Texts in Conversation
Ezekiel pictures a future with a river flowing from the temple whose waters bring life, with trees bearing fruit each month and leaves that heal. Zechariah echoes this same vision of life-giving waters flowing out from Jerusalem, connecting it to the festival of Sukkot with its themes of rain and fertility.
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Ezekiel 47:12
Hebrew Bible
10 Fishermen will stand beside it; from En Gedi to En Eglaim they will spread nets. They will catch many kinds of fish, like the fish of the Great Sea. 11 But its swamps and its marshes will not become fresh; they will remain salty. 12 On both sides of the river’s banks, every kind of tree will grow for food. Their leaves will not wither nor will their fruit fail, but they will bear fruit every month because their water source flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.” 13 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Here are the borders you will observe as you allot the land to the 12 tribes of Israel. (Joseph will have two portions.) 14 You must divide it equally just as I vowed to give it to your forefathers; this land will be assigned as your inheritance.
Date: 6th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Zechariah 14:8
Hebrew Bible
6 On that day there will be no light—the sources of light in the heavens will congeal. 7 It will happen in one day—a day known to the Lord—not in the day or the night, but in the evening there will be light. 8 Moreover, on that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it will happen both in summer and in winter. 9 The Lord will then be king over all the earth. In that day the Lord will be seen as one with a single name. 10 All the land will change and become like the rift valley from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be raised up and will stay in its own place from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate and on to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The sign of the nation’s acceptance of Yahweh’s kingship will be their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Sukkot. The selection of Sukkot is due to several factors: (1) more than any other of the pilgrimage festivals, Sukkot, was associated with the temple. Zechariah presents a utopia with idealized worship at an idealized temple. Consequently, the idealized temple requires the performance of most temple oriented of all pilgrimage festivals – Sukkot. (2) Sukkot is associated with the dedication or rededication of the temple. In 1 Kings, Solomon dedicates the first temple during the festival of Sukkot. Ezra 3:1-6 links the return to regular sacrifices at the second Temple with Sukkot. These previous associations of Sukkot with either a new temple or renewed worship at a new temple probably influenced the selection of Sukkot as the appropriate festival for Zechariah’s new form of universal worship. (3) Mishna Sukkah 4:14 refers to the performance of a water libation, a rainmaking ritual, every day during the festival of Sukkot. This reference combined with the idea of waters flowing from Jerusalem or the Temple (Zechariah 14:6; compare Ezekiel 47) and the withholding of rain from nations who do not participate in Sukkot (Zechariah 14:8) may provide an additional rationale for the choice of Sukkot. (4) Sukkot is a fall festival; therefore, there is a connection with the fertility of land. 60 This is one of the other major benefits described in chapter 14 ..."
Moore, Anne
Moving beyond Symbol and Myth: Understanding the Kingship of God of the Hebrew Bible through Metaphor
(pp. 178-179) Peter Lang Publishing, 2009
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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