Humanitext Reader

Septuagint · Zechariah §2.1-2.13

Vision of the Measuring Line and the Exiles' Return

Passage 2 of 14 · Greek

Summary

The prophet sees a vision of a man measuring Jerusalem, and hears the promise that the city will overflow with prosperity and be protected by the Lord Himself. Furthermore, the Lord calls back the exiles from the nations, declaring His dwelling in Zion and the joining of many nations to Him.

§2.1Καὶ ἦρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ σχοινίον γεωμετρικόν.
And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a man, and in his hand was a measuring line.
§2.2καὶ εἶπα πρὸς αὐτόν Ποῦ σὺ πορεύῃς; καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς μέ Διαμετρῆσαι τὴν Ἰερουσαλήμ, τοῦ ἰδεῖν πηλίκον τὸ πλάτος αὐτῆς ἐστιν καὶ πηλίκον τὸ μῆκος. §2.3καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἅγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ ἱστήκει, καὶ ἄγγελος ἕτερος ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῷ, §2.4καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγων Δράμε καὶ λάλησον πρὸς τὸν νεανίαν ἐκεῖνον λέγων Κατακάρπαως κατοικηθήσεται Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀπὸ πλήθους ἀνθρώπων κμὶ κτηνῶν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς· §2.5καὶ ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῇ, λέγει Κύριος. τεῖχος πυρὸς κυκλόθεν, καὶ εἰς δόξαν ἔσομαι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς.
And I said to him: "Where are you going?" And he said to me: "To measure Jerusalem, to see how great its width is and how great its length." And behold, the angel who talked with me was standing, and another angel came out to meet him, and said to him, saying: "Run, and speak to that young man, saying: 'Jerusalem shall be inhabited fruitfully because of the multitude of men and livestock in its midst.' 'And I will be to her, says the Lord, a wall of fire round about, and I will be for glory in her midst.'" "Ho, ho!
§2.6ὢ ὢ φεύγετε ἀπὸ γῆς βορρᾶ, λέγει Κύριος, διότι ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων ἀνέμων τοῦ οὐρανοῦ συνάξω ὑμᾶς, λέγει Κύριος·
Flee from the land of the north, says the Lord; for from the four winds of heaven I will gather you, says the Lord.
§2.7εἰς Σειὼν ἀνασώζεσθε, οἱ κατοικοῦντες θυγατέρα Βαβυλῶνος.
Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.
§2.8διότι τάδε λέγει Κύριος Παντοκράτωρ Οπίσω δόξης ἀπέσταλκέν με ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ σκυλεύσαντα ὑμᾶς, διότι ὁ ἁπτόμενος ὑμῶν ὡς ἁπτόμενος τῆς κόρης τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ αὐτοῦ·
For thus says the Lord Almighty: After glory he has sent me to the nations that plundered you, for he who touches you is as one who touches the apple of his eye.
§2.9διότι ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπιφέρω τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπʼ αὐτούς, καὶ ἔσονται σκῦλα τοῖς δουλεύουσιν αὐτοῖς, καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι Κύριος Παντοκράτωρ ἀπέσταλκέν με.
For behold, I am bringing my hand upon them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them; and you shall know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.
§2.10τέρπου καὶ εὐφραίνου, θύγατερ Σειών, διότι ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἔρχομαι καὶ κατασκηνώσω ἐν μέσῳ σου, λέγει Κύριος.
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold, I am coming, and I will dwell in your midst, says the Lord.
§2.11καὶ καταφεύξονται ἔθνη πολλὰ ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ ἔσονται αὐτῷ εἰς λαόν, καὶ κατασκηνώσουσιν ἐν μέσῳ σου, καὶ ἐπιγνώσῃ ὅτι Κύριος Παντοκράτωρ ἐξαπέσταλκέν με πρὸς σέ.
And many nations shall flee to the Lord for refuge in that day, and they shall be a people for him, and they shall dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.
§2.12καὶ κατακληρονομήσει Κύριος τὸν Ἰούδαν, τῇ μερίδι αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν ἁγίαν, καὶ αἱρετιεῖ ἔτι τὴν Ἰερουσαλήμ.
And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and he will yet choose Jerusalem.
§2.13εὐλαβείσθω πᾶσα σὰρξ ἀπὸ προσώπου Κυρίου, ὅτι ἐξεγήγερται ἐκ νεφελῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ.
Let all flesh be in awe before the face of the Lord, for he has aroused himself from his holy clouds."

Notes

  1. §2.2διαμετρῆσαι ... τοῦ ἰδεῖν — A double infinitival construction expressing purpose. The bare infinitive `διαμετρῆσαι` indicates the immediate purpose of going, while the subsequent genitive articular infinitive `τοῦ ἰδεῖν` ("to see/ascertain") further specifies the purpose of the measuring action.
  2. §2.4κατακάρπως — The Greek rendering of the Hebrew "perazot" (unwalled villages or open country). While etymologically meaning "fruitfully" or "abundantly productive," the LXX translator uses it metaphorically to describe Jerusalem expanding like open, fertile fields without limiting walls, due to the abundance of inhabitants and livestock.
  3. §2.8ὀπίσω δόξης — A literal translation of the Hebrew phrase "'achar kabod." It can be interpreted temporally ("after [the manifestation of] glory [he sent me]") or directionally/teleologically ("in pursuit of glory" or "following glory"). It is a characteristic Hebraism reflecting the literalist translation style of the LXX.

Cite this passage

Septuagint, Zechariah §2.1-2.13. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0527.tlg046.humanitext-grc1:2.1-2.13

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