Zechariah 7

And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth of the ninth month, which is Chislev. And Sharezer and Regem-melech, and the men who were with him, sent to the house of God, to entreat the face of the Lord, to speak to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and to the prophets, saying: Must I weep in the fifth month, or ought I to sanctify myself, as I have done now for many years? And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying: Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying: When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and the seventh through these seventy years, did you fast a fast to me? And when you ate and drank? Did you not eat for yourselves and drink for your own selves? Are these not the words which the Lord spoke by the hand of the former prophets, when Jerusalem was still inhabited and was wealthy, she and her cities round about her, and it was inhabited toward the south and in the plains? LXX: And it came to pass in the fourth year under King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. And Sharezer and Arabesser the king, and his men, sent to Bethel to entreat the Lord, saying to the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and to the prophets, saying: Sanctification has come in here in the fifth month, as they have done now for many years; and the word of the Lord of powers came to me, saying: Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying: If you fast and mourn in the fifths and in the sevenths, and behold, seventy years, did you fast a fast to me? and if you eat or drink, is it not you who eat, and you who drink? Are not these the words which the Lord spoke by the hands of the prophets who were before, when Jerusalem was inhabited and was abundant, and her cities round about, and the hill country and the plains were inhabited? In the fourth year of King Darius, in the ninth month, which is called Chislev, and on the fourth day of the same month, Sharezer and Regem-melech and the others who were with them, who the Hebrews maintain were Persians, generals of King Darius who feared God, sent to the house of the Lord, that is, to the temple which had already been restored by Zerubbabel and by Joshua, so that, since they had already heard that the temple had been built, they might ask of the priests of the house of the Lord and of the prophets whether they ought to weep and fast according to the former custom, or to change mourning into gladness. And the sense of those inquiring is this: In the fifth month, which among the Romans is called July, Jerusalem was overthrown by Nebuchadnezzar; for which reason, because of the desolation of the temple, we have fasted and mourned until now, and have consoled our grief with weeping and fasts. Now, since it is said that the temple has been built, and we see that the cause of sadness by no means remains, answer, we beg you, whether we ought to do this, or to exchange grief for joy? And at the same time it must be considered that weeping and fasting are called sanctification. Hence in Joel too the priests are commanded to sanctify a fast and to proclaim a healing. For abstinence and fasting heal the wounds of the offender, and sanctify all whom they have healed.

What is written in the Seventy, Sharezer and Arabesser the king sent from Bethel, none of our writers has been able to expound; for what has been badly translated from the Hebrew cannot be explained by any reasoning. For who is this Sharezer, or Arabesser the king? Or king of what province? Or into which Bethel, or from which, did he send? Or of what Bethel could Arabesser be king, a place that had long before been left desolate together with Judea, and at that time was by no means called Bethel, that is, house of God, but Beth-aven, that is, house of an idol?

This too which follows, Sanctification has come in here in the fifth month, as they had done now through many years, they try to expound thus: that the sanctification which came in is the vessels of the temple, which had been carried off by Nebuchadnezzar, restored at that time. As for the fast of the fifth and the seventh, they tried to refer it to the days of the week. But since the fast of the tenth follows, they were compelled to refer it to months, and as to what this fast of the fifth, seventh and tenth month itself is, they were entirely silent. Hence let us be content with the former explanation, and let us not incline to the false attempts of the commentators, which came from an error of translation.

After the generals of the Persians had made their inquiry through those whom they had sent, and the embassy of the inquirers to the priests and prophets had been carried out, the word of the Lord came to the prophet, commanding him to speak to the common people and to the priests, telling them what they ought to answer the envoys. When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month, that of the captivity of Jerusalem, and in the seventh month, when Gedaliah was slain by Ishmael, through the seventy years of the desolation of the temple and of the overthrow of Jerusalem, was it of any profit to me that you fasted? And on the other hand, whenever you eat and drink, is it not for yourselves that you both eat and drink? For God is not appeased by these things, but by good works, and if we do his commandments, because food does not commend us to God. Neither, if we do not eat, shall we lack; nor, if we eat, shall we abound.

