Zechariah 8, Following Jews to Jerusalem!

After the eight visions in chapters 1 through 6, Zechariah now passes on (in chapters 7 and 8) a set of messages from YHWH, stimulated by questions from a group of former exiles now residing in Bethel.

Zechariah 8:1-3, City of Truth

Again the word of the LORD Almighty came to me. This is what the LORD Almighty says: 

"I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her."

This is what the LORD says: 

"I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain."

YHWH will make Jerusalem His home. It will be called the City of Truth and Mount Zion will be the Holy Mountain. The Hebrew of verse 2 is a chiamus -- a literal translation might be

I am zealous for Zion

with great zeal 

and great fervor 

I am zealous for her,

beginning and ending with God's zealousy for Zion. The Hebrew word qanah carries jealousy and envy; here the "jealousy" is positive, a zeal for the people of Jerusalem.

Zechariah 8:4-6, Old men, young children
This is what the LORD Almighty says: 

"Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there."

This is what the LORD Almighty says: 

"It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?" declares the LORD Almighty.

In that future day of peace, men and women will grow old. They will sit and watch joyful boys and girls play in the city streets. (See Isaiah 65:20-25 for Isaiah's description of this time.) The people will view that future day as marvelous, but it is not difficult for God to accomplish.

Zechariah 8:7-8, From all directions
This is what the LORD Almighty says: 

"I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God." 

People from the east and west -- from all directions -- will return to Israel, to live there. The old covenant will be restored -- the people of Israel will be closely aligned with God.

Zechariah 8:9-11, Be strong!

This is what the LORD Almighty says: 

"You who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there when the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD Almighty, let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built. Before that time there were no wages for man or beast. No one could go about his business safely because of his enemy, for I had turned every man against his neighbor. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past," 

declares the LORD Almighty.

The message returns to that of Haggai a few years before. (See Haggai 1:6-11.) Be strong and finish the task! Advance the covenant by finishing the temple!

Zechariah 8:12-13, Bounty

"The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong."

As the people follow God, the land will prosper.

Zechariah 8:14-17, I will do good to Jerusalem
This is what the LORD Almighty says: 

"Just as I had determined to bring disaster upon you and showed no pity when your fathers angered me,"

says the LORD Almighty, 

"so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah.

 

Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," 

declares the LORD.

Now, in this time of the new Second Temple, the people are to return to the basic morality of justice. As mentioned just previously in 7:9-10, justice is important even than observing the fasts -- the people are to speak the truth to each other, are to give sound judgment, must avoid evil and false witness.

Zechariah 8:18-22, Joyous fasts, 
Again the word of the LORD Almighty came to me. This is what the LORD Almighty says: 

"The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace."

This is what the LORD Almighty says: 

"Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, `Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going.' And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him."

 

Finally the original question (7:2-3) is answered. Should the people still fast? Yes, but the fasts should be joyful events! In the future, people will go to each other and say, "Hurry! Let us go to Jerusalem." People from many other nations will hurry to Jerusalem to worship YHWH, the Almighty God. The people are "to love (aheb) truth and peace" (see Amos 5:15.)

Baldwin argues that the fast on the fifth month, mentioned in 7:3, was in mourning over the destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar in 587 BC. She suggests that the fasts of the tenth and fourth months correspond to the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar's seige and the breaking through the city wall, respectively (Jeremiah 39:1-2.) The fast on the seventh month might remember the murder of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41:1-3.)

Zechariah 8:23, Grabbing the hem of his robe

This is what the LORD Almighty says: 

"In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, `Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'" 

If verse 22 was not explicit, the next verse clarifies this future. God says that men from all languages and nations (clearly including Gentiles!) will grab the hems of the robes of their Jewish friends and beg to follow them. The Jewish people will lead Gentiles to God.

The Hebrew word "Jehudi" ("Jew") appears in the Old Testament after the exile. It is quite rare in the prophetic books, occurring only late in Jeremiah and in this verse.

First published December 18, 2025; updated December 18, 2025