John Gill Commentary Zechariah 1

In the eighth month
The month Marchesvan, called the month Bul, in (1 Kings 6:38) which answers to part of our October, and part of November: this was but two months from the first prophecy of Haggai, (Haggai 1:1) and but a few days after his second, (Haggai 2:1) so near were the prophecies of these two prophets together:

in the second year of Darius :
king of Persia; not Darius the Mede, but Darius the son of Hystaspes:

came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah ;
that is, "the word of prophecy from before the Lord", as the Targum paraphrases it; which came to him, either in a dream, or in a vision, or by an impulse on his mind; who is described by his descent, the son of Barachias; mention is made of this name in (Matthew 23:35) . It signifies "the blessed of the Lord", and is the same with Eulogius or Benedictus:

the son of Iddo the prophet :
the word "prophet", as Kimchi observes, belongs to Zechariah; not but that his grandfather Iddo might be a prophet too; and the same writer takes notice, that in the Midrash mention is made of Iddo the prophet; and so there is an Iddo that is called the seer and the prophet in (2 Chronicles 9:29) (12:15) (13:22) but whether the same with this is not certain. The name is by some thought to be the same with Firmicus, Statius, Robertus:

saying ;
as follows:

The Lord has been sore displeased with your fathers .
] Who lived before and at the time of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and which was manifest by their captivity; all which were occasioned by their sins, with which they provoked the Lord to sore displeasure against them; and this is mentioned as a caution to their children, that they might not follow their example, and incur the like displeasure.

Therefore say you to themThis is an order from the Lord to Zechariah, to say to them, in the name of the Lord:

thus says the Lord of hosts;of the hosts above and below, of angels and of men, of heaven and earth, and all that is therein: this is said, that the greater regard might be had to his words:

turn you to me, says the Lord of hosts;by repentance, and acknowledgment of former sins; by reformation for the future; by attending to the worship and service of God, and seeking to glorify him. So the Targum, "return to my worship": this is not the condition of what follows, but what follows is the motive and encouragement to this:

and I will turn to you, says the Lord of hosts;to dwell among them, manifest himself to and protect them.

Three times the phrase, "the Lord of hosts", is used in this verse: it may be with respect to the three Persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit; who manifest themselves to, and take up their abode with, such as love the Lord, and keep his commandments; see (John 14:21) .

Do not be as your fathers Who lived before the captivity, and misused the prophets and messengers of the Lord, and despised his word, and fell into gross idolatry; the evil examples of parents and ancestors are not to be followed.

to whom the former prophets have cried: such as Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others.

saying, thus says the Lord of hosts, Turn now from your evil ways, and [from] your evil doings; by their "evil ways" may be meant their idolatrous worship; and by their "evil doings" their immoralities; or, by both, their wicked lives and conversations, both before God and men; from which they were exhorted by the former prophets to turn, and to reform; even "now", at that present time they prophesied to them, immediately, lest destruction come upon them.

but they did not hear, nor hearken to me, says the Lord; speaking by his prophets, who were sent by him, and came and spoke in his name; so that not hearing them was not hearing him who sent them, and whom they represented.

Your fathers, where [are] they ?
&c.] They are not in the land of the living; they perished by the sword of the Chaldeans, or died in captivity: and the prophets, do they live for ever ?
meaning either the false prophets, as Hananiah and Shemaiah, (Jeremiah 28:17) (29:32) or the true prophеts of the Lord; and the words may be considered as a prevention of an objection the people might make, taken from their prophets dying in common with their fathers; and so the Targum paraphrases them, "and if you should say, the prophets, do they live for ever?" which is followed by Jarchi, and embraced by many interpreters: the answer is, it is true they died; but then their words live, and have had their full accomplishment.