Even when they were exiles in Babylon and their captors were trying to force them to sing a sacred hymn, they neither yielded nor obeyed, even though they were captives and slaves to the masters who had conquered them.…And they could not observe the fast. The prophet made this clear when he said, " 'Did you keep a fast for me for seventy years?' said the Lord." Nor could they offer sacrifice or pour libations. Listen to the three boys when they said, "We have no prince, prophet or leader, no place to offer firstfruits in your sight and find mercy." The prophet did not say, "We have no priest," because there were priests among the captives. But to make you understand that the whole matter was a question of the place and that the whole code of laws was bound up with that place, he said, "We have no place."

After all, if the loving Lord said to the hardhearted Jews through the prophet, "Behold those seventy years: surely it was not for me that you kept that fast? And if you eat and drink, is it not for yourselves that you eat and drink? This is what the Lord, mighty ruler, says: 'Deliver just judgments, show mercy and pity each of you to your neighbor, do not oppress widow or orphan, sojourner or poor person, and let none of you plot evil against your brother in your heart.' " In other words, if those people sitting in darkness and caught up in the shadow of error gained no benefit merely from fasting without performing those other good works or expelling from their heart evil intended against their neighbor, what sort of an excuse can we offer of whom more is required—not simply commanded to abstain from that, but even obliged to love our enemies and be kind to them? And why do I say "be kind"? Also to pray for them and beseech the Lord and implore his providence in their behalf. After all, this most of all will be a recommendation for us on that fearful day, and our best insurance against our sins, if we are disposed in this way toward our enemies. I mean, even if the commandment is exceedingly rigorous, provided you keep in mind the prize laid up for those who do right, it will seem nothing at all, even though it is in fact very rigorous. Why is that? Scripture says, "If you do this, you will be like my Father in heaven." To make the point clearer to us it added, "Because he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good"; that is, it is saying, you are imitating God as far as human beings can. I mean, just as he makes the sun rise not only on the just but also on those who do evil, and provides rain and seasonal storms not only to the good but also to the evil, so you too, if you love not only those who love you but also those badly disposed to you, are imitating your Lord as far as you can.

By righteousness, I say, and by continence and by the rest of the virtues, God is worshiped. For Zechariah also tells us, saying, "If you eat or drink, is it not you that eat or drink?" declaring thereby that meat and drink do not pertain to God but to humankind: for neither is God fleshly, so as to be pleased with flesh; nor is he careful for these pleasures, so as to rejoice in our food. God rejoices in our faith alone, in our innocence alone, in our truth alone, in our virtues alone. And these dwell not in our belly but in our soul; and these are acquired for us by divine awe and heavenly fear, not by earthly food. And such the apostle fitly rebuked as "obeying the superstitions of angels, puffed up by their fleshly mind; not holding Christ the head, from whom all the body, joined together by links, and inwoven and grown together by mutual members in the bond of charity, increase to God" but observing those things: "Touch not, taste not, handle not; which indeed seem to have a form of religion, in that the body is not spared." Yet there is no advantage at all of righteousness, while we are recalled by a voluntary slavery to those elements to which by baptism we have died.

Are not these my words, while Jerusalem and the cities of Judah were still standing, which I spoke to you by the hands of my prophets, when Jerusalem still stood, and the cities of Judah abounded in all things, and both the hill country and the plain overflowed with crops and enjoyed a most secure peace? Now these were the words of the Lord, as the Scripture that follows testifies: that he wills true judgment and mercy toward one's neighbors, and that one not wrong the widow and the orphan and the stranger and the poor, and not devise evil in one's heart. These things, he says, they would not do, and with deaf ears they despised my commands; for which reason great indignation came upon Jerusalem; and as they would not hear me, so I too did not hear them; and now they ask with such scrupulousness when they ought to fast and mourn, although I said before through Isaiah: This is not the fast I have chosen, says the Lord, nor that a man should humble his soul; but loose every bond of iniquity, undo the obligations of violent contracts, give your bread to the hungry from your heart. If you see the naked, cover him; and the poor and the roofless clothe within your tent. Then your early light shall break forth, and your healings shall quickly arise.

For this reason, beloved, I am inserting certain headings and notes as to how you ought to understand and receive these matters, so through the goodness of God you can accept and observe them better. In order that the things that I have said may be kept more closely in your hearts, I am briefly repeating what I mentioned. Therefore, in these matters, as I already said above, we judge others dangerously when it is doubtful whether they are acting with a good or bad intention in fasting, keeping vigils, bestowing alms, abstaining or not abstaining from wine and meat, and other similar matters. These things can be done for the sake of God or for human praise, and because we do not know with what motive they are done, we should not judge at all. In matters of this kind the Lord said, "Do not judge, that you may not be judged," but in a matter of open sin it is said, "Reprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and teaching." Moreover, there is what we already mentioned: "Render just judgment." Now if we are willing to consider these words carefully, as we believe, brothers, and with God's help to observe them with great solicitude, we are freed from not a little sin. For by the indiscreet judgment, the majority of the human race is proven to be prompt and ready to criticize, although they are not so willing to be judged by others as they are to judge them. Because of this fact sacred Scripture admonishes us, saying, "Before investigating, find fault; examine first, then criticize." Every person first wants to be questioned, and then, if he is guilty, he patiently endures reproof. Now since we all want this to happen to us from others, it is just that we strive to fulfill the same thing toward them. Let us first inquire with patience and solicitude. Then, when we have learned something quite certainly, we should be willing to give reproof if it is evil and to defend it if it is good, because of what is written, "All that you wish men to do to you, even so do you also to them in like manner; for this is the law and the prophets." And so let us turn to the Lord and implore his help, so that he himself may deign in his goodness to grant us true discretion and perfect charity: to whom is glory and might together with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: Judge true judgment, and show mercy and compassion, every man with his brother. And do not wrong the widow and the orphan and the stranger and the poor; and let no man devise evil against his brother in his heart. And they would not attend, and they turned a withdrawing shoulder; and they made their ears heavy, that they might not hear; and they made their heart adamant lest they hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by the hand of the former prophets, and great indignation came from the Lord of hosts. And it came to pass as he spoke, and they did not hear: so they shall cry, and I will not hear, says the Lord of hosts. And I scattered them through all the kingdoms which they do not know; and the land was left desolate by them, because there was none passing through and returning; and they made the desirable land into a desert. LXX: And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: Thus says the Lord Almighty, saying: Judge just judgment, and let each one show mercy and compassion toward his brother; and do not oppress the widow and the orphan and the poor; and do not, each of you, remember the malice of his brother in your hearts. And they would not attend, and they gave a scornful back; and they made their ears heavy, so as not to hear; and they made their heart disobedient, so as not to hear my law and my words, which the Lord Almighty sent in his spirit by the hands of the former prophets. And great wrath came from the Lord Almighty, and it shall be as I said, and they did not hear him. So they shall cry, and I will not hear them, says the Lord Almighty; and I will cast them out among all the nations which they did not know; and the land was made desolate after them, of anyone passing through and returning, and they made the chosen land into a wilderness. These things I wanted rather, these I sought, and because you did not do them you were handed over to captivity; not the fast of desolation and death of the fifth and the seventh month. Judge just judgment, lest you hear in the psalms: How long will you judge iniquity, and accept the persons of sinners? Judge for the orphan and the widow; justify the humble and the poor, lest Isaiah too say to you: Who justify the wicked for gifts, and take away from the just what is just; and lest, because of you, Habakkuk, in the person of those who are oppressed, cast reproach upon God: Judgment has been given against me, and the judge takes; therefore the law is scattered, and judgment does not come through to the end, because the wicked oppresses the just. And let us not think that this is a new commandment of God; long ago he had enjoined these things through Moses: So shall you judge the great as the small; you shall not accept a person, and you shall not pity the poor in judgment, since the judgment is God's. Show also mercies and compassions, every man with his brother. After truth of judgment let clemency follow toward all, and most of all toward brothers, whom we perceive to be either of the same blood as we or of one faith with us.

[You] should have fasted then, when drunkenness was doing those terrible things to you, when your gluttony was giving birth to your ungodliness—not now. Now your fasting is untimely and an abomination. Who said so? Isaiah himself when he called out in a loud voice: " 'I did not choose this fast,' says the Lord." Why? "You quarrel and squabble when you fast and strike those subject to you with your fists." But if your fasting was an abomination when you were striking your fellow slaves, does it become acceptable now that you have slain your master? How could that be right?

