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260 Structure and the Book ofZechariah
Words omitted from the table, in addition to common words already mentioned: Zh»,
OR, pR, RU, inn* 1 , |»a, rva, "pi* 1 , "pn, ov, D^ttfvv* 1 , nvr noR ns* 1 , nef'* 1 ,
'3Q 1 ?, •jR'zn* 1 , TU;, ns, nnn.
In the majority of cases no real connection can be intended. The
context and/or usage is too dissimilar, for example, in the case of eft 1 ?,
TO, mo, "ineJ and nna. Other words are not distinctive enough for an
isolated occurrence to establish a link: "su, tin, jro, »»an, tfin, inp. The
word ]*n* is used differently in chs. 4 and 6; in 11.17 the similarity i
not very strong. In 13.9 an opportunity is missed, for we do not fin
j'D'-tf'K (as in Ps. 80.18). We do not find conscious links made by
means of common words or phrases, which would be surprising if an
editor of the whole book intended his readers to relate the 'messianic'
figures of Zechariah 1-8 with the king and/or shepherd and/or
pierced one of Zechariah 9-14. l
In Zechariah 6-8 the word uattf is used of obeying Yahweh; the
exhortation to Joshua to hear (3.8) introduces a promise, but has some
affinity with these references.
jsa may be distinctive enough for an association to be intended.
The obvious parallels occur where we should expect: Joshua the
high priest on whose head is set rmoy/Tino *]']:* (3.1-5; 6.11). Also
there is the mention of nnu in 3.8 and 6.12. We must investigate these
connections separately.
The remaining words which might be significant are:
1. ini?, which forms an inclusio around the two central visions,
confirming the rather obvious point that these occupy a
central position together. We noted the apparently superfluous
use of this in considering Zechariah 3 on its own, an
it appears to be an important idea in the series of visions.
2. ]T may have some special use here, but it is difficult to be
sure what it might be. With this we should consider the
numbers 'seven' and 'one'. There is a strange emphasis on the
1. Despite the fact that conservative scholars have always held that both pans of
Zechariah foretell the coming of the messiah, there is, as far as I know, no attempt to
demonstrate concrete links between the figures used. For a summary of views and
brief discussion (which, however, concentrates almost entirely on Zech. 9-14), see
R.L. Smith, Nahum-Malachi, pp. 175-80; also F.F. Bruce, This Is That (Exeter:
Paternoster Press, 1968), pp. 100-14.