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148 Structure and the Book ofZechariah
in this verse, as is also shown by the refrain following: 'you shall
know that.. .sent me to you'.
Zech. 6.15b is odd. The phrase normally introduces another clause;
here it stands alone and must be translated 'and this will happen/come
to pass if...' 1 What could be the reason for this? The answer might
be that the writer wants to end with reference to ^ipa DDE) (which he
does in emphatic form), perhaps to correspond with the JJntf in 1.4
(otherwise only 3.8; 7.11, 12, 13 [2x]; 8.9, 23). This would confirm
again that we have the work of the final editor in v. 15.
It is possible that an allusion to Isa. 6.9 is intended: Isaiah was one
of the former prophets whom the fathers refused to hear. However,
the finite verb (imperative) precedes the infinitive in Isaiah, and this
weakens the contact between them. Nevertheless, untf is used surprisingly
little and at significant points in the book. The Israelite failure to
hear in the past was the reason for their downfall. When restoration
comes, the same command is set before them, to hear[ken to the voice
of] the Lord speaking to them. The sense in 6.15 and 7.11-13 is
'to obey'.
This discussion has led us into the sort of conjecture that we have,
for the most part, tried to avoid. However, it seemed to me worthwhile
to imagine what might have been the case, without emending the
text, since we were faced with what seemed a plausible superimposed
chiastic structure, something that we had reason to regard with
scepticism in Chapter 1. 2
It is interesting to compare the results of form-critical investigation
carried out on this text, and Schottler's treatment may be taken as the
most recent example. He regards the original text as: 3
vv. 9, lObp, 11 and 13a.
vv. 12,13b and 14aab represent the main editorial reworking.
v. 15b belongs with 1.1-6 as part of the redaction of the whole vision
cycle. Later glosses are:
vv. lOa, 14a|3; then lObot; then 15a.
1. Nevertheless it is accepted by scholars generally, e.g. Rudolph (Haggai,
pp. 122, 126), who includes it with vv. 1-8 + 15a but regards it as redactional, and
based on Deut. 28.1. Cf. Chary, Les prophetes et le culte, pp. 108-109.
2. See pp. 57-59.
3. Gott inmitten seines Volkes, pp. 150-63.