In the eighth month of the second year of Darius the word comes: 'Return to Me, says Hashem of hosts, and I will return to you — be not as your fathers'; by night, a man riding upon a red horse standing among the myrtles: 'I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy... My house shall be built in it'; then four horns that scattered Judah — and four craftsmen come to frighten them down.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Hashem to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying:
verse value 4066
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "was" (הָיָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֗ה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "eighth" (הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י), "son·of·Berechiah" (בֶּן־בֶּ֣רֶכְיָ֔ה), "son·of·Iddo" (בֶּן־עִדּ֥וֹ). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "saying" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "was" (root היה, 66x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root חדש ("in·the·month") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root שנה ("in·year·of") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'of·Darius', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 7 words. Full calculation: בַּחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ [in·the·month] (314) + הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י [eighth] (415) + בִּשְׁנַ֥ת [in·year·of] (752) + שְׁתַּ֖יִם [two] (750) + לְדָרְיָ֑וֶשׁ [of·Darius] (550) + הָיָ֣ה [was] (20) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֗ה [the·word·of·Hashem] (232) + אֶל־זְכַרְיָה֙ [to·Zechariah] (273) + בֶּן־בֶּ֣רֶכְיָ֔ה [son·of·Berechiah] (289) + בֶּן־עִדּ֥וֹ [son·of·Iddo] (132) + הַנָּבִ֖יא [the·prophet] (68) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 4066.
Rashi
The prophecy of Zechariah. It is very obscure, for it contains visions similar to a dream that requires interpretation, and we cannot ascertain the truth of its interpretation until the Righteous Teacher comes. According to my ability, I shall give heed to resolving the verses one by one from among the interpretations that resemble it, and after that, from the interpretations of Jonathan.
"In the eighth month." Prior to when they began to return and build with the work, for on the twenty-fourth of the month they began it.
Radak
"In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, the prophet, saying." The term "the prophet" refers back to Zechariah, and it is possible that Iddo too was a prophet. They said that he is Iddo the seer, and we also find in the Midrash: "Iddo the prophet."
"To say: To Israel, as it is stated subsequently, 'And you shall say to them, "Say to them..."'—that they should remember the wrath with which the Lord was angry with the fathers, namely, the generation in which the Temple was destroyed. And they should remember that because of their deeds the Lord was angry with them; therefore, they themselves should return to the Lord and not be like their fathers. For they were lazy in the building of the Temple, for they did not begin to build until the ninth month. Moreover, they had evil deeds in their hands, as is written in the Book of Ezra."
’Hashem has been sore displeased with your fathers.
verse value 1145
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 19 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "was·angry" (קָצַ֧ף, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·your·fathers" (עַל־אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 270: was·angry, wrath. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "with·your·fathers" (עַל־אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם). The root קצף appears 2 times in this verse. 3 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "with·your·fathers" (root על, 33x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root קצף ("was·angry") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root על ("with·your·fathers") in Zechariah. Full calculation: קָצַ֧ף [was·angry] (270) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + עַל־אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם [with·your·fathers] (579) + קָֽצֶף [wrath] (270) = 1145.
Rashi
“Concerning your fathers.” This refers to the generation of the destruction of the Temple.
Metzudat David
“The anger of the Lord.” This means that the destruction of the Temple, which occurred in the days of your ancestors, was not a mere coincidence, but rather the Lord was angry with them, and because of the sin, it came as a recompense.
Malbim
“Ketzef” – the meaning of His words is that He said to them: In the First Temple period, before He destroyed the Temple and exiled Israel, He would send His prophets early in the morning and late in the evening, and they would warn, reprove, and threaten them with the impending evil, so that they might return in repentance and He would not bring the evil upon them. The matter was that the Lord was the one initiating the discourse to bring them back to Him, but they did not wish to do so. And now, after the evil has already come upon them, the wrath still applies and the exile still persists, for the redemption by Cyrus was not a complete redemption. And therefore it says, “The Lord’s wrath was kindled against your fathers” – meaning that the wrath still exists in reality, for the Lord has not turned back from His fierce anger.
Therefore say you to them, Thus says Hashem of hosts: Return to Me, says Hashem of hosts, and I will return to you, says Hashem of hosts.
verse value 3667
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·say" (וְאָמַרְתָּ֣, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 499: hosts, hosts, hosts. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "to·them" (אֲלֵהֶ֗ם). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root אל ("to·them") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root כה ("thus") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hosts', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 5 words.
Radak
"And you shall say." It is clear:
Metzudat David
"And you shall say": Nevertheless, you shall say to them, etc., "Return to Me, and I will return to you, to cause My Divine Presence to dwell among you."
Malbim
“And you shall say to them”: Therefore, you shall say to them and inform them that from now on, He will no longer send prophets to warn them and bring them back to Him (for prophecy ceased after the last prophets). And from now on, they must strive on their own to return in repentance. This is what is meant by “Return to Me, and I will return to you”: you are to be the ones who initiate and awaken yourselves to return.
