These verses are probably best regarded as returning to the first degree quotation that began in verse 2 and to the topic of the LORD’s anger with the ancestors. In Hebrew and in Revised Standard Version, verse 5 consists of two rhetorical questions, both of them expecting a negative answer. For rhetorical questions see the notes on Hag 1.4.
Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever?: For comments on Your fathers, see the notes on verse 2. In the Hebrew the phrases Your fathers and the prophets are put into focus by being placed at the beginning of their clauses. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version lose this focus, but translators could maintain it by saying “As for your ancestors … And as for the prophets….” Both those who heard the prophetic messages before the exile, and the prophets themselves are dead and gone from the scene of history. But, as the argument runs on in verse 6, events had shown that the words of the prophets were true. Even the very people who had ignored the prophets’ warnings had to admit in the end that the prophets had been right after all. The conclusion hinted at is that the principles on which the LORD deals with his people do not change. So if Zechariah’s hearers ignore an offer like that in verse 3, they too will suffer the LORD’s punishment.
In certain languages it will be possible to keep the rhetorical questions and say, for example, “As for your ancestors, they are no longer here, are they? And even the prophets died long ago, didn’t they?” The two questions could also be combined into one sentence, such as “Neither your ancestors nor the prophets are here now, are they?” Good News Translation has only the single statement “Your ancestors and those prophets are no longer alive.” This is clear, but loses the impact of the rhetorical questions. Contemporary English Version keeps the first sentence as a rhetorical question and uses an emphatic statement for the second one: “Where are your ancestors now? Not even prophets live forever.” This leaves readers to work out for themselves that the ancestors are dead, and is less than ideal. In some languages the second question may be expressed in an idiomatic way, such as “Did the prophets live as long as the hill?”
But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers?: In the Hebrew there is a contrast between the short lives of the prophets and people (verse 5) and the enduring truth of the LORD’s word (verse 6). In Hebrew the phrase my words and my statutes is in an emphatic position. The main clause in the first part of verse 6 is another rhetorical question, literally “Did not my words and my statutes … overtake your fathers?” The answer expected is positive, and Good News Translation has expressed this as a statement: “they disregarded them and suffered the consequences.” However, Good News Translation has taken it out of focus by putting it into the second clause of the sentence. In order to retain the focus of the Hebrew, many translators would need to restructure the whole argument and say something like this: “5 Neither those ancestors of yours nor those prophets are any longer alive, 6 but the commands and warnings which I gave through my servants the prophets proved to be true. Your ancestors ignored them and so were punished.”
The terms my words and my statutes refer generally to the LORD’s requirements as revealed through the Law and the earlier prophets. Good News Translation translates them as “commands and warnings.” Statutes in this context refers to teachings and admonitions (warnings) not to do evil.
The expression my servants the prophets is found frequently elsewhere, especially in 1–2 Kings and Jeremiah. In some languages it may need to be restructured as “the people who served me by speaking my message” or something similar. I commanded my servants the prophets is translated in Good News Translation as “Through my servants the prophets I gave … commands.” In some languages, though, it will be necessary to show that the prophets were God’s instruments or mouthpieces by saying “I caused my servants the prophets to give commands to…” or “I caused those people who served me by speaking my message to give commands to….”
The word overtake in did they not overtake your fathers? is of course used in a figurative sense here. A more natural figure in English would be “did they not catch up with your fathers?” Overtake may be translated idiomatically in some languages as “bring consequences on” or “cause bad effects on.” Good News Translation has both changed the question to a statement (see the comments above) and changed the figure to plain language. However, in “disregarded” and “suffered the consequences,” Good News Translation has chosen surprisingly high-level language. The same meaning could be expressed more simply as in the restructuring suggested above, “Your ancestors ignored them and so were punished,” or translators may say, “Your ancestors ignored these commands and warnings, and so were punished.” In languages that do not use the passive, they may express this as “… so I [the LORD] punished them.”
Some scholars have suggested taking the text as “you” instead of your fathers here. There is no manuscript support for this change, however. No major English translation has adopted it, and translators should not do so.
So they repented and said: The second half of verse 6 in Hebrew consists mainly of a direct quotation of the words of the ancestors. Good News Translation has changed to indirect speech since this is more natural in this context in English, but as mentioned above, in certain languages it will be necessary to maintain direct speech. So indicates that it was as a result of their being punished that the ancestors repented. Good News Translation “Then” does not fit the context as well. Revised Standard Version and Contemporary English Version are better with So (compare New Living Translation “As a result”). The word here translated repented is the same word in Hebrew as that translated “return” in verses 3 and 4. By using the same word at several points in the paragraph, Zechariah helps to bind it together as a unit. However, because the word has different senses in each of its occurrences, it is usually impossible to keep this kind of connection in another language. Most translators will need to follow the example of Good News Translation and use a different word in each context.
Said is a very flat and colorless word, and here Good News Translation has been able to include something of the attitude as well as the act by translating “acknowledged.” “Acknowledged” suggests a degree of reluctance on the part of the people. This fits very well with the context in which the people are obliged to say that they had been wrong after all. Another word in English that would carry much the same sense in this context is “admitted.” A translation will gain in emotional impact if translators can use words like this from time to time and avoid constant repetition of a dull word like “said.” In languages that must use direct speech here, translators may say, for example, “So, they repented and admitted their guilt saying….”
As the LORD of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us: For the LORD of hosts, see the comments on Hag 1.2. Purposed to deal with us is expressed in more natural language in Good News Translation as “as I had determined to do,” that is, according to the principles that the prophets had told the people in advance. Purposed will sometimes be rendered idiomatically as “set my heart to do.” Deal with and dealt with in this context suggests punishment and Good News Translation has brought this out. The people were “punished” (Good News Translation) for our ways and deeds. Good News Translation expresses this in natural English by “as they deserved,” but in certain languages translators may follow the model of Revised Standard Version and say, for example, “The LORD Almighty punished us according to our evil lives and deeds.”
The order of the clauses at the end of the verse is different in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew in saying As the LORD of hosts purposed … so has he dealt with us. Although this is clear, it is not a very natural order for modern English. Accordingly, Good News Translation has reversed the order to say, “I … punished them … as I had determined to do.” The relationship of comparison between the two clauses is the same either way. Translators should use whichever order is more natural in their own language. Other ways to express the end of the verse are “As the LORD Almighty said he would, so he punished us for our sins” and “LORD, All-Powerful, we have sinned against you and you punished us as you said.”
An alternative translation model for verses 5-6 is:
• 5 As for your ancestors, they are no longer here [or, alive], are they? And those prophets died long ago, didn’t they? 6 I used my servants the prophets to give commands to your ancestors and to instruct them to stop their evil ways. But they ignored these commands and warnings, and so I punished them. Then they repented [or, changed their hearts around] and said, “The LORD, the All-Powerful One, has punished us according to our evil lives and deeds, just as he planned to do.”
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .