Meaning of ZECHARIAH (Prophet)

"Jehovah has remembered." Son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo (Zech. 1:1). The first prophecy of Zechariah that has been transmitted was given in the second year of Darius Hystaspes, 520 BC. (Zech. 1:1; Ezra 4:24; 5:1).

This prophet was a contemporary of the governor Zerubbabel, the high priest Joshua, and the prophet Haggai (Zech. 3:1; 4:6; 6:11; Ezra 5:1, 2).

Together with Haggai, he exhorted the leading Jews returned from exile to resume construction of the Temple.

It seems evident that he was born in Babylon, since the first deportees had been in the land of Judah only 18 years, and Zechariah did not begin to prophesy at this age.

He undoubtedly belonged to the tribe of Levi, being both prophet and priest, the same as Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Indeed, according to Neh. 12:1, 4, 7, Iddo, head of a priestly family, returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel. Zechariah is called “son of Iddo” in Ezra. 5: 1 and 6:14, surely for having assumed the priestly office of his grandfather due to the death of his father.