And Zechariah also, among the twelve prophets, pointing out to the people the will of God, says: "These things does the Lord Omnipotent declare: Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion each one to his brother. And oppress not the widow, and the orphan, and the proselyte, and the poor; and let none imagine evil against your brother in his heart." And again, he says: "These are the words which ye shall utter. Speak ye the truth every man to his neighbour, and execute peaceful judgment in your gates, and let none of you imagine evil in his heart against his brother, and ye shall not love false swearing: for all these things I hate, saith the Lord Almighty." Moreover, David also says in like manner: "What man is there who desireth life, and would fain see good days? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile. Shun evil, and do good: seek peace, and pursue it." From all these it is evident that God did not seek sacrifices and holocausts from them, but faith, and obedience, and righteousness, because of their salvation.

The widow too, and the orphan, concerning whom we have been commanded: Be a father to orphans, and in place of a husband to their mother; judging the orphan and justifying the widow. And do not wrong the stranger and the poor, because sojourning abroad makes the one lowly, and need the other. And let no man devise evil against his brother in his heart, or, as it is said by the Seventy: And let each one not remember the malice of his brother in their hearts. By brother and neighbor we ought to understand either the whole race of men, because we are begotten of one parent, or those who are of the household of the faith, according to the parable of the Gospel, which wants the neighbor to be understood not as a blood relative but as all men. And that anger ought to be ended before the sun goes down, and the memory of all the evils we have suffered from others be blotted out, we read both in many places and most of all in Jeremiah, who speaks in the person of God: And do not, each one, remember in your hearts the malice of his neighbor.

And therefore this question must at once be determined, whether the discipline of patience is enjoined by the Creator? When by Zechariah he commanded, "Let none of you imagine evil against his brother," he did not expressly include his "neighbor;" but then in another passage he says, "Let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor." He who counseled that an injury should be forgotten was still more likely to counsel the patient endurance of it.

Though I had commanded these things, they would not attend, and turned a withdrawing shoulder, or a scornful back, rejecting my commands by the bearing of their body. For when, with wrinkled brow and contracted nostril, we scorn those who admonish us, we are accustomed to turn our back; according to what is written: They turned their backs to me, and not their faces. And they made their ears heavy, he says, lest they hear, like the ears of the deaf asp that stops its ears, which will not hear the voice of the charmers, and of the sorcerer who charms wisely. For they made their ears heavy so as not to hear, and they set their heart so as not to yield to the law of God. Hence Isaiah speaks to them threateningly: The heart of this people has grown fat, and with their ears they have heard heavily, and they have closed their eyes, lest perhaps they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

We can also refer these things to those who, sinning in the Church, have been cast out of the land of confession, because they would not hear the Lord, and turned a withdrawing shoulder to him, and made their ears heavy, and made their heart adamant. And the indignation of the Lord came upon them, and they were scattered through all the kingdoms of the vices, and their land was made desolate, whether soul or body, not having God as its inhabitant, nor the spirit returning into it. And the land once desirable, which was the lodging of the Trinity, was turned into a desert and a dwelling of dragons. Let us pass quickly over what is plain, so that there may be room for discussion in what is obscure; for we are not writing long and florid treatises, in which a speech that seeks applause plays, but commentaries, whose office is to pass over what is evident and to discuss what is obscure.

Moreover, what is said according to the Hebrew, And they made their heart adamant, shows hardness of heart, and a heart of stone, in that they would not receive the words of God. For adamant, a very strong stone, which in Hebrew is called samir, is so hard that it breaks all metals and is itself broken by none. Hence it is called untamable by the Greeks. With this adamant the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, so that he would not let the people of God go.

And because they had, nay rather made, their heart adamant, esteeming hardness of heart by their own will, so as not to hear the words of the Lord which he sent in his spirit, that is, in the Holy Spirit, by the hand of the former prophets, Isaiah, Hosea and the rest, who had clean hands, and who, it is plain, were before the captivity: therefore, for great sins, great indignation came about, and the words of the Lord were fulfilled, who repays like for like, so that, as they walked perversely toward him, he too should go perversely against them, and not hear the words of those crying out, because they too had despised the words of the Lord with a deaf ear.

For which reason he also scattered them through all the kingdoms which they do not know, those of the Assyrians and Chaldeans, of the Medes and Persians, and of the other nations which lay subject to these empires and in whose lands they were sown abroad. And all Judea was deserted, because it had no inhabitant, and there was none in it passing through and returning. And the land which was a honeycomb above all lands, and for the greatness of its abundance flowed with milk and honey, they turned into a wilderness.