zechariah, the prophet zechariah encourages the people to rebuild the temple of god and also foretells of the coming messiah. The book is often difficult to understand, packed with symbolism and vivid imagery, yet its predictions about a future savior jump out with crystal clarity. He went into great detail about christs second coming, providing a treasure trove of information about the end times. There are many commentaries about the book of zechariah available at this moment but new international commentary on the old testament the book of zechariah, is a step above the herd. This summary of the book of zechariah provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of zechariah.
Zechariah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. The book of zechariah new international commentary on the. It is a postexilic book, meaning it was written after post the return from captivity exile in babylon. But following zakar s meaning of male, we find for the name zechariah a secondary meaning of yahs male. Jan 02, 2020 zechariah begins his book with a strong call for israel to repent 1.
Alfred edersheim, a christian jew who lived during the 1800s, studied ancient rabbinical writings, and said that zechariah 9. But in the end times, the lord is going to be a wall of fire that protects israel from her enemies as she remains in the promised land. Sep 15, 2014 the ultimate hope for us all was predicted by zechariah this book has more predictions of christ than any of the other minor prophets. Zechariah deals with israels complaint that they have experienced gods chastisement for their sin, but the surrounding nations have gone unpunished. We estimate that there are at least 300 persons in the world having this name which is around 0. Abel then would be a man out of the first and zechariah a man out of the last book of the old testament. Book of zechariah, also spelled zacharias, the 11th of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, collected in the jewish canon in one book, the twelve. I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. The book of the twelve prophets was originally on one parchment roll because of the brevity of the text, and together formed one book of the 24 books of hebrew scripture. The visions of zechariah chapters 18 and the prophecies of the lord chapters 914. This book is second only to isaiah in the breadth of the prophets writings about messiah. So, lets turn our attention to the 4 th chapter of that book zechariah chapter 4 well cover only the first 7 verses of this chapter today, but lets go ahead and read the whole chapter for context. The book of zechariah is a prophetic book in the christian old testament. Were going to be studying the fifth vision given to zechariah.
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