Targum Jonathan on the Prophets Zechariah · chapter 1

Tap any Aramaic word to trace it to its Jastrow dictionary entry.

1. 1

   בְּיַרְחָא תְּמִינָאָה בִּשְׁנַת תַּרְתֵּין לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הֲוָה פִּתְגַם נְבוּאָה מִן קֳדָם יְיָ עִם זְכַרְיָה בַּר בֶּרָכְיָה בַּר עִדוֹ נְבִיָא לְמֵימָר:

   In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying:

2. 2

   הֲוָה רְגַז מִן קֳדָם יְיָ עַל אֲבָהַתְכוֹן עַל דְאַרְגִיזוּ קֳדָמוֹהִי:

   “The LORD was very angry with your fathers.

3. 3

   וְתֵימַר לְהוֹן כִּדְנַן אֲמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת תּוּבוּ לְפוּלְחָנִי אֲמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת וְאִתְפְּנֵי בְּמֵימְרִי לְאַיְטָבָא לְכוֹן אֲמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת:

   So tell the people that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Return to Me, declares the LORD of Hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Hosts.’

4. 4

   לָא תְהוֹן כַּאֲבָהָתְכוֹן דְיִתְנַבּוּן לְהוֹן נְבִיַיָא קַדְמָאֵי לְמֵימַר כִּדְנַן אֲמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת תּוּבוּ כְעַן מֵאוֹרְחָתכוֹן בִּישְׁתָא וּמֵעוֹבָדֵיכוֹן מְקַלְקְלַיָא וְלָא קַבִּילוּ וְלָא אֲצִיתוּ לְמֵימְרִי אֲמַר יְיָ:

   Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Turn now from your evil ways and deeds.’ But they did not listen or pay attention to Me, declares the LORD.

5. 5

   אֲבָהָתְכוֹן אָן אִינוּן וְאִם תֵּימְרוּן נְבִיַיָא לָא לְעַלְמִין קַיָמִין:

   Where are your fathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever?

6. 6

   בְּרַם פִּתְגָמֵי וּקְיָמֵי דִי פַקְדֵת יַת עַבְדַי נְבִיַיָא הֲלָא אַדְבִּיקוּ אֲבָהַתְכוֹן וְתָבוּ וַאֲמָרוּ כְּמָא דַחֲשִׁיב יְיָ צְבָאוֹת לְמֶעְבַּד לָנָא כְּאוֹרְחָנָא וּכְעוֹבְדָנָא כֵּן עֲבַד עִמָנָא:

   But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’”

7. 7

   בְּיוֹם עַשְׂרִין וְאַרְבָּעָה לְחַד עֲשַׂר יַרְחָא הוּא יַרְחָא שְׁבָט בִּשְׁנַת תַּרְתֵּין לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הֲוָה פִּתְגַם נְבוּאָה מִן קֳדָם יְיָ עִם זְכַרְיָה בַּר בֶּרֶכְיָהוּ בַּר עִדוֹא נְבִיָא לְמֵימַר:

   On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.

8. 8

   חֲזֵיתִי בְּלֵילְיָא וְהָא גְבַר רָכִיב עַל סוּסֵי סִמוֹק וְהוּא קָאֵים בֵּין אִילָנַיָא דַהֲדַסַיָא דִי בְּבָבֶל וּבַתְרוֹהִי סוּסְוָן סוּמְקִין קְוָחִין וְחִוְרְיָן:

   I looked out into the night and saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the hollow, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.

9. 9

   וַאֲמָרֵית מַן אִלֵין רִבּוֹנִי וַאֲמַר לִי מַלְאֲכָא דִי מַלֵיל עִמִי אֲנָא אַחְזִינָךְ מָה אִינוּן אִלֵין:

   “What are these, my lord?” I asked. And the angel who was speaking with me replied, “I will show you what they are.”

10. 10

    וַאֲתִיב גַבְרָא דְקָאֵים בֵּין אִילָנֵי הֲדַסַיָא וַאֲמַר אִלֵין דִי שְׁלַח יְיָ לְהַלְכָא בְּאַרְעָא:

    Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.”

11. 11

    וְאָתִיבוּ יַת מַלְאֲכָא דַייָ דְקָאֵים בֵּין אִילָנֵי הֲדַסַיָא וַאֲמָרוּ הַלֵכְנָא בְאַרְעָא וְהָא כָל אַרְעָא יָתְבָא שְׁלֵיוָא וּשְׁקִיטָא:

    And the riders answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is at rest and tranquil.”

12. 12

    וַאֲתִיב מַלְאֲכָא דַייָ וַאֲמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת עַד אֵימָתַי אַתְּ לָא תְרַחַם עַל יְרוּשְׁלֵם וְעַל קִרְוַיָא דְבֵית יְהוּדָה דְאַיְתֵיתָא עֲלֵיהוֹן לְוָט דְנַן שַׁבְעִין שְׁנִין:

    Then the angel of the LORD said, “How long, O LORD of Hosts, will You withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been angry these seventy years?”

13. 13

    וַאֲתִיב יְיָ יַת מַלְאֲכָא דִי מַלֵיל עִמִי פִּתְגָמִין תַּקְנִין פִּתְגָמִין דְנִיחוּמִין:

    So the LORD spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me.

14. 14

    וַאֲמַר לִי מַלְאֲכָא דִי מַלֵיל עַמִי אִתְנַבִּי לְמֵימַר כִּדְנַן אֲמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת מִתְפְּרַע אֲנָא פּוּרְעֲנוּת יְרוּשְׁלֵם וּלְצִיוֹן קִנְאָה רַבָּא:

    Then the angel who was speaking with me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion,

15. 15

    וּרְגַז רַב אֲנָא רָגֵיז עַל עַמְמַיָא דְשָׁרָן שְׁלֵיוָא דִי אֲנָא רַגְזֵית עַל עַמִי זְעֵיר וְאִינוּן מְסַיְעִין לְאַבְאָשָׁא:

    but I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease. For I was a little angry, but they have added to the calamity.’

16. 16

    בְּכֵן כִּדְנַן אֲמַר יְיָ אֱתוּב לִירוּשְׁלֵם בְּרַחֲמִין בֵּית מַקְדְשִׁי יִתְבְּנִי בָהּ אֲמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת וְחוּט דִמְשַׁחְתָּא יִתְנְגֵד עַל בִּנְיָן כָתְלֵי יְרוּשְׁלֵם:

    Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there My house will be rebuilt, declares the LORD of Hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’

17. 17

    עוֹד אִתְנַבֵּי לְמֵימַר כִּדְנַן אֲמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת עוֹד יִתְמַלְיָן קִרְוֵי עַמִי טוּבָא וִינַחֵם יְיָ עוֹד יַת צִיוֹן וְיִתְרְעֵי עוֹד בִּירוּשְׁלֵם:

    Proclaim further that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘My cities will again overflow with prosperity; the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’”

18. 18

    (The original for this passage is being added.)

    Then I looked up and saw four horns.

19. 19

    (The original for this passage is being added.)

    So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he told me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

20. 20

    (The original for this passage is being added.)

    Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

21. 21

    (The original for this passage is being added.)

    “What are these coming to do?” I asked. And He replied, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head; but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations that have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.”