Zechariah 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?
Zechariah 7:3 (KJV)
Context
Zechariah 7:3 records a delegation from Bethel coming to Jerusalem to ask the priests and prophets a question about a long-standing religious practice. The verse is set in the post-exilic period, after the Israelites had returned from Babylonian captivity and were rebuilding the temple. The book of Zechariah places this event in the fourth year of King Darius, around 518–517 BC, a time of restoration and renewed worship in Jerusalem.
The people address their question to the priests who ministered in the house of the LORD of hosts and to the prophets who were active at that time, including Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The priests and prophets served as the authorized mediators of religious instruction, as indicated by Malachi 2:7, which states that the priest’s lips should keep knowledge and the people should seek the law from his mouth. The delegation’s inquiry reflects a proper attitude of humility before God, seeking to know whether their traditional practices should be maintained.
Meaning
The question in Zechariah 7:3 is whether the people should continue to weep and separate themselves in the fifth month, as they had done for many years. The fifth month is the month of Av, the month in which the first temple was destroyed in 586 BC and later the second temple in 70 AD. The fast of the fifth month was one of several fasts established during the exile to mourn the various stages of Jerusalem’s destruction. The people were uncertain whether the mourning associated with that month should still be observed now that they were rebuilding the temple and renewing their covenant with God.
The phrase “separating myself” indicates a practice of consecration or abstinence associated with mourning. The question is framed in the first person singular, though it represents the collective concern of the community. The people are not asking whether the fast was commanded, but whether it should continue now that they have returned to the land. This inquiry reveals a desire to align their practices with God’s will.
Biblical connections
God’s answer, recorded in Zechariah 7:4-7, confronts the motives behind the fasting: “When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months… did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? … did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?” The Lord points out that the rituals had become self-centered, performed for personal benefit rather than genuine devotion.
The subsequent passage, Zechariah 7:8-10, expands the divine instruction: “Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother… oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor, and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.” God redirects the people from empty external rites to the heart attitudes of justice, mercy, and compassion toward one another.
Application
Through this exchange, Zechariah 7:3 and its surrounding verses challenge believers to examine the motives behind their religious practices. The passage teaches that God values heartfelt obedience, sincere love, and righteous treatment of the vulnerable over mere ritual. It remains a timeless reminder for today’s Christians to prioritize a genuine relationship with God and to let faith be expressed in acts of kindness, justice, and compassion toward others.
Reflection
The people’s question in Zechariah 7:3 shows a sincere desire to honor God, yet it also exposes the danger of routine observance. When religious practices become habits performed for their own sake, they can lose their connection to the heart. The verse invites each believer to consider whether their own disciplines—prayer, fasting, worship—are offered to God or merely carried out for personal comfort. True devotion flows from a heart that seeks God’s will and expresses itself in love for others.
