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172 Structure and the Book ofZechariah
Repeated Words in Zechariah 9.1-8
mrr, vv. l.##3,9, 14.##1,8,15,16. There is an interesting gap
between vv. 1 and 14, but it does not seem to be significant for our
purposes.
DJ, vv.2, 7*, 11*, 72. Otherwise: 3.7##12*,17; 8.6, 21*; 11.8;
12.2; 13.2; 14.14. Instances marked with an asterisk have a following
maqqeph with a pronoun. Those italicized are followed by a noun.
The word itself is insignificant enough. Does it suggest the work of a
redactor, particularly when used at the beginning of a verse? It does
not seem possible that it has any structuring function within 9.1-8 or
chs. 9-14.
»3 may be ignored.
pj), vv. 1, 8. It is tempting to try and make use of this. It has been
an important (though sometimes obscure) word in chs. 1-8, and it
occurs only at the beginning and end of our section. Elsewhere in
chs. 9-14: 11.12, 17##10,15; 12.4; 14.12. (In Zech. 1-8: 2.1*, 5*,
12; 3.9; 4.10; 5.1*, 5*, 6, 9*; 6.1*. An asterisk denotes the expression
'I lifted up my eyes' or similar expressions). Our safest course of
action is to keep the MT and to translate 'Yahweh's eye is upon man'
(cf. Zech. 12.4; 3.9; 4.10). See p. 166 n. 3 above, and the section on
'eye' in Chapter 4 below.
~i3i, vv. 2, 3; cf. TIUD 3.3. There are no occurrences elsewhere.
iwa, vv. 2, 5, 9 ('very wise', 'writhe exceedingly', 'rejoice exceedingly').
Some sort of progression or contrast may be intended here
but it is impossible to demonstrate it. We must ignore the word.
run, vv. 5, 8, 14, is a common word in chs. 1-6, but occurs, in the
rest of the book, only here and at 10.7.
|V7pBto, v. 5.##2,14; nru, v. 5.##4,13; and jripa, vv. 5.#7, 7.#14,
should be considered together. Verse 5 has a chiastic formation:
Ashkelon—Gaza—Ekron—Gaza—Ashkelon
But Ekron also occurs in v. 7, after mention has been made of
Ashdod, and Philistia as a whole. We have met this pattern before. 1
1. Amos 5.5-6. Zeph. 2.4-7 has the following sequence:
v. 4 Gaza—Ashkelon—Ashdod—Ekron
v. 5 Chcrcthites/Philistincs
v. 7 Ashkelon.
Here it would be reasonable to suppose that the mention of Ashkelon stands for the
whole group of Philistine cities. Note also that Gath is omitted also from Zephaniah,