Be you not as your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Thus says Hashem of hosts: Return you now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; but they did not hear, nor attend to Me, says Hashem.
verse value 6547
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 123 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "called·to·them" (קָרְאֽוּ־אֲלֵיהֶם֩, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 325: the·evil, the·evil. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "do·not·be" (אַל־תִּהְי֣וּ), "as·your·fathers" (כַאֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֡ם), "called·to·them" (קָרְאֽוּ־אֲלֵיהֶם֩). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "saying" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root אב ("as·your·fathers") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root אשר ("whom") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·evil', dividing the verse into phrases of 18 and 5 words.
Radak
“Do not be.” It is clear:
Metzudat David
"As your fathers." [This refers to those] who were in the days of the destruction.
The early Sages, who were in their days:
Malbim
Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets called and warned them concerning their evil way, and they did not heed the words of the prophets; and see what befell them, for...
Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
verse value 869
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "live" (יִֽחְיֽוּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "your·fathers" (אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "your·fathers" (אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם), "where?·they" (אַיֵּה־הֵ֑ם), "and·the·prophets" (וְהַ֨נְּבִאִ֔ים). 5 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root חיה ("live") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'where?·they', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם [your·fathers] (479) + אַיֵּה־הֵ֑ם [where?·they] (61) + וְהַ֨נְּבִאִ֔ים [and·the·prophets] (114) + הַלְעוֹלָ֖ם [is·it·forever] (181) + יִֽחְיֽוּ [live] (34) = 869.
Rashi
"Where are your fathers?" See that they were struck with a severe blow: by famine, by the sword, and by exile.
And the prophets, do they live forever? And you might say: “Even the prophets—where are they? Behold, they have died.” I answer you: Was it for the prophets to live forever? Rather, their end proves that their words were true, for all the words, statutes, and decrees of calamity that I commanded My servant the prophets concerning you—have they not befallen your fathers?
Radak
“Where are your fathers?” Do you not see that they perished by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the prophets used to say to them:
And the prophets, do they live forever? And the prophets who used to admonish them — can they live forever to admonish them? He has already admonished them, yet they did not listen; but you shall see that everything came upon them just as [the prophets] told them. This is what [Scripture] says: "But My words and My statutes." And our Sages of blessed memory explained that "and the prophets" is the people's response, for they gave a conclusive retort: the Congregation of Israel answered the prophet. He said to them: "Repent! Your fathers who sinned — where are they?" They said to him: "And the prophets, who did not sin — where are they? Where are they?" And they returned and confessed to Him.
Metzudat David
Where are they? It is as if it says: Were they not punished with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence?
And the prophets, do they live forever? As if you were to say, “Where are the prophets? Did they not also die, since they did not do evil?” To this I will answer you: Will the prophets live forever? Did they not die when their days were fulfilled?
Malbim
"Where are your fathers? Have they not died and been utterly consumed by terrors and afflictions? And as for the prophets whom I sent then — will they live forever? For I will no longer send new prophets, since there is now no longer any need for prophets, after you have seen that all the evil predictions which the prophets prophesied have all come upon you. And this is what is stated:"
But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? so that they turned and said: Like as Hashem of hosts purposed to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so has He dealt with us.’
verse value 6914
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 107 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "indeed" (אַ֣ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·as·our·deeds" (וּכְמַ֣עֲלָלֵ֔ינוּ, 9 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "indeed" (אַ֣ךְ), "my·words" (דְּבָרַ֣י), "and·My·statutes" (וְחֻקַּ֗י). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·they·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root דבר ("my·words") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root עבד ("my·servants") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·fathers', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 13 words.
Radak
“Only My words and My statutes.” “My statutes” means My decrees that I decreed upon them, that they should die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, and that the survivors would be exiled. Do you not see that they overtook your forefathers, and all came upon them just as I commanded My servants the prophets to say to them? And they themselves returned and confessed at the time of the Destruction. This is what it says: “They returned and said.”
Metzudat David
But My words and My statutes. But the words of the decree which I commanded the prophets to prophesy — did they not overtake your fathers alone, and not the prophets?
And they returned. Your very forefathers returned in order to say: At the time of the Destruction, behold, just as the Lord had planned to do to us according to our deeds, so He did, only to us; and the prophets were not punished like us.
Metzudat Zion
Zammam. The matter of thought, as it is said: "their plot, let it not succeed" (Psalms 140:9).
Malbim
“Only My words and My statutes—have they not reached your fathers?” And there is no further need for a prophet to foretell the future regarding your sins, for the troubles have already come and are still in existence, since you have not yet been redeemed from the dominion of Cyrus. Moreover, you have already recognized God’s providence and His punishments: a) You have seen that the power is in His hand to punish sinners, which is what is meant by the statement that they confessed and said, “When the Lord intended to do to us, He did to us”; b) In that the punishment was measure for measure in accordance with the sin, which is what is meant by “according to our ways and according to our deeds He has done to us.” And there is no further need for prophecy, for your eyes have already been opened to know the deeds of the Lord.
Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Hashem to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying—
verse value 6633
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 89 letters. The shortest word is "month" (חֹ֙דֶשׁ֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·one·ten" (לְעַשְׁתֵּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ר, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·four" (וְאַרְבָּעָ֜ה), "to·one·ten" (לְעַשְׁתֵּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ר), "month" (חֹ֙דֶשׁ֙). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "saying" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "was" (root היה, 66x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root יום ("in·day·of") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root ארבע ("and·four") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'of·Darius', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 7 words.
