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3. The Structure of Individual Sections of Zechariah 125
It is probable that Zechariah 4 was compiled in at least two stages. 1
The texts that we may consider to be redactional units are:
1. The final text as we have it.
2. Verses l-6a0 + 10acx-14.
Verse 12 may have been absent from 2 and even 1 at some time. It
is not clear what it is meant to add (clarification or confusion?); it
does pick up one expression, T3, from the middle section of the
chapter, although it refers to the two minus (which must have some
connection with the two olive trees) rather than simply Zerubbabel;
and it is used in the sense of 'beside' and not 'in the hand of.
The final redactor intended the readers to note, not only the
promises from Yahweh to the effect that he will restore Jerusalem,
but that:
1. Joshua the priest has a special function in Yahweh's purposes.
2. Zerubbabel either is 'the Branch' or represents him.
3. Zerubbabel will finish the Temple.
4. The people will know that Yahweh has sent someone to
them. 2
We have already strayed, inevitably, into the proper subject matter
of Chapter 4, since chs. 3 and 4 must be interpreted together with 6.9-
15. Accordingly I defer further discussion. 3
1. This is the view of most scholars and is assumed here, although I do not
think we have very much evidence of the sort of literary construction that might be
received in a vision. Our main concern is to understand the significance of the structure.
Opinions vary about this. Petersen regards these verses as pro-Zerubbabel against
Joshua, and since ch. 4 as a whole regards the two as on a par, it was necessary to
insert vv. 6a-10a at this point. The Meyers' believe that 6b-10a was placed here
deliberately to separate the two parts of the vision, and this emphasizes its importance;
it was added early by Zechariah or (less probably) a disciple; since
Zerubbabel's title and patronymic are consistently omitted, unlike Haggai, we must
assume that Zechariah's view was that a Davidide would only become king again in
the future, after Zerubbabel's time.
2. See on 2.5-17 above.
3. See the section on Zech. 3 in Chapter 4 below.