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 Ezekiel 39:21 and Zechariah 2:8

Hebrew Bible

Share:

Summary

Zechariah 2 and Ezekiel 39 use language based on honor and shame culture to explain the motive behind divine actions. In these, redemption and judgment are not responses to people, but are actions God must take to repair his damaged reputation.

Passages

Ezekiel 39:21

Hebrew Bible
19 You will eat fat until you are full and drink blood until you are drunk at my slaughter that I have made for you. 20 You will fill up at my table with horses and charioteers, with warriors and all the soldiers,’ declares the Sovereign Lord. 21 “I will display my majesty among the nations. All the nations will witness the judgment I have executed and the power I have exhibited among them. 22 Then the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward.
600–501 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Ezekiel

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.
500–401 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Zechariah

References

"... While these two approaches imply very different answers to the five questions listed above, it must be noted that they are alike to the extent that it is Yahweh’s honour which compels this response against the nations. Further, both draw connections between this passage and Ezekiel. Kloos concludes: “for the thought (YHWH’s honour among the nations) a striking parallel is to be found in Ezekiel 39:21”. Similarly, Tiemeyer concludes This reading is reminiscent of the message of Ezekiel, another priestly prophet, who often declared that God saved Israel, not due to any of her good deeds but rather due to His own name, i.e. His honour. I agree with Kloos that Ezekiel 39:21 is a striking conceptual parallel to Zechariah 2, particularly in the phase “I will put my glory among the nations”. Though not convinced about which of these two exegetical roads to take, I agree with their shared conclusion that Yahweh’s honour motivates this action against the nations, and that Ezekiel is the source of this concept ..."
Michael R. Stead, The Intertextuality of Zechariah 1–8 (New York: T & T Clark International, 2009), 116.

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

Tags

Your feedback

Ezekiel 39:21 and Zechariah 2:8

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library