Go to Related Reading
About this book

Zechariah

About this book
Chapter 2

1 I looked again, and there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.⁠ 2 I asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “To measure Jerusalem in order to determine its width and its length.” 3 At this point the angelic messenger who spoke to me went out, and another messenger came to meet him 4 and said to him, “Hurry, speak to this young man as follows: ‘Jerusalem will no longer be enclosed by walls because of the multitude of people and animals there. 5 But I,’ the Lord says, ‘will be a wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem and the source of glory in her midst.’” 6 “You there! Flee from the northland!” says the Lord, “for like the four winds of heaven I have scattered you,” says the Lord.⁠ 7 “Escape, Zion, you who live among the Babylonians!” 8 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “For his own glory he has sent me to the nations that plundered you—for⁠ anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye.⁠ 9 Yes, look here, I am about to punish them so that they will be looted by their own slaves.” Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me. 10 “Sing out and be happy, Zion my daughter! For look, I have come; I will settle in your midst,” says the Lord.⁠ 11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on the day of salvation, and they will also be my people.⁠ Indeed, I will settle in the midst of you all. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me to you. 12 The Lord will take possession of Judah as his portion in the holy land and he will choose Jerusalem once again. 13 Be silent in the Lord’s presence, all people everywhere, for he is being moved to action in his holy dwelling place.”⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Deuteronomy 32:10 and Zechariah 2:8

Hebrew Bible

Share:

Summary

Deuteronomy 32 describes Israel as guarded like the pupil of the eye, using an idiom that expresses intimate protection. Zechariah echoes this expression by declaring that anyone who harms Israel strikes the pupil of God’s eye.

Passages

Deuteronomy 32:10

Hebrew Bible
8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided up humankind, he set the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the heavenly assembly. 9 For the Lord’s allotment is his people, Jacob is his special possession. 10 The Lord found him in a desolate land, in an empty wasteland where animals howl. He continually guarded him and taught him; he continually protected him like the pupil of his eye. 11 Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers over its young, so the Lord spread out his wings and took him, he lifted him up on his pinions. 12 The Lord alone was guiding him, no foreign god was with him.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Deuteronomy

Zechariah 2:8

Hebrew Bible
6 “You there! Flee from the northland!” says the Lord, “for like the four winds of heaven I have scattered you,” says the Lord. 7 “Escape, Zion, you who live among the Babylonians!” 8 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “For his own glory he has sent me to the nations that plundered you—for anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye. 9 Yes, look here, I am about to punish them so that they will be looted by their own slaves.” Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me. 10 “Sing out and be happy, Zion my daughter! For look, I have come; I will settle in your midst,” says the Lord.
500–401 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Zechariah

References

"... The phrase (“the one touching you is striking the pupil of my eye”) is also unusual. The “pupil” (בָּבָה) is a hapax legomenon. Its meaning would seem to be best explained as an allusion to the phrase “apple of his eye” used in Deuteronomy 32:10 and Psalm 7:2 (compare Psalm 17:8) ..."
Michael R. Stead, The Intertextuality of Zechariah 1–8 (New York: T & T Clark International, 2009), 116–117.

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

Your feedback

Deuteronomy 32:10 and Zechariah 2:8

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library