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LXX Zechariah

Septuagint

About this book
Chapter 8

1 And the word of the Lord Almighty came, saying, 2 Thus says the Lord Almighty; I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great jealousy, and I have been jealous for her with great fury. 3 Thus says the Lord; I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a true city, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty a holy mountain. 4 Thus says the Lord Almighty; There shall yet dwell old men and old women in the streets of Jerusalem, every one holding his staff in his hand for age. 5 And the broad places of the city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets. 6 Thus says the Lord Almighty; If it shall be impossible in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, shall it also be impossible in my sight? says the Lord Almighty. 7 Thus says the Lord Almighty; Look, I will save my people from the east country, and the west country; 8 and I will bring them in, and cause them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God, in truth and in righteousness. 9 Thus says the Lord Almighty; Let your hands be strong, you that hear in these days these words out of the mouth of the prophets, from the day that the house of the Lord Almighty was founded, and from the time that the temple was built. 10 For before those days the wages of men could not be profitable, and there could be no hire of cattle, and there could be no peace by reason of the affliction to him that went out or to him that came in: for I would have let loose all men, every one against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not do to the remnant of this people according to the former days, says the Lord Almighty. 12 But I will show peace: the vine shall yield her fruit, and the land shall yield her produce, and the heaven shall give its dew: and I will give as an inheritance all these things to the remnant of my people. 13 And it will happen, as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah, and house of Israel; so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing: be of good courage, and strengthen your hands. 14 For thus says the Lord Almighty; As I took counsel to afflict you when your fathers provoked me, says the Lord Almighty, and I did not repent: 15 so I have prepared and taken counsel in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: be of good courage. 16 These are the things which you shall do; speak truth every one with his neighbor;⁠ judge peaceful judgment in your gates: 17 and let none of you devise evil in his heart against his neighbor; and do not love a false oath: for all these things I hate, says the Lord Almighty. 18 And the word of the Lord Almighty came to me, saying, 19 Thus says the Lord Almighty, The fourth fast, and the fifth fast, and the seventh fast, and the tenth fast, shall be to the house of Judah for joy and gladness, and for good feasts; and you shall rejoice; and love the truth and peace. 20 Thus says the Lord Almighty; Yet shall many peoples come, and the inhabitants of many cities; 21 and the inhabitants of five cities shall come together to one city, saying, Let us go to make a plea to the Lord, and to seek the face of the Lord Almighty; I will go also. 22 And many peoples and many nations shall come to seek earnestly the face of the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem, and to obtain favor of the Lord. 23 Thus says the Lord Almighty; In those days my word shall be fulfilled if ten men of all the languages of the nations should take hold, even take hold of the hem of a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.

Texts in conversation

Compare LXX Zechariah 8:16 and Ephesians 4:25

Septuagint · New Testament

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Summary

Ephesians echoes Zechariah’s call to speak truth to one another and applies it to life in a renewed community. In Zechariah, truth marks Israel’s restoration after exile. Ephesians reuses the idea to define a community shaped by honesty and peace.

Passages

LXX Zechariah 8:16

Septuagint
14 For thus says the Lord Almighty; As I took counsel to afflict you when your fathers provoked me, says the Lord Almighty, and I did not repent: 15 so I have prepared and taken counsel in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: be of good courage. 16 These are the things which you shall do; speak truth every one with his neighbor; judge peaceful judgment in your gates: 17 and let none of you devise evil in his heart against his neighbor; and do not love a false oath: for all these things I hate, says the Lord Almighty. 18 And the word of the Lord Almighty came to me, saying,
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Zechariah

Ephesians 4:25

New Testament
23 to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. 25 Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. 27 Do not give the devil an opportunity.
90–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Ephesians

References

"... In Ephesians 4:20-21, 24 we suggested that the truth revealed in Jesus centers on the gospel of (cosmic) reconciliation (in contrast to a life of 'lusts which come from deceit', verse 22), and those whose minds have a proper understanding of the truth will inevitably speak the truth and live in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:14-15, 24). Thus, it is no accident that the believers are to 'put away falsehood, let everyone speak the truth with his neighbor' (verse 25). This verse seems to allude to Zechariah 8:16. Some discussion has been raised as to whether the allusion is directly from Zechariah or mediated via Jewish traditions. However, little has been said about the contextual significance of this verse either in the book of Zechariah itself and/or in Jewish tradition. We suggest that it is here that this passage becomes crucial. Zechariah 8:16 speaks in the context of the restoration of a remnant in Israel (Zechariah 8:1-15) whereby their behavior towards other members of the covenant should be in accord with the new restored people of God. This notion is also confirmed in texts such as the Testament of Dan 5:2 where the words of Zechariah 8:16 are also used. In this context lying, anger, or falsehood are part of the reason why Israel will desert the Lord and revolt against Levi and Judah as the chosen of God to bring the restoration of Israel. It is through 'speaking the truth clearly to his neighbor' that God's peace is manifested and the restoration takes place ..."
Ester A. G. D. Petrenko, “Created in Christ Jesus for Good Works: The Integration of Soteriology and Ethics in Ephesians” (diss., Durham University, 2005), 175.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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LXX Zechariah 8:16 and Ephesians 4:25

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