Zacharias 7:5
Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying: When you fasted, and mourned in the fifth and the seventh month for these seventy years: did you keep a fast unto me?
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Loquere ad omnem populum terræ, et ad sacerdotes, dicens : Cum jejunaretis, et plangeretis in quinto et septimo per hos septuaginta annos, numquid jejunium jejunastis mihi ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Εἰπὸν πρὸς ἅπαντα τὸν λαὸν τῆς γῆς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἱερεῖς λέγων Ἐὰν νηστεύσητε ἢ κόψησθε ἐν ταῖς πέμπταις ἢ ἐν ταῖς ἑβδόμαις, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη μὴ νηστίαν νενηστεύκατέ μοι;
- Hebrew (WLC)
- אֱמֹר֙ אֶל כָּל עַ֣ם הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֶל הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר כִּֽי צַמְתֶּ֨ם וְסָפ֜וֹד בַּחֲמִישִׁ֣י וּבַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י וְזֶה֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה הֲצ֥וֹם צַמְתֻּ֖נִי אָֽנִי
Haydock's commentary
Years, from the ruin of the temple till the fourth of Darius.
Unto me? Did you grieve for the injury done to me; or was your sorrow caused by your own losses? The prophet gives not a direct answer; but sufficiently shews that exterior works of themselves are of little value. Whether the Jews entered into his sentiments or not, they still observe these fasts, though he said they should be changed into days of rejoicing, chap. viii. 19. (Calmet)
The fast was good, but imperfect, wanting works of charity. (St. Gregory) (Worthington)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
Tertullian On Fasting, Chapter VII
Israel, before their gathering together by Samuel on occasion of the drawing of water at Mizpeh, had sinned; but so immediately do they wash away the sin by a fast, that the peril of battle is dispersed by them simultaneously (with the water on the ground). At the very moment when Samuel was offering the holocaust (in no way do we learn that the clemency of God was more procured than by the abstinence of the people), and the aliens were advancing to battle, then and there “the Lord thundered with a mighty voice upon the aliens, and they were thrown into confusion, and fell in a mass in the sight of Israel; and the men of Israel went forth out of Mizpeh, and pursued the aliens, and smote them unto Bethor,”, the unfed (chasing) the fed, the unarmed the armed. Such will be the strength of them who “fast to God.” For such, Heaven fights. …
St Gregory the Great The Book of Pastoral Rule, How those who use food intemperately and those who use it sparingly are to be admonished
In this matter it is to be considered how small the virtue of abstinence is accounted, seeing that it is not commended but for other virtues. Hence Joel says, Sanctify a fast. For indeed to sanctify a fast is to shew abstinence of the flesh to be worthy of God by other good things being added to it. The abstinent are to be admonished that they then offer to God an abstinence that pleases Him, when they bestow on the indigent the nourishment which they withhold from themselves. For we should wisely attend to what is blamed by the Lord through the prophet, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month far these seventy years, did ye at all fast a fast unto Me? And when ye did eat and drink, did ye not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves ( Zach. vii. …