Keraia
Zechariah 7

Zechariah 7:6

A Call to Justice and Mercy · Zechariah 7:1–14
Read Zechariah 7

Translations

Modern
And when you were eating and drinking, were you not doing so simply for yourselves?
Traditional
And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
Literal
For when you were eating and when you were drinking, was it not for yourselves that you were eating and for yourselves that you were drinking?
Latin
…et cum comedistis et bibistis, numquid non vobis comedistis et vobismetipsis bibistis?

Original

Hebrew
English
And when you were eating and drinking, were you not doing so simply for yourselves?

Notes

Zechariah 7:4–7

Instead of answering immediately, Zechariah challenged his listeners about their selfish motives and hypocrisy. The key issue was whether their true desire was to please God and follow his will. If not, fasting did not matter.

Zechariah 7:1–14

Representatives from Bethel asked Zechariah a practical question (Zechariah 7:2–3). Although he answered it later (Zechariah 8:18–19), he first asked rhetorical questions about the people's selfish motives (7:5–6). Zechariah then explained God's expectations for Israel (Zechariah 7:8–10; see Jeremiah 22:3) and described what happened to those who disobeyed before (Zechariah 7:11–14).

Zechariah 7:1–8:23

These sermons provide a transition between the visions of the present (chapters 1–6) and those of the near future (chapters 9–11) and the more distant future (chapters 12–14).

Chapter 7 talks about fasting due to past disasters. Chapter 8 focuses on feasting for future blessings.

Theme notes and profiles

Religious Hypocrisy

Events

Glossary

Prophecy Zechariah (Person) Zechariah, Book of

Topics

Christian Minister: Priests and Levites Hypocrisy: General Scriptures Concerning Impenitence: General Scriptures Concerning Selfishness: General Scriptures Concerning Selfishness: Jews