Zechariah 7:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

6:37); rather, He instructed those who pray to say, “forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors” (Mt. 6:12); for the compassionate God pardons the transgressions of those who extend forgiveness to others, as outlined in the writings of Proverbs: “the way of those who remember evil to death” (Proverbs 12:28).

The Lord responded through the prophet, instructing that the emissaries convey to their originators that they were mistaken in believing their captivity was solely due to their observance of uncommanded fasts. He cautioned them, pointing out that their captivity was a result of neglecting His commandments and laws. The intended message was clear through this declaration: “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 order them to fast nor did He commission His prophets to speak of fasting before or after the exile; rather, He emphasized righteous judgment and instructed their ancestors: “Judge righteous judgment, and do mercy and bounty to everyone to his brother” (Zechariah 7:9). Due to their failure to act on these principles, the Lord expressed His displeasure and banished them from their land. He called out to them prior to the captivity, but they ignored Him; now, in their time of exile, they cry out, yet He does not respond. He noted, “They have given their shoulders to despise, and they have weighed down their ears, that they should not hear, and they have made their heart like adamantine” (Zechariah 7:11-12).

Because of your actions, Habakkuk raises a lament to God for the oppressed: “There is strife, and judgment has come forth perverted; the law is slack, and justice never goes forth, for the wicked surround the righteous” (Habakkuk 1:3-4). Let us not assume that this directive is novel; God previously imparted this through Moses: “You shall not be partial in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike, and you shall not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God” (Deuteronomy 1:17). Let every individual demonstrate mercy and kindness toward their neighbor. May strict judgment be tempered with compassion for all, especially for those of our kin or those who share the same faith as us.