Radak
"On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shevat." The names of the months are as written in the Book of Esther, and in this book [Zechariah]. We do not know whether they are Aramaic, for we have not found them in the other books of the Holy Writ.
“The word of the Lord came to Zechariah.” An angel came to him, spoke with him, and showed him this vision, which he relates and continues to relate.
Metzudat David
"To say." This means that He should say to the Children of Israel the vision that He saw.
Malbim
On the twenty-fourth day: Since this prophecy specified the day and the month in particular, the Ri’a wrote that it came to inform us that there were fifty-nine days after the Temple of the Lord was founded on the twenty-fourth of the ninth month. And when it came to speak of the completion of the Persian kingdom, which lasted fifty-nine years, it informs us that there was an interval of fifty-nine days between the foundation of the House of the Lord and this prophecy, day for year, day for year. And it mentioned his father’s name and his grandfather’s name a second time to indicate that their merit caused him to prophesy such lofty prophecies.
I saw in the night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom; and behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.
verse value 3847
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 79 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֣וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "a team" (רֹכֵב֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·behold·man" (וְהִנֵּה־אִישׁ֙, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "night" (הַלַּ֗יְלָה), "a team" (רֹכֵב֙), "upon·a·horse" (עַל־ס֣וּס). The root סוס appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 44x in Zechariah); "and·he" (root הוא, 31x in Zechariah); "I·have·seen" (root ראה, 22x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root ראה ("I·have·seen") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root הנה ("and·behold·man") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·ravine', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Rashi
"I saw in the night visions, etc." Our Sages explained what they explained in the Aggadic portion of Chelek [Sanhedrin]; yet the order of the passage and the language do not cohere with that explanation.
And behold, a man. An angel:
“Upon a red horse.” This is an allusion that He will take vengeance upon the Chaldeans, Medes, and Persians with the sword and with blood, as it says here: “I will be very angry with the nations.”
“And after them red horses, etc.” They are prepared for the service of the Holy One, blessed be He, and they possess many varieties of colors, which is a praise to Him. “Shroqim.” I do not know what color this is; and the Targum [renders it] “quachin.”
“Among the myrtles that are in the deep” – among the trees of the myrtle groves of Babylonia.
Radak
"I saw at night." The visions of Zechariah are very obscure, like the visions of Daniel, and not so are the visions of the other prophets, for the power of prophecy was waning from the days of the exile onward; therefore, they did not clarify their words, and they did not understand the visions as they are. And it says, "I saw at night," meaning: In the visions of the night, I saw this vision that I saw.
A man riding on a red horse. And we found in the words of our Sages of blessed memory that they explained the verse thus: 'I saw at night' — the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to turn the whole world into night; 'and behold, a man riding' — 'a man' is none other than the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated, 'The Lord is a man of war' (Exodus 15:3); 'on a red horse' — the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to turn the whole world into blood. Once He looked upon Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, His mind was immediately set at ease, as it is stated, 'and he stood among the myrtles that were in the deep' — and 'myrtles' are none other than the righteous, as it says, 'and he raised Hadassah' (Esther 2:7); and 'the deep' is none other than Babylon, as it is stated, 'who says to the deep: Be dry' (Isaiah 44:27). Immediately the black ones became dappled and the red ones white, as it is stated, 'and after him red horses, dappled, and white.' After this we will explain in the vision what we are able to explain.
"A man" – this is the angel of the Lord, as it says, "And the man Gabriel" (Daniel 9:21). And similarly, at the end of the matter, it states, "The angel of the Lord standing among the myrtle trees." And he saw him riding on a horse, indicating the swiftness of his mission. The meaning of "red" and the other colors: it is possible that they were stated for a specific purpose. And my master and father, of blessed memory, wrote that the red horse alludes to Nebuchadnezzar, who is called "the head of gold," and gold is red. That is to say, his prophecy was concerning the four kingdoms, like the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the visions of Daniel. And even though the horses are an allegory for the angels, the messengers of God, as it is written, nevertheless, it is an allusion to the four kingdoms. And the explanation of "a man riding" is that the angels rule over the lower realms, and all the deeds of God on earth are through them and by their means. And his mission was to uproot the kingdom of Babylon. And even though at the time of this vision the kingdom of Babylon had already been uprooted, the vision appeared to him complete as it was, because of the three kingdoms that were to come. And this vision occurred during the kingdom of Persia, as it says, "In the second year of Darius" (Zechariah 1:1).
And He is standing among the myrtles that are in the deep. They are Israel, and He compared them to myrtles, namely to myrtle trees, because they have a good fragrance; so too, Israel in Babylonia have the fragrance of commandments. This means that He stands among them to aid them and to bring them out of exile.
