Zechariah 1:3

3 You must say to them: 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Return to me," {declares}^[a] Yahweh of hosts, "and I will return to you," says Yahweh of hosts.

Zechariah 1:3 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 1:3

Therefore say thou unto them
This is an order from the Lord to Zechariah, to say unto them, in the name of the Lord: thus saith the Lord of hosts;
of the hosts above and below, of angels and of men, of heaven and earth, and all that is therein: this is said, that the greater regard might be had to his words: turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts;
by repentance, and acknowledgment of former sins; by reformation for the future; by attending to the worship and service of God, and seeking to glorify him. So the Targum, "return to my worship": this is not the condition of what follows, but what follows is the motive and encouragement to this: and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts;
to dwell among them, manifest himself unto and protect them. Three times the phrase, "the Lord of hosts", is used in this verse: it may be with respect to the three Persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit; who manifest themselves unto, and take up their abode with, such as love the Lord, and keep his commandments; see ( John 14:21 ) .

Zechariah 1:3 In-Context

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, saying,

2 "Yahweh {was very angry with your ancestors}.

3 You must say to them: 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Return to me," {declares} Yahweh of hosts, "and I will return to you," says Yahweh of hosts.

4 "Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Return from your evil ways and your evil deeds!" ' But they did not hear and they did not pay attention to me," {declares} Yahweh.

5 "Your ancestors, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "declaration of"