| Summary: | This thesis employs a historical-critical approach to explore the theme of 'the Gentiles' in Zechariah's vision reports. Chapter 1 introduces the aim and methodology and the four texts to be studied, viz. Zech 1:15, 2:4, 12-13 and 15a [Eng. 1:21; 2:8-9 and 11a]. It provides a literature review, a proposal, namely that YHWH's attitude toward the Gentiles in Zechariah's vision reports is coherent throughout, describes the structure of the thesis, and gives an explanation of terminology. Chapter 2 investigates the literary and historical contexts of the relevant texts. It argues that the series of vision reports (Zech 1:8-6:8) is a compositional unity. The oracular material is as integral as the visionary material and so both forms of material may be examined for evidence of the meaning of the four texts. This chapter also explores the international situation in the ancient Near East around the date, the integral character of which is supported, in Zech 1:7. Chapter 3 investigates the four texts from three perspectives: whether all the components are integral, what the texts mean, and who 'the Gentiles' referred to as גוים are. This chapter reaches the conclusions that all of the components in the MT readings of the four texts are probably original and that the גוים in the texts refers to two distinct sets of Gentiles, viz. Nebuchadnezzar's army of Chaldean tribes (Zech 1:15; 2:4 and 12-13) and Gentiles in general (Zech 2:15a). This division explains the different views of the Gentiles in the abovementioned four texts. Chapter 4 argues that the message concerning YHWH's attitude toward the Gentiles in the four texts is coherent and would have been relevant to the contemporary Judahites in sixth-century Yehud. Chapter 5 provides concluding remarks.
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