Zec 2:6-13 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Zech 2:6-13: 2:6-13 God’s call for the exiles’ return from Babylon anticipated his people’s restoration to the land of Israel (2:6-9 ) and the restoration of his presence to his people in Jerusalem (2:10-13 ). 2:6 Come away! The emphatic command carries the force of a promise that the Lord would lead his people out of exile and into a restored Jerusalem (cp. Isa 55:1 ). • the land of the north: It was necessary to travel north in order to move to the east, so Babylonia was thought of as lying in the north. • four winds: The Hebrew exiles would return to Judah and Jerusalem from all directions (see Ezek 12:14 ; 37:9 ).

Summary for Zech 2:6-13: 2:6-13 ^a God’s call for the exiles’ return from Babylon anticipated his people’s restoration to the land of Israel (2:6-9 ^b) and the restoration of his presence to his people in Jerusalem (2:10-13 ^c). 2:6 ^d Come away! The emphatic command carries the force of a promise that the Lord would lead his people out of exile and into a restored Jerusalem (cp. Isa 55:1 ^e).

• the land of the north: It was necessary to travel north in order to move to the east, so Babylonia was thought of as lying in the north.

• four winds: The Hebrew exiles would return to Judah and Jerusalem from all directions (see Ezek 12:14 ^f; 37:9 ^g).
2:8 ^h Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession (literally Anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye): This might refer to Israel as God’s elect; it might also mean that those who harmed Israel poked themselves in the eye by bringing God’s judgment upon themselves.
2:9 ⁱ their own slaves will plunder them: At the Exodus, the Egyptians paid the Israelites to leave their land (see Exod 11:2-3 ^j; 12:35-36 ^k).
2:12 ^l Israel is the Lord’s inheritance or special possession—the people of Israel belonged to the Lord (Deut 32:9-10 ^m).

• The land was holy because of God’s glorious presence in the Jerusalem Temple (see Pss 11:4 ⁿ; 15:1 ^o).
2:13 ^p Be silent: The force of the Hebrew word (has) is similar to our English word “hush” (see Hab 2:20 ^q; Zeph 1:7 ^r).