In the deep. It is Babylon:
And after him red horses, dappled, and white. “Dappled” is a type of color that has not been clarified for us; and some say that they were combed with a comb, but this has no meaning. Rather, the “dappled” in this vision correspond to the “black” mentioned in the other vision, which is the vision of the four chariots. And the Targum [renders] “dappled” in this vision as “spotted”; another manuscript reads “spotted.” And these horses, apparently, had no rider upon them; rather, the one who was riding was the commander over the other angels. Therefore, he saw him riding, and after him red horses. If we interpret “red horse” as referring to Nebuchadnezzar, we interpret “red horses” as referring to his son and his grandson. And they correspond to the first chariot. “Dappled and white” — as if it said, “and after them dappled, and after them white.” And he did not mention [a horse] corresponding to the fourth chariot, because he did not see it in this vision, since it was distant, even though he saw it in the other visions.
Metzudat David
"The night." This means: during the night.
A man. This means an angel, as it is written: “And the man, Gabriel” (Daniel 9:21).
And he. The man riding on the horse stood between the myrtle trees that stand in the deep.
And after him. After the man who was riding, there stood red horses, and so on.
Metzudat Zion
The myrtle branches. The name of a fragrant tree:
“in the deep.” A place where there is an abundance of water; its meaning is like “and You cast me into the deep” (Jonah 2:4).
Sharukim. These are those marked with alternating colors, and an example of this is found in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: “A woman may not pass a sharuk over her face” (Shabbat 95).
Malbim
I saw in the night visions, and behold, a man riding on a red horse. Our Sages of blessed memory already stated [in the chapter *Haroveh*, page 57]: One who sees a red horse in a dream, if it is galloping, it is bad for him; if it is at rest, it is good for him. A white horse, whether galloping or at rest, is good for him. For the horse signifies war, as it is written, “A horse is prepared for the day of battle.” And from another perspective, it signifies arrogance and haughtiness. And since it is red, which signifies the shedding of blood, and it is galloping, which signifies that it pursues to shed blood, it is a sign of murder. But if it is at rest, or if it is a white horse, it signifies haughtiness, not the shedding of blood. And behold, he saw horses, a man riding, and an angel. The horses are the mighty men, the men of war. And he saw a red horse, which designates one mighty man who went out to wage war against the King of Persia and to seize the kingdom after him. He is Alexander the Macedonian, who defeated Darius in his wars. He is the one whom Daniel saw in the form of the goat, the male goat, butting the ram. And Zechariah saw him as a red horse, which signifies the blood that he would shed. And the man riding on him is the prince of Greece, who leads him with his strength and might to accomplish valor. And therefore it says, “I saw in the night visions,” for every king from the four kingdoms who arose to rule was likened to a night in its own right, for distress is likened to night. And Rabbi Yehuda said (in the chapter *Hilkah*): The Holy One, blessed be He, sought to turn the entire world into night. But He saw that the horse and the man riding on him were standing still, which is a good sign. That is to say, he would stand among the myrtles in the deep, meaning among the righteous ones who would be found in that generation in the depths of this lowly world. There the horse would stand and not gallop to shed blood. And so it was: when Alexander came to Jerusalem, Shimon the Righteous and his brother priests went out against him, and he dismounted from his horse and bowed to him, and he did not destroy Jerusalem nor do them any harm. And after him, after this horse on which the man was riding—that is to say, after Alexander the Macedonian—there were red, dappled, and white horses. The red ones signify war, and the white ones signify peace. And the dappled ones are composed of red and white, and they are intermediate between them. That is to say, among the generals of his armies, who inherited his kingdom after him, some were lovers of war and shedders of blood, some were lovers of peace and rest, and some were intermediate, sometimes waging war and sometimes dwelling in peace.
Then said I: ‘O my lord, what are these?’ And the angel that spoke with me said to me: ‘I will show you what these are.’
verse value 1424
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵֽלֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "with·me" (בִּ֔י, 2 letters) and the longest is "what?·these" (מָה־אֵ֣לֶּה, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "I·will·show·you" (אַרְאֶ֖ךָּ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "to·me" (root אל, 36x in Zechariah); "who·spoke" (root דבר, 25x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root אלה ("what?·these") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root אדון ("my·lord") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·lord', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 9 words. Full calculation: וָאֹמַ֖ר [and·I·said] (247) + מָה־אֵ֣לֶּה [what?·these] (81) + אֲדֹנִ֑י [my·lord] (65) + וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֵלַ֗י [to·me] (41) + הַמַּלְאָךְ֙ [messenger] (96) + הַדֹּבֵ֣ר [who·spoke] (211) + בִּ֔י [with·me] (12) + אֲנִ֥י [I] (61) + אַרְאֶ֖ךָּ [I·will·show·you] (222) + מָה־הֵ֥מָּה [what?·they] (95) + אֵֽלֶּה [these] (36) = 1424.
Rashi
And I said. To a certain angel who was showing me all this: "What are these, my lord?" And he is the one riding on the red horse.
Radak
And it says, "the one who spoke with me." He is the one concerning whom it said: "The word of the Lord came to Zechariah."
"I will show you." He should have said, "I will make you hear," for He did not show him anything new, but rather the vision of the horses that He had shown him from the beginning. Perhaps "I will show you" is akin to "I will make you hear," for the sense of sight is used to refer to the other senses, since it is the strongest of all of them, as it is stated, "And all the people saw the voices." [Similarly,] "See the smell of my son." And it is possible to explain "I will show you" according to its literal meaning, and He said to him regarding this other vision that He showed him—the four horns—which is more clear than this one, even though he did not understand it until He interpreted it for him.
