The Meaning of Zechariah 7:2 Explained

Zechariah 7:2

KJV: When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,

YLT: And Beth-El sendeth Sherezer and Regem-Melech, and its men, to appease the face of Jehovah,

Darby: when Bethel had sent Sherezer and Regem-melech, and his men, to supplicate Jehovah,

ASV: Now they of Beth-el had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to entreat the favor of Jehovah,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When they had sent  unto the house  of God  Sherezer  and Regemmelech,  and their men,  to pray  before  the LORD, 

What does Zechariah 7:2 Mean?

Study Notes

they
"They," i.e. of the captivity in Babylon. The mission of these Jews of the captivity concerned a fast day instituted by the Jews in commemoration of the destruction of Jerusalem, wholly of their own will, and without warrant from the word of God. In the beginning there was doubtless sincere contrition in the observance of the day; now it had become a mere ceremonial. The Jews of the dispersion would be rid of it, but seek authority from the priests. The whole matter, like much in modern pseudo-Christianity, was extra-Biblical, formal, and futile. Jehovah takes the occasion to send a divine message to the dispersion. That message is in five parts:
(1) Their fast was a mere religious form; they should rather have given heed to the "former prophets" ( Zechariah 7:4-7 ; Cf. Isaiah 1:12 ; Matthew 15:1-10
(2) they are told why their 70 years' prayer has not been answered ( Zechariah 7:8-14 ); cf.; Psalms 66:18 ; Isaiah 1:14-17
(3) the unchanged purpose of Jehovah, and the blessing of Israel in the kingdom Zechariah 8:1-8 cf. a like order in; Isaiah 1:24-31 ; Isaiah 2:1-4
(4) the messengers of the captivity are exhorted to hear the prophets of "these days," i.e, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, and to do justly; then all their fasts and feasts will become gladness and joy Zechariah 8:9-19 .
(5) they are assured that Jerusalem is yet to be the religious centre of the earth Zechariah 8:20-23 ; Isaiah 2:1-3 ; Zechariah 14:16-21 .

Context Summary

Zechariah 7:1-14 - The Penalty Of Injustice And Cruelty
During their captivity the Jews observed four feasts. That of the 10th month recalled the first enclosure of Jerusalem by the enemies' lines; of the 4th the capture of the city; of the 5th the destruction by fire of the Temple; of the 7th the murder of Gedaliah. The national life was depressed by this constant memory of disaster. It seemed incongruous to act thus, when the Holy City was rising from the dust. Surely the lamentations which were befitting in Babylon, were out of place now. A deputation was therefore sent to inquire the views of the leaders. Zechariah gave four separate answers to the request. In Zechariah 7:4-7 he suggests that as these fasts had been set up by themselves, they were at liberty to discontinue them, and the main question was whether they were pondering the teachings and warnings of the older prophets. In Zechariah 7:8-14 he implored them not to yield to the obtuseness and disobedience of their fathers, in order that no second catastrophe should cast them back to the disasters they had suffered. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 7

1  The captives enquire concerning the set fasts
4  Zechariah reproves the hypocrisy of their fasting
8  Sin the cause of their captivity

What do the individual words in Zechariah 7:2 mean?

and when [the people] sent [to] Bethel - Sarezer and with Regem-melech and his men to pray - before Yahweh
וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ בֵּֽית־ אֵ֔ל שַׂר־ אֶ֕צֶר וְרֶ֥גֶם מֶ֖לֶךְ וַֽאֲנָשָׁ֑יו לְחַלּ֖וֹת אֶת־ פְּנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה

וַיִּשְׁלַח֙  and  when  [the  people]  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֵ֔ל  Bethel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־אֵל  
Sense: ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name).
שַׂר־  - 
Parse:
אֶ֕צֶר  Sarezer 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׂרְאֶצֶר 
Sense: son of king Sennacherib of Assyria and murderer of his father.
מֶ֖לֶךְ  with  Regem-melech 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶם מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: a man sent by some of the captivity to make enquiries at the temple concerning fasting.
וַֽאֲנָשָׁ֑יו  and  his  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
לְחַלּ֖וֹת  to  pray 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: חָלָה 
Sense: to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
פְּנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.