Zechariah / Question
In Zechariah 1:3, the LORD calls the people to turn back to him after earlier generations provoked his anger. The promise “I will return to you” states that renewed relationship and favor follow their turning back. The verse frames the book’s opening message as a response to past unfaithfulness.
Zechariah 1:1–3 opens by dating the prophet’s message to a specific month and year under Darius, then states its purpose. Yahweh’s message recalls that earlier generations experienced Yahweh’s strong displeasure. These verses function as the book’s opening, grounding what follows in a time stamp and in the claim that the message comes from Yahweh. The introduction names Zechariah and links him to a family line, presenting him as a recognized spokesperson.
Zechariah 1:1–3 opens by placing the message in real time (“the eighth month… the second year of Darius”) and presenting it as “the word of Yahweh” given to a named prophet with a stated lineage. The passage’s own claim is that what follows is authorized speech, not private reflection.
A common mistake is to turn the wording into a slogan. The better reading keeps the phrase tied to the passage, the speaker, and the problem the book is addressing.
Start with Zechariah 1:3, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
3Therefore say you to them, Thus says Yahweh of Hosts: Return to me, says Yahweh of Hosts, and I will return to you, says Yahweh of Hosts.