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96 Structure and the Book ofZechariah
e. n^KTiD, 2.##6,7, 4.##2,3, indicates the correspondence
between the two halves of the unit. We note also the word
n*?» on its own, which introduces the answer to the question
each time.
f. mr, 2.#13, 4.##11,32, describes the action of the horns on
Judah. Note also 'Israel and Jerusalem' in v. 2, and 'land of
Judah' in v. 4. *7K"ito' is odd here. Is there a play on words
mr/mfo? (Cf. 'Jezreel' *?i«np in Hos. 1.4? Cf. also Tin/Win
3 .#4, 4.#21).
The use of Kfo3 is strange. The first occurrence is a quite normal
introduction (as in 2.5; 5.1). The second, 'the horns that scattered
Judah so that no man raised his head', is more striking. The meaning
could be that no one in the nations gave any help, or that no one in
Israel offered any resistance. 1
We might ask whether any connection is intended with v. 1: the
prophet can at least raise his eyes! On the face of it, this would not
seem to be well-founded, since raising the head and raising the eyes
have different connotations. Moreover, Zechariah lifts up his eyes to
see the horns, but not the smiths. But see below.
The third occasion is also odd: 'the horns which raised the horn'.
This seems to be the earliest passage in which 'horn' stands for 'a
power' rather than simply 'power'. The emphasis produced here,
makes use of an established metaphor. 2
The pattern resulting from a mechanical arrangement of letters as
above is:
a 1 b l c' d 1 e 1 d 2 f 1 // b 2 c 2 e 2 d 3 f 2 a 2 e 3 d 4 a 3 d 5 f 3
v. 1 a 1 I lifted up my eyes
b 1 c 1 + d 1 I saw four horns
v.2 e 1 What are these? These are
d 2 the horns that
f 1 scattered Judah. ..
v.3 b 2 c 2 + (d) Yahweh caused me to
see four (smiths)
1. D.R. Jones's interpretation is similar to the second of these: 'a figure of
complete humiliation and subjection', Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi (London: SCM
Press, 1962), p. 62; cf. C.F. Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets (Edinburgh:
T. &T. Clark, 1871), II, p. 241.
2. E.g. Ps. 75.5-6, 11; cf. 'Horn', ISBE, II, p. 757.