Metzudat David
And it says: "I asked the angel who spoke with me, 'What are these?'"—meaning: To what do they allude?
"I will show you." In the vision of prophecy, I will show you. To what does this allude? To that which He caused his ears to hear, the words of the man standing among the myrtles, as stated in the scriptural verse that follows.
Malbim
And he said, “What are these, my lord?” He asked the angel who influences him with prophecy to tell him what this vision signifies. And He said to me, “I will show you what these are,” meaning that in the other visions which I will show you, you will understand the interpretation of these matters and their significance.
And the man that stood among the myrtle-trees answered and said: ‘These are they whom Hashem has sent to walk to and fro through the earth.’
verse value 2698
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֚לֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "these" (אֵ֚לֶּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "among·the·myrtles" (בֵּין־הַהֲדַסִּ֖ים, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "man" (הָאִ֛ישׁ), "among·the·myrtles" (בֵּין־הַהֲדַסִּ֖ים). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·he·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "whom" (root אשר, 44x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root ענה ("and·he·answered") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root איש ("man") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·he·said', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֗עַן [and·he·answered] (136) + הָאִ֛ישׁ [man] (316) + הָעֹמֵ֥ד [who·stands] (119) + בֵּין־הַהֲדַסִּ֖ים [among·the·myrtles] (186) + וַיֹּאמַ֑ר [and·he·said] (257) + אֵ֚לֶּה [these] (36) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [whom] (501) + שָׁלַ֣ח [sent] (338) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + לְהִתְהַלֵּ֖ךְ [to·walk] (490) + בָּאָֽרֶץ [in·the·land] (293) = 2698.
Rashi
"To walk in the land." To see the tranquility of the gentiles:
Radak
"And the man answered." He was the one riding the horse, and the prophet heard that the angel who was riding answered, even though he had not asked him. And he said to him: "These horses are the messengers of God, whom He sent to walk through the land," in accordance with the manner in which it is said: "The satan roams through the land and walks about in it." And it is possible that the angel who was riding did not answer the prophet, but rather the meaning of "answered" (וַיַּעַן) is like "you shall answer" (וְעָנִיתָ) and "you shall say," as in "Job answered first" (Job 3:2). And behold, the prophet heard that the one riding the horse was speaking and asking these horses, whom the Lord had sent to walk through the land, "How is the land?" And they answered and said to him: "We have walked through the land and seen it sitting in peace and quiet." And "these" (אֵלֶּה) is like "and to these" (וְאֵלֶּה); and similarly, "And David was told, saying, 'Ahithophel is among the conspirators'" (2 Samuel 15:31) is like "And to David"; and "two men, commanders of bands, were sons of Saul" (2 Samuel 4:2) is like "to the son of Saul," and similar cases.
Metzudat David
"And the man answered, etc." Although he had asked the angel who was speaking to him, the man answered him, etc.
These. These are the horses that the Lord sent to walk throughout the land, from its length to its breadth, to seize dwellings that are not theirs, each in its own time.
Malbim
And the man standing among the myrtle trees answered, having heard that the prince of Greece, who was then clothed with Alexander, was the one he saw in the form of a man. He answered and called out with a loud voice: “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk about in the land,” meaning that the Lord has handed over the universal dominion to these princes and sent them to walk about in the land and to conquer kingdoms.
And they answered the angel of Hashem that stood among the myrtle-trees, and said: ‘We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sits still, and is at rest.’
verse value 3976
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "between" (בֵּ֣ין, 3 letters) and the longest is "we·walked·about" (הִתְהַלַּ֣כְנוּ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·answered" (וַֽיַּעֲנ֞וּ), "the·angel·of" (אֶת־מַלְאַ֣ךְ), "we·walked·about" (הִתְהַלַּ֣כְנוּ). The root ארץ appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·they·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "in·the·land" (root ארץ, 36x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root ישב ("dwelling") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·land', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַֽיַּעֲנ֞וּ [and·answered] (142) + אֶת־מַלְאַ֣ךְ [the·angel·of] (492) + יְהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + הָֽעֹמֵד֙ [who·stands] (119) + בֵּ֣ין [between] (62) + הַהֲדַסִּ֔ים [myrtle] (124) + וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ [and·they·said] (263) + הִתְהַלַּ֣כְנוּ [we·walked·about] (516) + בָאָ֑רֶץ [in·the·land] (293) + וְהִנֵּ֥ה [and·behold] (66) + כׇל־הָאָ֖רֶץ [all·the·earth] (346) + יֹשֶׁ֥בֶת [dwelling] (712) + וְשֹׁקָֽטֶת [and·being·quiet] (815) = 3976.
Radak
And they answered. It is clear:
She sits and is at rest. We saw that the nations of the world are at peace, while Israel is in distress; therefore, the angel answered and said, “Until when will You not have mercy on Jerusalem?”
Metzudat David
"And they answered, etc." For the angel who stands among the myrtles asked them what they had done in the land, each in his time. And although it is not explicitly stated, from the answer it is understood that he asked them about this.
