130. - Collection Point® | The Total Digital Asset Management System

164 Structure and the Book ofZechariah
of Judah, and turns it into jealousy for Jerusalem (the root wp is
repeated three times, recalling 1.14 where it occurs twice, and its
connection with *]Hp in Zech. 1.2 [twice] and v. 15 [three times]; and
the word nan is introduced). The word ^p itself is not repeated
until 8.14.
In 8.3 we have a subsidiary introductory formula which leads into a
section enclosed by D^IT "jinn ptf, and which contains three further
introductory formulae. This is the central promise of the whole
section, and it leads to its climax in v. 8, with the affirmation of the
central covenant promise 'they shall be my people and I will be their
God'. After this there follow exhortations concerning the appropriate
response to this, along with various further concrete promises.
We note that in 8.3-8a and 9-13 certain features strengthen the
overall structure, nrn DOT nnKtf occurs in 8.6, 11 and 12, irtfin in 8.7
and 13. They are arranged serially rather than chiastically, but it is
impossible to say whether this is intended or not: they would have to
be arranged in some way that looked regular.
Note also that the words DD'T njprnn form an inclusio around
vv. 9-13. And, linking in with this, IKTD 'PK forms a further inclusio
for vv. 14-15. The only trouble is that the first one occurs immediately
before the WT n3pmn of v. 13. This looks like an effective
device for linking and yet marking off separate sections, but I have
not been able to prove that its use was recognized. The resulting
overall structure is set out in figure 10.
It is now possible to test the security of this result. Have I been
selective in my use of specific marker words? Have I ignored
important words or phrases that would distract the attentive hearer or
reader from this structure? If so, then it would cast doubt upon either
the intentions or the competence of the writer. It will be seen from the
table that the majority of words that might be considered distinctive
are actually accounted for in this outline. Words that are clearly
distinctive, and especially whole phrases do, by and large, fall inside
corresponding sections and not outside. The only serious possible
counter-examples seem to be Di'pttf and the plural D^J. The latter is
used in a different phrase, and does not count against the outline.
Di^tf seems to be a special element introduced in the latter part of
the section: