On that day represents the shorter Hebrew formula, and marks the beginning of a new subparagraph, as in 12.4, 6, 8, 11; 13.1. If they wish, translators may set out their text to show the beginning of a new paragraph here.

There shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the LORD”: Bells were often used as decorations on the harnesses of horses. The inscription “Holy to the LORD” is the same as that on the gold plate attached to the turban of the high priest (see Exo 28.36; Exo 39.30). Translators should use the same wording both in Exodus and here. Holy to means “dedicated for the use of” the LORD (compare Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). Some background is necessary for the understanding of this statement. Horses in the ancient world were primarily instruments of war, not of peace and prosperity. As pointed out in the notes on 9.9, it is significant that the LORD’s chosen king, the Messiah, does not ride a horse. The prophet is asserting here that even things like horses, which were associated with enemy attacks on the LORD’s people, would now be consecrated to the LORD’s service. At the time when the Messiah comes to rule, the distinction between the sacred and secular aspects of life would disappear, and everything would be sacred.

The choice of the bells out of all the equipment of a horse to bear the inscription “Holy to the LORD” strengthens the idea that this sentence is meant to be a reference to the high priest, whose robe was decorated with bells around its hem (Exo 28.33-34; Exo 39.25-26). If even minor items of the horses’ trappings were on the same level of holiness as the high priest’s garments, that showed unmistakably how the whole of life would be dedicated to the worship of the LORD.

And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar: Pots could be made of earthenware or of bronze. They were part of everyday household equipment, and could be used for many purposes. In the context of the house of the LORD, that is, the Temple, they were used both for removing ashes after a sacrifice had been burnt (Exo 27.3) and for boiling the meat of sacrifices (1 Sam 2.13-14). In this context the boiling of meat is more likely (see verse 21). A possible alternative translation for the pots in the house of the LORD is “the ordinary pots used for boiling the flesh of sacrificed animals in the Temple of the LORD.” The bowls were made of bronze (Exo 38.3) and were used for catching the blood of sacrificed animals that had to be splashed against the altar (compare 9.15 and the notes on that verse).

The Hebrew text does not say in what way the pots will become as the bowls. In some languages it may not be necessary to make this clear. But if it is necessary, translators may say “as sacred as” (Moffatt, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), or “as holy as” (New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version). The point is that on that day vessels normally used for everyday tasks like removing ashes will be as holy as those used for ceremonially important tasks like holding blood from sacrificed animals.

A model that combines verses 20-21 will be found at the end of the notes on verse 21.

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 .