Zechariah 7 2

Zechariah 7:2 kjv

When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,

Zechariah 7:2 nkjv

when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the LORD,

Zechariah 7:2 niv

The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat the LORD

Zechariah 7:2 esv

Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD,

Zechariah 7:2 nlt

The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech, along with their attendants, to seek the LORD's favor.

Zechariah 7 verses

Zechariah 7 2 Meaning

Zechariah 7:2 records the initiation of a delegation from the city of Bethel. These representatives, Shar-ezer and Regem-melech along with their men, were sent to Jerusalem to earnestly seek the favor and guidance of the Lord through His prophet Zechariah. Their specific inquiry, which becomes clear in the following verse (7:3), concerned whether the exiled Jews should continue their practice of specific fasts that had been observed for the seventy years of the Babylonian captivity, especially now that they were returning to the land and the Temple was under reconstruction. This verse sets the stage for a divine message that transcends mere ritualistic questions, delving into the essence of true obedience and worship.

Zechariah 7 2 Context

Zechariah 7 opens with a precise date, "the fourth year of King Darius," which was 518 BC. This places the prophecy approximately two years after the beginning of the Temple reconstruction in Jerusalem, spurred by the earlier prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah himself (Zech 1:1, Hag 1:1-11). At this point, the initial enthusiasm for rebuilding may have waned, and the community faced challenges and potential disillusionment.

The immediate context of Zechariah chapter 7 and 8 is a series of four messages from the Lord delivered in response to a specific inquiry from a delegation from Bethel. This delegation traveled to Jerusalem, indicating a recognition of Jerusalem as the religious center and the place where God's prophet could be found. Their central question, articulated in verse 3, pertains to the continuation of the exilic fasts commemorating the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian captivity.

Historically, the period was post-exilic, characterized by a fragile return, an incomplete temple, and lingering trauma from the exile. Culturally, the people of Judah had observed solemn fasts for seventy years (Zech 7:5), remembering the calamities that befell them due to their forefathers' sins and lack of obedience. The returnees now questioned if these mournful fasts were still necessary in a new era of restoration. The presence of the delegation from Bethel is particularly poignant; Bethel had a rich spiritual history as a place of divine encounter (Gen 28:10-22), but it had tragically become a primary center of idolatrous worship under Jeroboam (1 Ki 12:28-33), causing great spiritual decline in the northern kingdom. This delegation's journey from Bethel to seek the Lord's favor in Jerusalem hints at a potential spiritual renewal, a turning back to the true center of worship.

Zechariah 7 2 Word analysis

• Then (wayhî): "And it came to pass" or "It happened." A common Hebrew conjunction and verb form used to introduce a new event or a sequential development in the narrative.

• Bethel-sharazer (בֵּית־אֵל שַׂר־אֶצֶר, Bêṯ-ʾĒl Sar-ʾEṣer): This is best understood not as a single compound name, but indicating the origin of the senders, "from Bethel."

  • Bethel (בֵּית־אֵל, Bêṯ-ʾĒl): Meaning "House of God." A highly significant city in biblical history, originally named Luz (Gen 28:19). It was where Jacob had his famous dream, signifying God's presence. Later, however, it became infamous as one of the two centers of calf worship established by King Jeroboam I (1 Ki 12:26-30), marking a deep apostasy from Yahwistic worship centered in Jerusalem. Its mention here signifies the delegation's provenance from a place with both a holy past and a tainted, idolatrous recent history, suggesting a re-orientation towards true worship.
  • Shar-ezer (שַׂר־אֶצֶר, Śar-ʾEṣer): Sar (שַׂר) means "prince," "chief," or "official." The element eṣer (אֶצֶר) is less certain but may relate to "guard" or "treasury." The name possibly means "Prince of the Treasury" or "Chief Guard." He is presented as the primary figure or leader of the delegation.

• sent (שָׁלַח, šālaḥ): To dispatch, send out, stretch out. Implies intentional commissioning and movement for a specific purpose.

