[1] 1:1 the second year . Darius That is, about 520 b.c. Also in verse 7.
[2] 1:2 ancestors Literally, "fathers," meaning a person's parents, grandparents, and all the other people that person is descended from. In the New Testament it usually refers to people who lived during Old Testament times.
[3] 1:14 Zion The southeastern part of the mountain that Jerusalem is built on. Sometimes it means the city of Jerusalem, the people of God living there, or the Temple.
[4] 3:5 turban A head covering made by wrapping a long piece of cloth around the top part of the head or around a cap worn on the head.
[5] 3:9 sides Literally, "eyes."
[6] 4:2 lamps These lamps made light by burning olive oil.
[7] 4:10 plumb line A string with a weight on one end to make sure that the walls of a building were straight. Sometimes the line was coated with paint or chalk to mark the way with a straight line.
[8] 4:10 sides This is a wordplay. The Hebrew word also means "eyes."
[9] 4:14 men chosen Literally, "sons of extra pure olive oil." Often a special oil was poured over new kings, priests, and prophets. This showed that these people were chosen by God.
[10] 5:1 scroll A long roll of paper or leather used for writing on.
[11] 5:2 30 feet Literally, "20 cubits" (8.88 m).
[12] 5:2 15 feet Literally, "10 cubits" (4.44 m).
[13] 5:6 sins Hebrew has "their eye," but with a minor change of one character, "their guilt."
[14] 5:11 Shinar The flat land that the tower of Babel and the city of Babylon were built on. Read Gen. 11:2.
[15] 6:1 chariot A small, two-wheeled cart pulled by horses and used in war.
[16] 6:5 four winds Or, "four spirits." Four winds often means "winds that blow from every direction: north, south, east, and west."
[17] 6:10 captives People taken away like prisoners. Here, this means the Jewish people who were taken to Babylon.
[18] 7:1 the fourth year . Darius This was about 518 b.c.
[19] 7:3 fast To live without food for a time of prayer or mourning.
[20] 8:6 survivors People who escaped some disaster. Here, this means the Jewish people who survived the destruction of Judah and Israel by its enemy armies. Also in verse 11.
[21] 8:19 fast To live without food for a time of prayer or mourning.
[22] 8:19 days . month These were days when the people remembered the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. See 2 Kings 25:1-25 and Jer. 41:1-17; 52:1-12.
[23] 9:1 This verse is very hard to understand in the Hebrew.
[24] 9:10 chariot A small, two-wheeled cart pulled by horses and used in war.
[25] 9:10 Ephraim The second son of Joseph and the name of one of the tribes of Israel. Sometimes it is used as the name for the northern kingdom of Israel, since Ephraim was most often the leading tribe.
[26] 9:11 empty hole in the ground People stored water in large holes in the ground. People sometimes used those holes as prisons.
[27] 9:13 Judah One of the 12 sons of Jacob (Israel); also the tribe and, later, the nation named after him. Described as the "southern kingdom," it was made up of the Israelite tribes that occupied the southern part of Palestine, while the northern tribes were united into a "northern kingdom" known as Israel.
[28] 9:13 Ephraim The second son of Joseph and the name of one of the tribes of Israel. Sometimes it is used as the name for the northern kingdom of Israel, since Ephraim was most often the leading tribe.
[29] 9:13 Israel Another name for Jacob. (See Gen. 32:28.) Here, it means the people of Israel.
[30] 9:15 sling A strip of leather used for throwing rocks.
[31] 10:7 Ephraim The second son of Joseph and the name of one of the tribes of Israel. Sometimes it is used as the name for the northern kingdom of Israel, since Ephraim was most often the leading tribe.
[32] 11:1 cedar trees In this poem, the trees, bushes, and animals are symbols for the leaders of the countries around Judah.
[33] 11:13 large amount of money The Lord was making fun of the people. This was only the amount of money a person paid for a slave.
[34] 12:10 firstborn The first child born into a family. The first son was very important in ancient times and became the head of the family at the father's death. It can also mean a person of special importance.
[35] 12:11 Hadad Rimmon Possibly a name for the Syrian fertility god.
[36] 13:2 unclean Or "unacceptable." Not pure or not fit to be eaten or used in worshiping God. See Lev. 11-15 for the Old Testament rules about clean and unclean things.
[37] 13:3 prophesy To speak or teach things from God.
[38] 14:5 holy ones Here, this probably means angels.
[39] 14:8 water . Jerusalem Literally, "living water will flow from Jerusalem." Jerusalem's main water supply, the Gihon spring, did not flow continuously.
[40] 14:10 winepress A place dug in rock used to mash grapes and collect the juice for making wine.
[41] 14:16 Festival of Shelters A special week each year when the Israelites, and later the Jews, lived in tents to remember that their people wandered in the desert for 40 years during the time of Moses.
[42] 14:20 holy to the lord These words were written on everything that was used in the Temple. This showed that these things belonged to the Lord, and that they could be used only for special purposes. Dishes with labels could only be used by the priests in a holy place.
[43] 14:21 merchant A person who earns a living by buying and selling things.
[44] 14:21 merchants . selling things Literally, "Canaanites."
© Copyright 2004 World Bible Translation Center.