Abstract:
It is argued that the function of Zechariah 7–8 in the book of Zechariah is central to the issue of
the structure of Zechariah. It is proposed that a text-linguistic approach offers a new reading of
Zechariah 7–8. It is further proposed that the larger segment of Zechariah 7:1–8:23 is a bridge
(a transition from the preceding discourse to the subsequent discourse) that is connected to
the prologue in Zechariah 1:1–6 and is developed and expanded in the subsequent discourses.
This reading indicates the structure and the overall theme of Zechariah by viewing the book
as a sequential discourse. This argument will be defended by studying the structure and the
overall theme of Zechariah and emphasising the holistic aspect of the book of Zechariah.
Description:
This article is a reworked version reproduced from an aspect in Yohan Im’s PhD dissertation prepared under the supervision of Prof. Pieter M. Venter in the Department of Old Testament Studies, University of Pretoria, South Africa (http://hdl.handle.net/2263/31328)
