Zechariah 1:4-12
1:4 a Before the Exile, earlier prophets actively called Judah and Israel to repentance. Zechariah especially reflects the prophetic influence of Jeremiah and Ezekiel.• ancestors who would not listen: The people of Israel (2 Kgs 17:13-14 b) and Judah (2 Chr 36:15-16 c) were taken into exile because they stubbornly refused to heed the word of the Lord (cp. 2 Chr 30:7 d).
1:6 e everything ... happened: The covenant curses (Deut 28:15-68 f) had overtaken their ancestors who refused to obey God.
Summary for Zech 1:7-6:15: 1:7–6:15 g These eight visions addressed the Judeans’ fears that prevented them from responding in faith to God’s promises. These visions, which occurred two months after Haggai’s final two messages (Hag 2:10-19 h, 20-23 i), suggest that Haggai’s prophecies were being fulfilled.
Summary for Zech 1:7-17: 1:7-17 j Zechariah’s first vision depicts God’s concern for Jerusalem (1:7-15 k), followed by a response (1:16-17 l) that confirmed God’s intentions to rebuild his Temple and restore the city’s prosperity.
1:8 m The vision during the night follows a standard pattern: an introductory statement, a description of the vision, the prophet’s request for an interpretation, and an angelic explanation.
• The myrtle trees were probably in the wooded Kidron valley outside of Jerusalem. The Lord had symbolically returned to the city’s outskirts but had not yet entered Jerusalem because the Temple was still under construction.
• The colors of the red, brown, and white horses are not significant to this vision’s meaning. These angelic riders patrolled the earth (1:10 n), showing God’s continuing concern over Jerusalem.
1:10 o Patrol suggests the angelic riders’ ongoing scrutiny of the earth.
1:11 p The man sitting on a red horse among the myrtle trees (1:8 q) is called the angel of the Lord (cp. Gen 16:7-13 r; Exod 23:23 s; 32:34 t; Judg 13:21-22 u).
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