The Church Fathers on this verse
THEOSIS
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Zechariah 7:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But they would not hearken, and they turned away the shoulder to depart: and they stopped their ears, not to hear.

Douay-Rheims

וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ לְהַקְשִׁ֔יב וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ כָתֵ֖ף סֹרָ֑רֶת וְאָזְנֵיהֶ֖ם הִכְבִּ֥ידוּ מִשְּׁמֽוֹעַ׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

3 Church Fathers comment on this verse

Cyrill of Alexandria

5th centuryChurch Father

Through these words, he affirmed that they had continually risen up against the ultimate Judge. Instead of heeding the messages of the holy prophets and striving earnestly to align themselves with the will of the Lawgiver, they should have chosen a path characterized by righteousness and integrity, walking sincerely and without fault. Instead, they resorted to cruelty, dismissing the Teacher’s guidance, and hardening their hearts in stubbornness. They consistently showed disdain for divine instruction, reviling their messengers who proclaimed the prophetic truth through the Holy Spirit. Their insensitivity reached such a level that they refused to repent until the prophesied events unfolded, enduring the resulting divine judgment.

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When God proclaimed, “And I will cast out into every tongue, and the land shall be desolate from him that passeth through, and from him that returneth,” it was a prophetic declaration regarding their impending dislocation; for they were exiled to the Persians and Midians, having already tasted captivity, leading their land to become desolate. The most fertile regions were left barren, as the prophecy indicated, with no one to traverse or return; some were consumed by warfare, while others were taken away as captives under oppression. Thus, it is evident that this, along with other warnings, serves as a prophetic announcement. The consequences of disobedience to divine commands are clearly visible in the fate of those in antiquity, requiring no excessive argument to establish this truth, for it is evident to anyone who has experienced the blessings of faithful obedience.

Ephraem the Syrian

4th centuryChurch Father

In the fourth summer during the reign of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah in the fourth month, which is the ninth month named Conun, also known as Hasleb (December). The remaining Jews in Babylon instituted some fasts to remember significant events: in the fifth month of Thammuz (June), to mourn the destruction of the temple, and in the seventh month, to honor the memory of Gedaliah, who had been appointed governor by the Babylonians and was killed by their fellow countrymen. They sent envoys to Jerusalem to consult with the prophets and priests about whether they should continue with these fasts, as it felt inappropriate to grieve in Babylon while their brethren celebrated in Judah.

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The Lord responded to the envoys through the prophet, instructing them to convey to their people that they were mistaken in believing that their exile was solely due to their observance of uncommanded fasts. Instead, He reprimanded them for neglecting His commandments and laws, emphasizing the real issue behind their captivity. This is reflected in the divine message: "If ye fast or mourn in the fifth month, as ye say, for seventy years, shall ye fast unto Me?" (Zechariah 7:5). The Lord did not mandate fasting, nor did He focus on it through the prophets before or after the exile. Rather, He addressed the need for righteous judgment and commanded their ancestors: "Judge righteous judgment, and show mercy and compassion to every man his brother" (Zechariah 7:9). Due to their failure to heed this guidance, the Lord grew angry and expelled them from their land. He lamented over them before their exile, but they did not listen; now in their captivity, they cry out to Him, yet He does not respond. For He states, "They have made their hearts as hard as stone, they have closed their ears to avoid hearing, and they have stiffened their necks against My call" (Zechariah 7:11-12).

Theodoret of Cyrus

5th centuryChurch Father

"Exercise wise and equitable judgment, extending compassion and generosity to all, especially to one’s brethren. Care should be taken so that the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, the destitute, and the afflicted are not mistreated; let not the grudge harbored against one’s brother linger in the heart. I instructed your ancestors, declares God, that judges are to deliver fair and just decisions, treating their neighbors with kindness, refraining from oppressing those bearing the heavy burden of widowhood or those grieving for their lost children. They should not exploit the vulnerable or let their power be used for greed, and they must eschew vengeance, not retaliating against those who have done wrong. This is what I conveyed to them, yet they refused to comply.

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Instead, they honored those who showed contempt, and becoming indifferent, they subjected themselves to suffering; for it is the Prophet who equates insensitivity to contempt, referencing those who, like enslaved individuals, endure punishment without learning from it. They hardened their ears so they would not listen, and they hardened their hearts in defiance of my law and the words which the Lord of Hosts imparted through His Spirit by the hands of former prophets; thus, they reaped the consequences of disobedience. Indeed, there was a great fury from the Lord of Hosts. It shall be as He has declared: they shall call out, and they will not be heard; this shall be their outcry, and they will find their pleas unanswered, says the Lord of Hosts. Notice how the verb tense shifts; the past is recounted as future actions, with the phrase ‘they shall cry’ taking the place of ‘they cried,’ and ‘I will not hear’ instead of ‘I do not hear.’"

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.