"We walked through the land." This means that we inherited the entire land, and behold, it was all dwelling in peace and tranquility, and there was no one whose heart was stirred to approach war to take anything from our hands. The interpretation of the vision is that the horses are the messengers of the Omnipresent, who allude to the rulers of the world. He showed him in the form of horses to allude to speed and ease of movement. There were many of every kind to allude to the abundance of speed, as he saw in another vision, as it is stated: "And behold, four chariots..." In the first chariot were red horses, etc. (below 6:2). The red ones, in their entirety, allude to Babylon, as it is said regarding it: "You are the head of gold" (Daniel 2:38), and the appearance of gold is reddish. The angel who rode on one of the red ones came to allude that Babylon did not fall by chance, but rather the Lord sent His angel, and he rode upon it, conquered it under him, and established it among the myrtles that are in the deep. This alludes to the fact that the fall of Babylon occurred in its own land, which stood in the deep, as it is stated: "He says to the deep, 'Be dry'" (Isaiah 44:27). And in it grew many myrtles. The dappled horses allude to Media and Persia, because there were two kingdoms, the allusion came in horses of mixed colors, not of a single color. The white horses allude to the Greeks, and it is possible that this is because their custom was to wear white garments, and all their nature and beauty were exceptionally white. (And He did not show him in that vision the rule of Titus, because his rule was after the destruction of the Second Temple, and He had not yet spoken to him about this destruction. And after He spoke to him about this, He truly showed him allusions also to the rule of Titus.)
Metzudat Zion
Yoshevet. This means: sitting in tranquility.
"ושוקטת" – [refers] to tranquility and rest.
Malbim
And they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees—meaning among the righteous ones of that generation. At that time, the angel of the Lord stood there; he is the angel appointed to oversee Israel, and he stands and guards the myrtle trees, which represent the righteous ones. They informed the angel, saying, “We have walked through the land,” meaning that we have already seized dominion and governance over the entire land, and all the land sits in peace and tranquility, because the wars have ceased, since everything is under their authority. They also hinted to him that now they would not do evil to Israel, and Israel would initially dwell under the shadow of the Greek kingdom in peace.
Then the angel of Hashem spoke and said: ‘O Hashem of hosts, how long will you not have compassion on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You have had indignation these threescore and ten years?
verse value 6160
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 77 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "this" (זֶ֖ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·angel·of·Hashem" (מַלְאַךְ־יְהֹוָה֮, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "the·angel·of·Hashem" (מַלְאַךְ־יְהֹוָה֮), "until·when" (עַד־מָתַ֗י), "not·have·compassion" (לֹֽא־תְרַחֵ֣ם). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·he·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root מות ("until·when") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root אתה ("you") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Rashi
And the angel of the Lord answered. He is the one speaking to me:
Radak
And he answered. This is the one standing among the myrtle trees, who was assisting Israel, or the angel speaking to the prophet; and this is the correct interpretation.
“Until when will You not have mercy on Jerusalem?” For as long as the gentiles remain quiet, they will not emerge from exile until the kingdom of Babylon is lost. And behold, the matter of this vision has already passed in the time when he saw it; rather, He showed him what had already occurred in order to demonstrate to him that the peace of Babylon and its destruction are all from God, blessed be He, through the ministering angels who guide, and that they strive for the good of Israel. And likewise, the rule of the three remaining kingdoms and their downfall will all be from God, blessed be He, just as He showed him what had occurred in the kingdom of Babylon that had passed.
“Whose anger has lasted seventy years” — this refers to the seventy years. If it refers to what had already passed, as we explained, that the seventy years of the Babylonian empire had elapsed, and it was angry throughout the entire reign of Nebuchadnezzar; or perhaps it says “these seventy years” with reference to the time of the vision, which occurred in the second year of Darius, and at that time the seventy years of the destruction of Jerusalem were completed. And even though this vision occurred in the month of Shevat, and they began to build in the month of Kislev, nevertheless it was still angry, and for as long as they were building the city, they were engaged in conflict with their enemies.
Metzudat David
The angel of the Lord: standing among the myrtles.
“O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah...” — This is as if it were saying: Even if You sent those kingdoms, each in its appointed time, and You delivered the heavenly princes over the gentiles into the hands of the heavenly prince of each ruler in his time, nevertheless, are You not the Lord over the heavenly and earthly hosts, and is all not in Your hand? Why then do You not have mercy on Jerusalem, etc.? Are You not the Commander of Israel, and do You not rule over all?
"Which Your anger has burned against." "Which" – that You were angry with them for a period of seventy years, from the time of the destruction of the Temple. And it is as if He says: Are they not still subject to Your anger, if they submit to the kings of Media and Persia?
Metzudat Zion
And he answered. The matter of raising the voice is akin to "and you shall answer and say" (Deuteronomy 26:5):
Her anger. From the words "ze'am" and "ka'as," meaning anger and wrath.
Malbim
“And the angel of the Lord answered” — this is from the language of raising one’s voice. For the angel saw that one night was going out and another night was coming, and another kingdom would seize dominion over Israel, and they would afflict them greatly, as was the case in the days of the tyrant Antiochus, who severely oppressed Israel. And the angel saw that it was still not the time for redemption. Therefore, he called out with a voice, “How long will You not have mercy?” He is precise with the word “You” — “What need have I of the mercies of the horses that walk in the land, which are the kingdoms? Why will You have mercy? Will not You Yourself have mercy on Jerusalem? Has not Your anger already raged for seventy years? Has not the time for redemption already arrived?”
And Hashem answered the angel that spoke with me with good words, even comforting words—
verse value 1609
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "with·me" (בִּ֖י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·angel" (אֶת־הַמַּלְאָ֛ךְ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 256: words, words. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "the·angel" (אֶת־הַמַּלְאָ֛ךְ), "comforts" (נִחֻמִֽים). The root דבר appears 3 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "who·spoke" (root דבר, 25x in Zechariah); "the·angel" (root מלאך, 20x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root טוב ("good") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'good', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֣עַן [and·he·answered] (136) + יְהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶת־הַמַּלְאָ֛ךְ [the·angel] (497) + הַדֹּבֵ֥ר [who·spoke] (211) + בִּ֖י [with·me] (12) + דְּבָרִ֣ים [words] (256) + טוֹבִ֑ים [good] (67) + דְּבָרִ֖ים [words] (256) + נִחֻמִֽים [comforts] (148) = 1609.
Rashi
And the Lord answered, [referring] to the angel who spoke with me good words. It is not that the prophet heard what [the Lord] answered, but rather from what the angel said to him, "Cry out, saying: 'I have been jealous...'" I know that good words were his answer.
Radak
And he answered, comforting words. The construct form is lacking; the meaning of 'words' (devarim) is 'words of comfort' (divrei nichumim), or it is an adjective ['comforting'], and this is the correct [reading].
Metzudat David
“the angel who speaks with me,” so that he may say them to me:
Good words. These are the words that the angel commanded him to recite, in order to publicize them among the masses:
Metzudat Zion
Nechumim. From the word "nechamah" (comfort):
Malbim
And the Lord answered, and the Lord answered the angel with good words, and informed him that it was for the benefit of Israel, until the angel was comforted, for truly the length of the exiles and the multitude of afflictions will subsequently turn into great consolations, and through this there will be a general redemption and everlasting righteousness, and the prophet did not reveal what the Lord said to the angel, for he was not commanded to disclose it.
so the angel that spoke with me said to me: ‘Proclaim you, saying: Thus says Hashem of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy;
verse value 3553
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 67 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "with·me" (בִּ֔י, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·Jerusalem" (לִירוּשָׁלִַ֛ם, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·for·Zion" (וּלְצִיּ֖וֹן). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root קנא ("I·am·jealous") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root ירושלם ("for·Jerusalem") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hosts', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 5 words.
Rashi
"I was jealous": for Zion. "I will take vengeance": I will exact retribution, the judgment of Jerusalem, from those who oppress her.
Radak
"And He said." The good things that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, He said to me that I should proclaim them in the ears of Israel to comfort them.
Metzudat David
"I was jealous for Jerusalem." On account of what the gentiles did to Jerusalem and to Zion, I am greatly angered.
Metzudat Zion
"I was jealous." The matter is one of anger, as it is written: "They provoked Me to jealousy with what is no god" (Deuteronomy 32:21).
Malbim
And the angel said to me: He said to him, so that he should not reveal all that he had heard; rather, this he should call out and say: This you shall make public in the name of the Lord: Thus says the Lord: I have been jealous for Jerusalem. This means: I have already been jealous for the honor of Jerusalem and Zion. This refers to what He was jealous about in Babylon, which He destroyed because of the evils they committed against Zion. And it was a great jealousy; therefore, Babylon was completely destroyed and became a mound forever.
and I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped for evil.
verse value 3275
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "I" (אֲנִ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·the·nations" (עַל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: I, I. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·wrath" (וְקֶ֤צֶף), "with·the·nations" (עַל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם), "the·ones·at·ease" (הַשַּֽׁאֲנַנִּ֑ים). The root קצף appears 3 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 44x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root גוי ("with·the·nations") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root הם ("and·they") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·ones·at·ease', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְקֶ֤צֶף [and·wrath] (276) + גָּדוֹל֙ [great] (43) + אֲנִ֣י [I] (61) + קֹצֵ֔ף [being·displeased] (270) + עַל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם [with·the·nations] (164) + הַשַּֽׁאֲנַנִּ֑ים [the·ones·at·ease] (456) + אֲשֶׁ֤ר [that] (501) + אֲנִי֙ [I] (61) + קָצַ֣פְתִּי [I·was·displeased] (680) + מְּעָ֔ט [littleness] (119) + וְהֵ֖מָּה [and·they] (56) + עָזְר֥וּ [they·helped] (283) + לְרָעָֽה [for·evil] (305) = 3275.
Rashi
“The complacent.” These are those of whom it is said that they sit and are at ease.
“With which I was angry. At My people, a little:”
"And they helped." [This is said] concerning the anger, for evil.
Radak
And He was angry, with the complacent. This means: just as it is said, “She sits and is still.”
"I was angry but a little." I was angry with Israel but a little, to exile them from their land; and "but a little" is in comparison to what evil they did to Israel after their exile.
