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152 Structure and the Book ofZechariah
n^tf has previously been significant and must be considered here,
although the uses seem quite different: '...Bethel sent...' (7.2);
'they refused to hear the torah and words that Yahweh had sent'
(7.12); 'I sent every man against his fellow' (8.10). 1
ttf'K is not a promising word, but there is some correspondence (not
exact) between 7.2 and 8.23, and the expressions in 7.9 and 8.16 (e^K
irun rm ), 7.10 (vn« tf'R), 8.10 (irum tf'K) and 8.17 (run n« tf'K
inm) are similar and somewhat distinctive. Even 8.10 is comparable
(ITS iraaeta 0»»i). All are used distributively. However 8.4 is different—unless
a contrast is intended between 8.4-5 and 10. Zech. 7.9-10
and 8.16-17 occur in passages that are similar in other ways.
m.T '33 n» nbn is clearly an important phrase, as noted above.
]ro. The people come to ask the priest a question, but receive their
answer from the prophet Zechariah, who also addresses the priests.
They are not heard of again.
TO occurs at 7.3 and 8.9 ('house of Yahweh'), 8.13, 15, 19 ('house
of Judah') and 8.13 ('house of Israel'). The word is not distinctive in
itself, and the use of the different phrases does not seem to be significant.
For example, the 'house of Yahweh' is not mentioned in 8.20-23,
where it would be entirely natural.
K'33 occurs four times. Men from Bethel come to ask a question of
'the priests. . .and the prophets'. It may be an editorial addition or an
afterthought, but it makes the point that they have heard previously
'by the hand of the former prophets' (7.7, 12) but not taken notice.
Zech. 8.9 refers to the promises that they have been hearing from the
prophets more recently, that is, since the founding of the second
temple. Thus the word is used to express a contrast already evident in
the sections noted.
"•e^on, together with the noun and verb Dili, and other ordinals, form
the inclusio referred to above.
nfou is normally a common word. Here its use may be significant.
The questioners ask, 'Shall I.. .as I have done?' The answer in 7.9
draws attention to what they should have done; 8.16 makes this clearer
by introducing a command which would have been sufficient on its
1. In the text we received ~pQ an is treated as one word, and so the repetition
does not show up. There does not seem to be any obvious correlation between this
name and 'King Darius' in v. 1. It is surprising, however, that in 1.1 and 7, Darius
is not called 'king'.