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76 Structure and the Book ofZechariah
in the third person in vv. 1, 3b, and 5b, with divine speech only in
v. 3a before v. 6; the thought of the passage progresses logically and
the close conjunction of TipaR and nps "O (10.3) is striking. The only
safe way forward is to treat vv. l-3a as a possible sub-unit within the
larger context.
Virtually all commentators agree that at least the remaining verses
of ch. 10 must be kept together, and many would make the next break
after 11.3. 1 Perowne 2 makes the division vv. 1-5, 6-12, but without
giving explicit reasons. The section 6-12 forms a coherent unit with
regard to subject matter: the restoration of the fortunes of Israel, its
gathering from among the nations, and the passing away of those
nations' prosperity. The inclusio [DjTraa, vv. 6, 12 is too striking to
miss: the piel occurs otherwise only in Eccl. 10.10 in the Old
Testament. Nevertheless, in the absence of convincing form-critical
marks 3 we shall not treat vv. 6-12 as a separate section. If the division
is warranted it should become evident from the analysis of vv. 1-12.
11.1-3
There are some connections between this section and the preceding
one: judgment of a nation outside Israel, shepherds, specific mention
of Lebanon (as in 10.10). On the other hand, the opening imperatives,
the direct address to Lebanon, the fact that the doors are opened not to
let the expanding nation of Israel in, but rather fire to destroy, and the
particularizing of concern to Lebanon and Bashan, suggest that
m.T DW (10.12) ends the previous section and that 11.1-3 is a separate
unit. However, it will not affect my analysis if we consider together
1. E.g. Mitchell, who takes 10.1-11.3 together (H.G. Mitchell, J.M.P. Smith
and J.A. Bewer, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi and Jonah [ICC; Edinburgh:
T. & T. Clark, 1912], pp. 286-302); Chary (Les prophttes et le culte, pp. 178-79),
although his argument is partly based on the structure of the whole; Rudolph
(Haggai, pp. 192-200), who regards 11.1-3 as an independent song, but notes that
11.3a refers back to 10.3a. Mason considers 10.3-12 and 11.1-3 separately, but
argues that the latter 'is fittingly placed here since it links with the promise of the
preceding oracle that Lebanon would be included within the territory of the people of
God (v. 10) and the recurring catch-word "shepherds". ..' Similarly R.L. Smith,
Nahum-Malachi, p. 267.
2. Haggai and Zechariah, pp. 118-20. Perowne regards ch. 10 as a continuation
and expansion of the promises made in ch. 9.
3. See Saeb0, 'Die deuterosacharjanische Frage', pp. 214-29.