Zechariah 1:5

5 patres vestri ubi sunt et prophetae numquid in sempiternum vivent

Zechariah 1:5 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 1:5

Your fathers, where [are] they?
&c.] They are not in the land of the living; they perished by the sword of the Chaldeans, or died in captivity: and the prophets, do they live for ever?
meaning either the false prophets, as Hananiah and Shemaiah, ( Jeremiah 28:17 ) ( 29:32 ) or the true prophets of the Lord; and the words may be considered as a prevention of an objection the people might make, taken from their prophets dying in common with their fathers; and so the Targum paraphrases them, "and if you should say, the prophets, do they live for ever?" which is followed by Jarchi, and embraced by many interpreters: the answer is, it is true they died; but then their words live, and have had their full accomplishment.

Zechariah 1:5 In-Context

3 et dices ad eos haec dicit Dominus exercituum convertimini ad me ait Dominus exercituum et convertar ad vos dicit Dominus exercituum

4 ne sitis sicut patres vestri ad quos clamabant prophetae priores dicentes haec dicit Dominus exercituum convertimini de viis vestris malis et cogitationibus vestris pessimis et non audierunt neque adtenderunt ad me dicit Dominus

5 patres vestri ubi sunt et prophetae numquid in sempiternum vivent

6 verumtamen verba mea et legitima mea quae mandavi servis meis prophetis numquid non conprehenderunt patres vestros et conversi sunt et dixerunt sicut cogitavit Dominus exercituum facere nobis secundum vias nostras et secundum adinventiones nostras fecit nobis

7 in die vicesima et quarta undecimo mense sabath in anno secundo Darii factum est verbum Domini ad Zacchariam filium Barachiae filium Addo prophetam dicens