In an earlier post, I noted that Zechariah 1:2 pictures Israel as hemmed in by Yahweh’s anger: Anger-fathers-anger is the word order.
Zechariah 1:14 does the same. Zechariah’s message to Israel is
qinne’ti liyrushalaim (jealous I am to Jerusalem)
ultziyyon qin’ah gedolah (and to Zion great jealousy)
Jealousy rather than anger now surrounds Jerusalem and Zion.
Is that an improvement? Anger is often the expression of aroused jealousy, offended love. Whether it’s anger or jealousy, it’s the burning flame of Yah’s love. Either way, Israel’s hemmed in by Yahweh. Either way, it can get pretty hot. But Zechariah does introduce this oracle as “good words, words of compassion” (v. 13). Yahweh’s jealousy here is His protective jealousy, the wall of flame that protects Jerusaelm and burns against the enemies of Jerusalem and Zion (v. 15).
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