Zechariah

This is the thirty-second in a series of biblical summaries from David Dorsey's book: The Literary Structure of the Old Testament.  This is the eleventh in the sub-series of minor prophets, covering Zechariah.

a   call to repentance (1:1-6)
b   Zechariah's nighttime vision (1:7-6:8)
c   symbolic-action message: silver and gold crown (6:9-15)
d   message about fasting and call to repentance (7:1-8:23)
e   Israel's future restoration (9:1-11:3)
f   symbolic-action message: shepherd and two staffs (11:4-17)
g   Israel's future restoration (12:1-14:21)

Dorsey writes: "The book falls into two parts based on topic.  Chapters 1-8 focus on rebuilding the temple, with exhortations to the postexilic community to build the temple and to repent of their former sinful ways.  Chapters 9-14 shift to the topic of Israel's future restoration.  Zechariah, then, exhibits the same overall negative-to-positive arrangement as Haggai, Ezekiel, and other prophetic books." (318)

Sections b, d, e, f, and g all seem to exhibit symmetrical structures emphasizing that Israel should rebuild the temple, and/or repent:

Zechariah 1:7-6:8

a   four horsemen, four horns and four smiths who patrol the earth (1:7-21)
     b   man and the measuring line: Yahweh is coming to dwell in Jerusalem; the exiles
          should leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem, which will be restored (2:1-13)
          c   Yahweh's house purified; high priest's iniquity is removed; sin of the land
               will be removed (3:1-10)
               d   CENTER: the temple will be completed! (4:1-14)
          c'  every sinner's house is cursed: the scroll (same dimensions as tabernacle)
               with the curses goes out over the land to bring a curse on any sinner (5:1-4)
     b'  women and the measuring basket: Israel's iniquity is carried back to Babylon,
          where a house will be built for it to dwell in (5:5-11)
a'  four chariots who patrol the earth (6:1-8)

Zechariah 7-8

a   people from Bethel come to Jerusalem to entreat Yahweh (7:1-3a)
     b   fasting: condemnation for fasting selfishly (7:3b-6)
          c   past call to righteousness and justice by prophets was rejected; thus ancestors
               exiled and land made desolate (7:7-14)
               d   CENTER: rebuild the temple! (8:1-13)
          c'  present call to righteousness and justice: obey and Yahweh will do good
               to the people and land (8:14-17)
     b'  fasting: fasts will be turned to feasts of joy
a'  people from many cities will come to Jerusalem to entreat Yahweh in the future (8:20-23)

Zechariah 9:1-11:3

a   coming judgment upon Lebanon and other nations: Tyre will be devoured by fire (9:1-7)
     b   Yahweh will return to his temple and reign over all the earth, "from sea to sea and from
           the Euphrates to the ends of the earth" (9:8-10)
           c   Yahweh will save and restore Israel, "for they are his sheep" (9:11-17)
                d   CENTER: appeal to Yahweh, not idols! (10:1-2b)
           c'  Yahweh will save Israel; they wander like sheep; but Yahweh
                cares for his flock" (10:2c-7)
     b'  Yahweh will cause the exiles to return from all over the earth, "from the land of Egypt
           and...from Assyria...and they shall pass through the sea" (10:8-12)
a'  coming judgment upon Lebanon and other regions: "fire will devour your (Lebanon's)
     cedars" (11:1-3)

Zechariah 11:4-17

a   bad shepherds are replaced: Israel's bad shepherds sold the flock;
     prophet told to take over flock (11:4-6)
     b   the equipment of a good shepherd: two good staffs, Grace and Union; becomes a good
          shepherd over flock, protecting the oppressed (11:7-8a)
          c   good shepherd breaks the staff "Grace" when sheep spurn him; breaks covenant
               with the nation (11:8b-10)
               d   CENTER: good shepherd is humiliated: the shameful wages of thirty shekels
                    of silver (11:11-13)
          c'  good shepherd breaks the staff "Union"; breaks relationship between Judah
               and Israel (11:14)
     b'  the equipment of a bad shepherd: flock will not be cared for; oppressed will
          not be protected (11:15-16)
a'   bad shepherd is back: Israel ends up where it started - with a worthless shepherd
      who deserts the flock (11:17)

Zechariah 12-14

a   all the nations of the earth will gather against Jerusalem, but Yahweh will defeat them (12:1-4)
     b   Judah's leaders will be strengthened; they will be "like a blazing pot in the midst
          of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves (12:5-9)
          c   repentance of house of David and the people (12:10-14)
               d   CENTER: cleansing from sin and uncleanness (13:1-2)
          c'  repentance of prophets (13:3-6)
     b'  Judah's leader will be struck and the sheep scattered; one-third will remain;
          "and I will put this third into the fire" (13:7-9)
a'  all the nations will gather against Jerusalem; but Yahweh will defeat them and become
     their king; he will have them assemble every year in Jerusalem to worship him (14:1-21)