Zechariah7

In the fourth year of King Darius, a delegation from Bethel inquired whether they should continue their traditional fasts. The Lord, through Zechariah, questioned the sincerity of their past fasting, stating it was not truly for Him but for themselves. He reminded them of His earlier commands for justice and mercy, which they had historically rejected, leading to their scattering and the desolation of the land.
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Delegation Asks About Continuing the Fasts

1
And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu; ​
2
When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD, ​
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And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? ​

God Challenges the Motivation for Fasting

4
Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,
5
Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? ​
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And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? ​
7
Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain? ​

The Requirement of True Justice

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And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,
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Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: ​
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And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. ​

Past Rebellion and Divine Judgment

11
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. ​
12
Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. ​
13
Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: ​
14
But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate. ​

Study Notes for Zechariah 7

Verse 1

This chapter is precisely dated to the fourth year of Darius (518 BC), two years after Zechariah’s visions (Ch. 1–6), indicating that the rebuilding efforts are now established.

Verse 2

Sherezer and Regemmelech were representatives sent from the Jewish community, likely from Bethel or even Babylon, to consult the priests and prophets in Jerusalem regarding appropriate ritual practice.

Verse 3

The fast of the fifth month (Av) commemorated the destruction of the First Temple (586 BC). With the Second Temple reconstruction underway, the people questioned whether this traditional mourning fast was still necessary.

Verse 5

The seventy years of fasting aligns with the duration of the Babylonian exile. God questions their motive, implying their mourning was centered on self-pity rather than genuine repentance or devotion to Him.

Verse 6

This rhetorical question emphasizes that their eating and drinking (both feasting and fasting) were self-serving. True worship requires a heart focused on God, not merely external ritual performance.

Verse 7

The 'former prophets' (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos) consistently warned that ritual without ethical obedience was meaningless, a message Israel ignored when the land was prosperous.

Verse 9

God shifts the focus from ritual questions (fasting) to ethical requirements, summarizing the core of covenant law: true judgment (justice) and practical compassion (mercy) toward one’s neighbor.

Verse 10

This list identifies the most vulnerable groups in society (widow, orphan, stranger, poor), emphasizing that ethical religion is demonstrated by protecting the marginalized.

Verse 11

The people’s historical response to God’s commands was willful rejection, symbolized by the refusal to 'hearken' (listen obediently) and pulling away the shoulder (like oxen refusing the yoke).

Verse 12

They made their hearts like an 'adamant stone' (Heb. *shamir*, a very hard substance like diamond), illustrating their deliberate spiritual stubbornness against the Law and the Spirit-inspired message of the prophets.

Verse 13

This verse establishes the principle of reciprocal judgment: because Israel refused to hear God when He spoke, God refused to hear their desperate cries when judgment finally came (the exile).

Verse 14

The scattering was executed 'with a whirlwind,' symbolizing the violent, chaotic, and forceful nature of the judgment and exile, which left the once 'pleasant land' utterly desolate.

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