Zechariah 9:1-8

This paragraph, of which the beginning is mutilated and the text is otherwise corrupt, is written in verse, lines of three beats each, arranged in tristichs. This form of verse is unusual, the more common consisting of lines of six beats falling into two parallel members of three beats each arranged in distichs. The burden of the word of the Lord is the editorial heading (cf. 12:1, Malachi 1:1). The greater part of the first tristich is lost. It has been conjectured that it ran originally somewhat as follows:

The Ló rd hath sé nt a wó rd,

And it hath lí ghted on the lá nd of Há drach (cf. Isaiah 9:8)

And Damá scus hath becó me its ré sting place.

The land of Hadrach (probably the place called Hazrach in an Aram, inscription c. 800) is mentioned on the Assyrian monuments in connexion with Damascus and Hamath. The survival of the old name as late as the second century B.C. is not unlikely. Thus Hamath is still known by its original name, and not by its Gr. name Epiphanea. The text of the second tristich (Zechariah 9:1 b, Zechariah 9:2) is corrupt and emendation is precarious. It is clear, however, that the prophet speaks of a Divine judgment resting on Hadrach, Damascus, Hamath, Tyre, and Sidon, with a description of the former wealth and prosperity of Tyre. The rendering, which bordereth thereon, is quite impossible; the word so rendered may be a corrupt form of the name Gebal (cf. Ezekiel 27:9), i.e. Byblus on the Phœ nician coast. The text of the sixth tristich (Zechariah 9:5 b, Zechariah 9:6 a) is also corrupt. The parallelism suggests that shall be cut off from should be read for shall dwell in, the tristich running thus:

And the kí ng shall pé rish from Gá za,

And Aœ hkelon shall (nէ ver) be inhב bited,

And the bá stard-race shall be cú t off from Ashdod.

This section may be paraphrased as follows: The judgment of the Lord is now coming upon the cities which have been strongholds of the rule of the Greek Syrian kings, and therefore antagonistic to Israel. Tyre, strong as she is, is doomed; Philistia also may tremble for her safety; Gaza will lose her king; the population of Ashkelon will be annihilated; the mongrel race, half Philistine, half Greek, will be driven out of Ashdod. Indeed the Philistine as such will no longer exist, for the Lord, acting through Israel, will enforce the observance of the law of Israel even in the Philistine towns. There will be no more eating with the blood, or other abominable food; for the Philistines will be incorporated with Israel in such a way that henceforth an inhabitant of Ekron will be regarded as a native of Jebus, i.e. Jerusalem (cf. Psalms 87). Moreover, as the result of this Judaizing of Philistia since the Syro-Greek government has given up the hope of conquering Egypt Judah will no longer be menaced by the presence of vast armies on her flank. It will be as though the Lord Himself were encamped as a garrison to protect Jerusalem, and no exaction of tribute will trouble her any more. The prophecy is almost certainly later than Jonathan's victorious campaign in Philistia (c. 148) and may be as late as 143- 142 when Demetrius granted the Jews full exemption from all taxes or tribute to the Syrian government.