The book of Zechariah is one of the more obscure books of the Bible. In this commentary on the life of the prophet Zechariah, Leslie J. Hoppe, OFM, explores the Bible through a feminist lens to help contemporary readers appreciate the work of the sixth century prophet and the editors who collected his words and developed his thought regarding the future of the Jewish people. Hoppe further examines the prophet who spoke to people who were recovering from the total collapse of the religious, political, and social institutions that gave meaning to their communal and individual lives. This commentary also offers insight into Zechariah’s belief that the reconstruction of the Jerusalem temple and the reconstitution of its priesthood would open the way for the renewal of Jewish life through a communal life based on ancestral religious traditions.
About the author
Barbara E. Reid, general editor of the Wisdom Commentary series, is a Dominican Sister of Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is the president of Catholic Theological Union and the first woman to hold the position. She has been a member of the CTU faculty since 1988 and also served as vice president and academic dean from 2009 to 2018. She holds a Ph D in biblical studies from The Catholic University of America and was also president of the Catholic Biblical Association in 2014–2015.