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The king of Assyria listened to him and moved against Damascus, captured it, deported its inhabitants to Kir, and put Rezin to death.

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Against Damascus. 23 Concerning Damascus.

Hamath and Arpad[a] are shamed,
    for they have heard bad news;
Anxious, they surge like the sea
    which cannot calm down.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 49:23 Hamath and Arpad: independent Aramean states north of Damascus, the direction from which the invasion is coming. Cf. Is 10:9–10.

II. Oracles Against the Nations[a]

Aram

Thus says the Lord:

For three crimes of Damascus, and now four—[b]
    I will not take it back—
Because they threshed Gilead
    with sledges of iron,

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Footnotes

  1. 1:3–2:16 All the nations mentioned here may have been part of the ideal empire of David-Solomon (cf. 1 Kgs 5:1; 2 Kgs 14:25). Certain standards of conduct were expected not only in their relations with Israel but also with one another.
  2. 1:3 For three crimes…and now four: this formula (n, n + 1) is frequent in poetry (e.g., Prv 6:16–19; 30:18–19). The progression “three” followed by “four” here suggests a climax. The fourth crime is one too many and exhausts the Lord’s forbearance.

Chapter 9

Restoration of the Land of Israel[a]

An oracle:[b] the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach,
    and Damascus is its destination,
For the cities of Aram are the Lord’s,
    as are all the tribes of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:1–8 The opening verses of Second Zechariah delineate the ideal boundaries of a restored Israel. Echoing the ideas of Haggai and First Zechariah (chaps. 1–8), the prophet reiterates the notion that the rebuilt Temple will bring about peace. The areas to be returned to Israel include Syria (Aram), with the cities of Hadrach and Damascus; Phoenicia, with the cities of Tyre and Sidon; and Philistia, with the cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod.
  2. 9:1 An oracle: this designation also introduces Zec 12:1 and Mal 1:1, suggesting a connection among the three units. The term functions as both a title to the larger literary unit (Zec 9–11) and a part of the message of the opening oracular statement.