(2) Relation of tlie different parts to one another. — In seeking to answer this question, the circum- stance must be kept in mind that in these chapters events are frequently described not in their actual chronological order, but the final result emerges first, and the description follows of the way in which God brings about this result. Taking this into account, it will be seen that there is no occa- sion, with Rubinkam, to separate 9'"'° from vv."*- ; the latter verses supply an account of the incidents that precede the aclvent of the peaceful King. On the other hand, 10'-^ has a very loose connexion with ch. 9. Itf"' might be from the same hand as ch. 9 ; in the latter there was only a passing allu- sion to the return of the captives, in 10^"- this has the central place ; as in Q'"- Syria is the subject of Divine judgment, so here it is isrs, which in lata Hebrew stands for Sj'ria.
It is very questionable, however, whether 11'"" and 13'"' are from the same hand as chs. 9 and 10. No decisive grounds can be alleged in favour of
* For tlie text of this passage, and the om mads ot It In i* 1937, see art. Qcoiations, p. 184''.
ZECHARIAH, BOOK OF
ZECHAEIAH, BOOK OF
969
identity of authorship ; on the contrary, there is a niiirkeil dii'ersity in so far as it is only at U", which has its continuation in 13'"', that the outlook into the future begins. — Ch. 12 is not, as Cornill {Einleitiiug', p. 203) maintains, the neiessar}' com- plement of U'"- ; in fact, the striking ditrerence of diction makes it impossiUle to ascribe both chapters to the same hand. Seeing, further, that ch. 13 is undoubtedly closely bound up with ch. 12, a. material objection to Cornill's opinion emerges. In ch. 13 the writer liolds in abliorrence those who make a public claim to be prophets ; Jaliweh will make an end of such, just as He sweeps idolatry and the spirit of uncleanness out of the land. On the otlier hand, in II'"'- the prophet in his experiences is to represent in a way the conduct of the people, and the ' Canajinites (tralliokers) of the flock' [reading |rfsri "yjp for n •■yj_^ [;], who watch his conduct, are to recognize that it is the word of Jahweh that de- termines his action. We cannot assent to Rubin- kani's separation of 13'"° from ch. 12, which is justified neither by the language nor tlie contents; the features in the picture of the last days men- tioned in 13'^- complete the picture of ch. 12.
On the other hand, ch. 14 must certainly be assigned to another pen than 12'-13'. According to cli. 12, the destructive judgment is executed upon the lieatlien before Jerusalem, while the city itself stands fast ; but, according to ch. 14, Jeru- salem is captured by the heatlien, the houses destroyed, etc. According to 13', a fountain is openea for the house of David and the inhabitants ot Jerusalem for the purpose of purification, where- as the fountain of 14' obviously serves dillereut ends altogether. As little can we think of a con- nexion of ch. 14 with chs. 9 and 10, as is plain from the opposition between 14" and 9'°.
The result of our examination is tliat we have the following independent pieces: (i.) 9. (10"-) 11)3-113; (u.) 11*-" 13'-9; (iii.) 12'-13»; (iv.) ch. 14.
(3) Date of the various components. — (i.) 9. (10"-) lff'-U\ Of decisive weight for fixing the date is 9", where the p.; 'jsCsons of Greece') are named as the principal enemies of the people of Jahweh. The place here a.ssigned to the Greeks carries us to the time subsequent to Alexander the Great. This conclusion is not oppo.se<l by 10'"'-, where Asshur and Egj'pt are mentioned, for, vm was noted above, "bs'n became in later days a name for Syria. It is from this same point of view that 9"- becomes for the first time intelligible : the word of .lahweh is directed against the land of I.tadrach and Damas- cus, i.e. against the empire of llie Scleucids. Thus also we understand certain otiier features in the picture of the future : tlie giacious favour shown to ICjiliniim and the turning again of her captivity, OS well as her reunion with Judali, all this has come, since the time of E/.ekicl, to be a fixed point m the escliatolo^y of tlie prophets. The figure of the Messianic King is not ojipo.ted to the above date, for it is only an ajiparent identity that sub- sists between 9'"- and Is 9"'- 1 1'"-. .-Vs a matter of fact, this King is quite passive, Ills form almost disappears, to make mom for that of a /in»w spiri- tmilii. Characteristic of the .same period are i)as- sages like 9', whore the return to Jahweh finds expression partly in the observance of Levitical laws about food, a notion utterly impossible in the preexilic period. A more precise dating for these chapters is unattainable, on account of a lack of clear allusions to the historical situation.
(ii.) 11*'" 13'"". This section contains allusions to certain contemporary occurrences, but they are nnintelligible to us, i)artly owing to the probably defective text that has come down to us, but partly also to our \ery imulequato information rcg.irding considerable periods of the post-exilic