And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD: For a discussion of the problems surrounding the word crown, see the comments on verse 11. We recommend that it should be translated as singular. Once the symbolic crowning had been carried out, the crown was not to be left in use, but was to be set aside in the temple.

As a reminder to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah the son of Zephaniah: Revised Standard Version and New American Standard Bible are alone among modern English versions in using the expression reminder to. (Contemporary English Version uses “reminder” but not in combination with “to.”) All other available versions use the word “memorial.” If the crown were a reminder to the men named, its purpose would be to prevent them from forgetting the coronation ceremony they had witnessed. If it were a “memorial,” its purpose would be to inform other people of the circumstances of its use and of the generosity of its donors. This seems a much more probable purpose, and so we recommend that the word should be translated as “memorial.” In some languages it will be necessary to state this information in more detail; for example, “This crown shall remain in the Temple of the LORD. When people see it they will remember….” For the idea of placing a memorial before the LORD, see Num 31.54.

The names of the men present some problems, as they did in verse 10. In Hebrew the first name has the form “Helem” (Revised Standard Version footnote) as against Heldai in verse 10. The ancient Syriac translation has the form “Heldai” in both places, and modern versions all do the same. Quite apart from textual evidence, it would be valid in terms of translation principles to use the same form of the name in both places, especially for such a little known figure. A footnote such as those in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation is useful to explain the situation.

The names of Tobijah and Jedaiah are as in 6.10, and cause no problems. The last name, Josiah, as the Revised Standard Version footnote shows, has the form “Hen” in Hebrew. This could perhaps be explained as a nickname, but the Hebrew word transliterated in the Revised Standard Version footnote as Hen also means “grace, kindness,” so that the whole phrase could be translated “as a memorial to … the kindness of the son of Zephaniah.” Since it is obvious that the same person as in verse 10 is intended, it is again valid in terms of translation principles to use the same form as occurred before, namely, Josiah.

Modern versions are divided in their approach. New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New American Standard Bible, and New King James Version follow King James Version and Revised Version in putting “Hen” in the text, most adding an explanation in a footnote. Moffatt, Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation, and Contemporary English Version put Josiah in the text and the last five mention the form “Hen” in a footnote. New American Bible translates hen as a word rather than a name, but strangely applies it to all four men (“in favor of Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and the son of Zephaniah”). Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente translate hen but apply it only to the son of Zephaniah, as do Hebrew Old Testament Text Project and Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch also includes the name Josiah for clarity, and this seems the best solution. The following restructuring, based on Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, is recommended as a translation model:

• The crown will be kept in my Temple as a memorial to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and to the hospitality [or, generosity] of Josiah the son of Zephaniah.

In languages that do not have the passive voice, the following is a possible model:

• You must keep this crown in my Temple as a memorial to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and to the hospitality [or, generosity] of Josiah the son of Zephaniah.

This refers back to the fact mentioned in verse 10 that the other men stayed at the home of Josiah.

An alternative translation model is:

• You shall keep the crown in my Temple. When people see it they will remember Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, and how kind Josiah the son of Zephaniah was.

The whole of verses 10-14 are in the form of instructions to Zechariah. The text does not state whether he actually carried out these instructions. Presumably we are to understand that he did, but it is also possible that simply recording them was sufficient to preserve their symbolic meaning. If this section were part of a longer narrative, it might be necessary to make clear that the instructions were carried out (compare the notes on Hag 2.12). However since it is not, the question may be left open, and translators should not attempt to give it any answer.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .