saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The question, "Should I weep... as I have done these so many years?" uses the singular "I" to represent the entire community, revealing a profound personal accountability and deep-seated, ingrained sorrow that has become part of their collective identity. This subtle linguistic choice highlights how deeply the tragedy of Jerusalem's destruction has impacted them, to the point where individual observance has become synonymous with the people's shared grief.
saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Messengers, sent by Jewish exiles in Babylon, arrive in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices and consult with the priests and prophets. They specifically inquire whether they should continue the annual fast observed in the fifth month, a somber commemoration of the temple's destruction. This question arises because the rebuilding of the temple has begun, raising uncertainty about whether the established customs of mourning are still appropriate.
Imagine being in exile for decades, facing the rubble of your homeland. You've just heard the temple might be rebuilt. What questions burn in your heart?
The people in exile weren't just passively waiting. They sent messengers—Sherezer and Regem-melech, along with others—to Jerusalem to consult the religious leaders. This wasn't a casual inquiry; they were seeking wisdom from those God had appointed:
Their question, 'Should I weep in the fifth month...?' wasn't just about a ritual. It revealed a genuine desire to know God's heart and to align their lives with His purposes, even when they weren't entirely sure what that looked like. It shows that true faith isn't about having all the answers, but about earnestly seeking them from God's appointed sources.
For seventy years, a specific month has been marked by deep sorrow and fasting. Now, with a glimmer of hope, they ask: Does the mourning continue?
The 'fifth month' (Ab) held immense significance. It was the month the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and burned the Temple—a catastrophe that reshaped their entire existence.
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Their question shows the struggle of moving from a past defined by tragedy to a future that might hold restoration. It grapples with how long grief should dictate the rhythm of life and worship.
Understand the original words
tseba’ot · Hebrew Noun
A title for God highlighting His role as the sovereign Commander of the heavenly armies and the entire universe. It conveys His supreme power, authority, and ability to intervene in human history to fulfill His purposes.
kohen · Hebrew Noun
In this context, those authorized to serve in the sanctuary, offer sacrifices, and provide spiritual instruction based on the Law of Moses. They served as mediators between God and the people.
nabi' · Hebrew Noun
Individuals chosen by God to receive divine messages and communicate them to the people. Their role was to call the people to repentance, provide guidance, and point toward the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.
This verse captures a pivotal moment where a long-held tradition of mourning (the fast in the fifth month) meets the dawning reality of restoration. The question isn't just about remembering sorrow, but about discerning God's will in a time of new beginnings.
587 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army sacks Jerusalem, destroying Solomon's Temple and exiling many of the remaining Judean population. This event marks the start of the seventy years of desolation and a period of deep national mourning.
c. 587-538 BC
The Babylonian Exile
The Jewish people live in exile in Babylon, separated from their homeland and their sacred temple. During this period, they establish annual fasts to remember their destruction and lament their sins.
538 BC
Cyrus the Great's Edict
Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, issues a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple. This marks the beginning of the return, though not all exiled Jews immediately go back.
520 BC— this verse
Rebuilding of the Temple Begins
Under the encouragement of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the returned exiles begin the difficult work of rebuilding the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
c. 520 BC
Inquiry About Fasts
Messengers from Jewish communities, likely still in exile or newly returned, consult with the priests and prophets in Jerusalem. They question whether the traditional fasts, observed during the exile in remembrance of Jerusalem's destruction, should still be practiced now that the Temple is being rebuilt.
This passage describes the historical event that led to the fast mentioned in Zechariah 7:3, the burning of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians in the fifth month.
Isaiah 58:5This passage contrasts a superficial fast with a true fast that involves self-affliction and seeking justice, providing a theological backdrop to the question of whether their ritualistic weeping was truly honoring God.
Psalm 74:9This psalm reflects a similar sense of loss and absence of divine signs during a time of national distress, paralleling the exiles' feelings and their longing for God's presence and guidance.
Lamentations 1:1-2These verses powerfully depict the sorrow and desolation that would have prompted the original institution of the fast, highlighting the deep grief associated with Jerusalem's fall.
Nehemiah 1:4This passage shows Nehemiah weeping and mourning over Jerusalem's brokenness, demonstrating a precedent for deep emotional response to national calamity that the exiles were questioning.
calvinZechariah 7:1-3: "And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;"
Nam miserat in domum Dei (hoc est, Templum) Sareezer et Regem-melech et viros ejus ad deprecandam faciem Iehovae (aut, Miserat in domum Dei Sareezer et Regem-melech, in nominativo casu, et viri ejus ad deprecandam faciem Iehovae:)
And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the…
pulpitZechariah 7:3: "And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?"
Verse 3. - The priests. They were addressed as interpreters of the Law (see Haggai 2:11, and note there). Which were in; rather, which belonged to. The prophets. Such as Zechariah, Haggai, and perhaps Malachi, through whom God communicated his will. Should I weep in the fifth month? The…
The question, "Should I weep... as I have done these so many years?" uses the singular "I" to represent the entire community, revealing a profound personal accountability and deep-seated, ingrained sorrow that has become part of their collective identity. This subtle linguistic choice highlights how deeply the tragedy of Jerusalem's destruction has impacted them, to the point where individual observance has become synonymous with the people's shared grief.
Messengers, sent by Jewish exiles in Babylon, arrive in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices and consult with the priests and prophets. They specifically inquire whether they should continue the annual fast observed in the fifth month, a somber commemoration of the temple's destruction. This question arises because the rebuilding of the temple has begun, raising uncertainty about whether the established customs of mourning are still appropriate.
Messengers, sent by Jewish exiles in Babylon, arrive in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices and consult with the priests and prophets. They specifically inquire whether they should continue the annual fast observed in the fifth month, a somber commemoration of the temple's destruction. This question arises because the rebuilding of the temple has begun, raising uncertainty about whether the established customs of mourning are still appropriate.
"saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”" — The question, "Should I weep... as I have done these so many years?" uses the singular "I" to represent the entire community, revealing a profound personal accountability and deep-seated, ingrain…
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Last reviewed October 2026