Zechariah 10


Zechariah 10 is the tenth of the 14 chapters in the Book of Zechariah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Zechariah. In the Hebrew Bible it is part of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets. This chapter is a part of a section consisting of Zechariah 9–14, attributed to the so-called "Second Zechariah", an anonymous successor to the Zechariah of chapters 1-8.

Text

The original text was written in the Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 12 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Codex Cairensis, the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets, Aleppo Codex, and Codex Leningradensis. Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, that is, 4Q82 with extant verses 11–12.
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus and Codex Marchalianus.

Prophetic warning against superstition (10:1–2)

This section contains an oracle urging the people to turn to God alone and regrets the lack of proper leadership or shepherding. The polemic against the 'bad shepherds' here continues a tradition found in Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 34.

Verse 1

"The latter rain" refers to the period of heavy rainfall in the spring of the year in Palestine. Eschatologically the "latter rain" points to "the end times" when God will pour out blessings. The wording "bright clouds" in the King James Version is rendered as "storm clouds" in other translations.

Verse 2

  • " Idols": "teraphim"; sculptures or images of human form and sometimes of life size, in ancient times worshiped to grant temporal blessings or to provide oracles. The book of Hosea mentions "teraphim" with "ephod," as forbidden means of enquiry in the future and the book of Judges connects them with the mingled worship of Micah.
  • "Have seen a lie": that is "being given up to judicial blindness", because these 'diviners' didn't care for the truth as the Targum calls "the diviners prophesy falsehood."
  • "Have told false dreams": Vulgate, somniatores locuti sunt frustra; Greek Septuagint: τὰ ἐνύπνια ψευδῆ ἐλάλουν, "spoke false dreams".
  • "Comfort in vain": literally, "give vapor for comfort".
  • "There was no shepherd": that is "no king to guard and lead them", so the people fell under the power of foreign rulers, who oppressed them.

Yahweh's holy war and the return from exile (10:3–12)

Yahweh will punish the bad shepherds and will produce a leadership from the "house of Judah", so with YHWH's power alone the people are gathered from their places of exile similar to the Exodus.

Jewish

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Christian

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