“Help the wicked”: To do them more harm than necessary. And similarly it is stated in Isaiah: “I was angry with My people, I desecrated My inheritance, and I gave them into your hand” (Isaiah 47:6). “You did not show them mercy”: upon the elder you made your yoke very heavy.
Metzudat David
"And I was angry." Now he explains that the anger is directed at the gentiles who sit idly by and remain quiet regarding the fact that I was angry only a little with Israel, yet they aided in intensifying the anger to do even more evil than my anger [warranted].
Metzudat Zion
“The complacent.” From [the root] sha’anan and hashket, meaning to be at ease and to be quiet.
Malbim
And [I am] angry, and now I am angry with great anger at the arrogant nations, namely Media and Persia, for although I have no jealousy against them because they did not destroy the Temple, I do have anger against them for having abolished the building of the House. with which I was but a little angry — [meaning] that the anger I am now angry against Israel is [only] a little, because the time of their reckoning has arrived, and they assisted in evil, namely, that they assisted the enemies of Judah and Benjamin, who strove to abolish the building, and they accepted their words and issued a decree to halt our building, and Israel is still in subjugation and disgrace.
Therefore thus says Hashem: I return to Jerusalem with compassions: My house shall be built in it, says Hashem of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem.
verse value 4121
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 4121 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "in·it" (בָּ֔הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "over·Jerusalem" (עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "with·compassions" (בְּֽרַחֲמִ֔ים), "my·house" (בֵּיתִי֙), "and·line" (וְקָ֥ו). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "thus·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root בית ("my·house") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root בנה ("is·built") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hosts', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 4 words.
Rashi
And he shall stretch out a line. “To measure the length and breadth of its walls.”
Radak
Therefore, thus says the Lord: "And a line." It is written with a he in the measure of "noh" [i.e., as "vehah"], and read without the he, and it is the "qav" [line] of the construction—the cord that is stretched over the wall.
Metzudat David
Therefore. Since they greatly did evil to Israel, therefore I have already brought Israel back to Jerusalem on account of mercy, even though they did not merit it. And furthermore, My House will be built there, and the king will not cancel the construction in the manner in which Cyrus canceled it.
"And a line shall be stretched out." One who builds stretches a measuring line to construct the city wall, and the king shall not prevent them.
Metzudat Zion
And "line" (qav): its meaning is the plumb line of the builder; and likewise, "line for line" (Isaiah 28).
yinteh. The word is from the root meaning "to incline":
Malbim
Therefore, thus says the Lord: 'I have returned to Jerusalem with mercies.' This means: Therefore, I was compelled to return to Jerusalem. Although the time for the future redemption has not yet arrived, I do this on account of the attribute of mercy, on account of the poor and their distress. Moreover, My House will be built there. Therefore, the building of the Temple will now take place, so that they may have a place to pray there, to rectify their deeds, and to bring forth eternal righteousness, if they merit it. Now, at that time, they had permission only for the building of the House; they were not permitted to build the wall of Jerusalem. Permission for this was not granted to them until the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, through Nehemiah. [God] informed them that a line would be stretched over Jerusalem to build also the wall. (And the word "line" [qav] is written in the sense of "hope" [tiqvah], and it falls [shemotah] [i.e., it is interpreted] that henceforth they have hope that, if their deeds merit it, the aftermath of the wrath [will end].)
Again, proclaim, saying: Thus says Hashem of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity; and Hashem shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.’
verse value 4142
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 71 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·Jerusalem" (בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 80: again, again, yet, yet. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "shall·overflow" (תְּפוּצֶ֥נָה), "from·good" (מִטּ֑וֹב), "and·will·comfort" (וְנִחַ֨ם). The root עוד appears 4 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "saying" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root עוד ("again") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root נחם ("and·will·comfort") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·good', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 7 words.
Radak
He further cites: “My cities shall yet overflow with goodness.” This refers to the abundance of goodness and tranquility that they will have, so that their settlements will be scattered here and there, meaning that the population will increase.
And he comforted. It is spelled with a patach, and it is from the dagesh conjugation.
Metzudat David
Furthermore, He called to say: This too is from the words of the angel who said to the prophet, “Call again, saying this.”
"Yet shall they be scattered." This means that yet another destruction and exile will come upon the Second Temple, and the inhabitants of the cities of Judah will be scattered from all that is good and will be removed from the good land.
"And the Lord will comfort." And after this, in the future redemption, the Lord will comfort Zion once again and will choose Jerusalem once again, as it says: "then there shall be a complete redemption, an eternal redemption." And then they will rule over all the nations.
Metzudat Zion
Tifotzanah. The meaning of "pazur" is like "and from these the earth was scattered" (Genesis 9:19).
Malbim
He further calls to say, and further He will inform them of another matter: that this redemption is not the true redemption, for “My cities shall yet be scattered,” meaning that they will again be exiled to the diaspora by the Romans and will be scattered a second time among the nations, and they will be scattered from the good that they had during the Second Temple period. But “the Lord will again comfort Zion,” meaning that after the war of the Greeks, who abolished the service in the Holy Temple—which is attributed to Zion—God will comfort Zion. And after the final exile, which will be by the Romans who exiled the people from Jerusalem and it became a desolation, He will again choose Jerusalem for the World to Come, that its children will return into it.
Rashi
Radak