Abstract
This article proposes that direct speech begins immediately after the words "thus says the Lord" in Zechariah ii 12. It follows that the word ("kavod"), understood as "honor", is the logical subject of the verb "he/it has sent me" while god is its natural object. The verb "to send" is further understood in a figurative sense "to commission", and the following preposition "al" is translated as "against". In this way, Zechariah ii 12 is a metaphorical expression describing how god is sent by (his) honor to proclaim punishment of the nations. Such a reading fits well with the rest of Zechariah i-viii (e.g. Zechariah i 7-17): having let his own people being deported and his temple destroyed, god's honor was at stake. A similar idea is found in Ezekiel (e.g. Ezekiel xx 44).
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 352-372 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Vetus Testamentum |
Volume | 54 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2004 |