• Regem-melech (רֶגֶם־מֶלֶךְ, Reḡem-Meleḵ): The name means "Friend of the King" or "Stone of the King." Likely indicates an important official or confidant, reinforcing the delegation's significance.

• and his men: Denotes that Shar-ezer and Regem-melech were not alone but headed a group, signifying the official and representative nature of their visit. They were an embassy, not just private individuals.

• to entreat the favor of the LORD (לְחַלּוֹת אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהוָה, lĕḥallôṯ ʾeṯ-pĕnê YHWH):

  • To entreat the favor (לְחַלּוֹת, lĕḥallôṯ): From the verb חָלָה (ḥālāh), which in its Piel stem form means "to appease," "to implore," "to supplicate," or "to seek favor earnestly." It suggests a posture of humility and fervent request directed toward a superior power, in this case, God Himself.
  • the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): The personal covenant name of God, frequently translated as "the LORD" (in all caps) in English Bibles. This emphasizes that their inquiry was directed specifically to the God of Israel.
  • of the face (pĕnê): This phrase "to entreat the favor of the face of the Lord" is an idiom, "to entreat the favor of the Lord." The "face" of God (pĕnê YHWH) represents God's presence, attention, approval, or direct manifestation. To seek His "face" means to earnestly seek His presence, His will, His blessing, and to enter into communion with Him. It goes beyond a simple request, implying a desire for divine revelation or intervention.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "From Bethel, Shar-ezer...sent...to entreat the favor of the LORD": This whole phrase encapsulates a pivotal movement in post-exilic Judah. It illustrates that even from a region with a compromised spiritual past like Bethel, there was now an impulse to genuinely inquire of God in Jerusalem, where the Temple rebuilding was underway. This journey and formal inquiry signify a turning towards the authoritative divine voice represented by the prophet. Their motivation, while initially centered on ritual (fasting), points to a desire for divine guidance regarding appropriate worship and religious practice in the new era. It reflects the community's desire to reconcile past experiences (exile, fasting) with future expectations (restoration, rebuilt Temple).

Zechariah 7 2 Bonus section

The delegation's act of coming to Jerusalem from Bethel reflects a significant shift from the northern kingdom's historical apostasy. Under Jeroboam, Bethel became a religious alternative to Jerusalem, with its golden calf worship challenging the divinely ordained temple in Judah. For representatives from Bethel to now journey to Jerusalem to seek the "face of the Lord" signifies a spiritual re-alignment or at least an acknowledgment of Jerusalem's unique spiritual authority post-exile. This implicit repudiation of past idolatry by seeking the Lord in the manner and place prescribed by the Mosaic Law (where the prophet was located, presumably near the Temple works) underscores the transformative potential of the return from exile. This specific inquiry then becomes a divine opportunity for God to instruct a generation trying to find its way back to true covenant relationship.

Zechariah 7 2 Commentary

Zechariah 7:2 serves as the vital prologue to a profound divine discourse on true worship and righteousness. It describes a specific delegation dispatched from Bethel, a city with a complicated spiritual heritage. Their leaders, Shar-ezer and Regem-melech, arrived in Jerusalem with the explicit intention of "entreating the favor of the LORD." This phrase signifies a serious, earnest seeking of God's counsel and benevolence.

The context of their arrival is crucial: seventy years of Babylonian exile had passed, the Temple was still under reconstruction, and the returning exiles faced a decision about continuing the fasts that mourned the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. By sending an official delegation to the spiritual center (Jerusalem) and to God's prophet, these people demonstrated a perceived need for divine authorization on religious observances.

However, God's response, unfolded in the subsequent verses of Zechariah 7 and 8, reveals a deeper issue: the delegation's concern with external ritual rather than internal spiritual reality. The question of fasting provides God an opportunity to shift their focus from the external act to the true heart of obedience and justice. This initial verse, therefore, lays the groundwork for one of Zechariah's most critical messages: that genuine spirituality is characterized by a pursuit of righteousness and justice, rather than a mere adherence to prescribed religious rites. The Lord's subsequent answer would challenge the very sincerity of their religious practice, making this opening verse a launching pad for divine redirection regarding their spiritual priorities.