Zechariah 7

King James Version

Full text for Zechariah Chapter 7

1¶ And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, [that] the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth [day] of the ninth month, [even] in Chisleu;

2When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,

3[And] to speak unto the priests which [were] in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

4Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,

5Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh [month], even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, [even] to me?

6And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat [for yourselves], and drink [for yourselves]?

7[Should ye] not [hear] the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when [men] inhabited the south and the plain?

8¶ And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,

9Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:

10And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

11But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

12Yea, they made their hearts [as] an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

13Therefore it is come to pass, [that] as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:

14But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

In the fourth year of King Darius, a delegation from Bethel inquired whether they should continue their traditional fasts. The Lord, through Zechariah, questioned the sincerity of their past fasting, stating it was not truly for Him but for themselves. He reminded them of His earlier commands for justice and mercy, which they had historically rejected, leading to their scattering and the desolation of the land.

Medium Summary

During the fourth year of King Darius, a delegation from Bethel was sent to the house of God to inquire of the priests and prophets whether they should continue their long-standing practice of weeping and fasting in the fifth month. The Lord responded through Zechariah, challenging the sincerity of their seventy-year fasts, asking if they were truly observed unto Him or merely for themselves. He recalled the messages of former prophets, which called for righteous living when Jerusalem was prosperous, implying their failure to heed these warnings. The Lord then reiterated His fundamental commands: to execute true judgment, show mercy and compassion, and refrain from oppressing the vulnerable or imagining evil against one's brother. However, the people had historically refused to listen, hardening their hearts against His law and the words sent by His spirit. Consequently, the Lord declared that just as they had refused to hear Him, He would not hear their cries, scattering them among nations and leaving their pleasant land desolate.

Long Summary

The seventh chapter of Zechariah opens in the fourth year of King Darius, specifically on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chisleu. At this time, a delegation from Bethel, comprising Sherezer, Regemmelech, and their men, was dispatched to the house of God. Their purpose was to consult with the priests and prophets, asking whether they should persist in their custom of weeping and separating themselves in the fifth month, a practice they had maintained for many years. This inquiry likely pertained to the fast commemorating the destruction of the Temple. In response, the word of the Lord of hosts came to Zechariah, instructing him to address all the people and the priests. The Lord directly challenged the nature of their past fasts, questioning whether their seventy years of mourning in the fifth and seventh months were truly observed unto Him. He further inquired if their eating and drinking were not primarily for their own indulgence, implying a lack of genuine devotion. The Lord then reminded them of the messages delivered by the former prophets, which were proclaimed when Jerusalem and its surrounding cities were inhabited and prosperous, suggesting they should have heeded these divine instructions long ago. The Lord's message continued with a clear articulation of His expectations for righteous conduct. He commanded them to execute true judgment, to show mercy and compassion to one another, and to refrain from oppressing the widow, the fatherless, the stranger, or the poor. Furthermore, they were admonished not to harbor evil intentions against their brethren in their hearts. However, the text recounts the historical failure of the people to obey these commands. They refused to hearken, metaphorically pulling away the shoulder and stopping their ears, making their hearts as an adamant stone to avoid hearing the law and the words sent by the Lord's spirit through the former prophets. This persistent disobedience provoked great wrath from the Lord of hosts. The chapter concludes with the severe consequence of their rebellion: just as they had refused to hear when He cried, so too would He refuse to hear when they cried. As a result, the Lord scattered them with a whirlwind among nations they did not know, leaving their once pleasant land desolate and uninhabited.

Core Concepts

  • Inquiring about FastsA delegation from Bethel asks the priests and prophets if they should continue their traditional fasts, particularly the one in the fifth month, which commemorated the destruction of the Temple. This highlights a concern for religious observance after the return from exile.
  • Sincerity of FastingThe Lord questions whether the people's seventy years of fasting in the fifth and seventh months were truly observed unto Him or merely for their own sake. This emphasizes that outward religious rituals must be accompanied by genuine devotion and purpose.
  • Remembering Former ProphetsThe Lord reminds the people of the words spoken by earlier prophets during Jerusalem's prosperity, implying that they had failed to heed these divine instructions in the past. This underscores the continuity of God's message and the consequences of ignoring it.
  • Ethical and Social JusticeGod reiterates fundamental commands for righteous living, including executing true judgment, showing mercy and compassion, and protecting the vulnerable like widows, the fatherless, strangers, and the poor. These principles are presented as central to God's will.
  • Hardness of HeartThe people are described as refusing to listen, pulling away their shoulder, stopping their ears, and making their hearts like an adamant stone. This illustrates their deliberate resistance and spiritual insensitivity to God's law and prophetic messages.
  • Divine Wrath and ScatteringDue to their persistent disobedience and refusal to hearken, great wrath came from the Lord, resulting in their scattering among unknown nations. This demonstrates the severe consequences of rejecting God's commands and the desolation that follows.
  • Reciprocal HearingThe Lord declares that just as the people refused to hear Him when He cried, He would not hear them when they cried. This principle illustrates a divine consequence where a lack of responsiveness from humanity is met with a lack of responsiveness from God.