Charles Ellicott Commentary Zechariah 7:3

"[and] to speak unto the priests of the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?" — Zechariah 7:3 (ASV)

In.—It is better understood as belonging to. The Septuagint wrongly gives ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ.

In the fifth month.—On the tenth of the fifth month (Ab), Nebuzar-adan burned the Temple and Jerusalem with fire (Jeremiah 52:12–13). However, in 2 Kings 25:8–10, the seventh day of the fifth month is given as the date; perhaps it was in flames for three days. Now that the rebuilding was well in progress, they naturally desired to know whether the fast, which had been kept in commemoration of the past calamity, should still be observed.

Separating myself—namely, from meat and drink. The Septuagint, for “shall I weep, separating myself?” gives εἰσελήλυθεν ὧδε ... τὸ ἁγίασμα, reading the same consonants but different vowels (see my Student’s Commentary). Consequently, instead of “as I have done”, the Septuagint gives καθότι ἐποίησεν.

Zechariah 7:4–8:23. The prophet’s answer is contained in four sections (Zechariah 7:4–14; Zechariah 8:1–23), each of which is introduced by the words, “The word of the Lord of Hosts came”, etc., as a testimony that he spoke not of himself.