In Hebrew the verse begins with a word rendered in King James Version and Revised Version as “And it shall come to pass.” In Revised Standard Version and most modern versions, it has no equivalent in English, because a literal translation sounds so stilted. The word does however have the discourse function of marking the beginning of a new subparagraph, and translators should be aware of this even if they do not mark it in setting out their translation. In this new subparagraph the focus moves from the shepherd (probably a symbol for a ruler) to the people as a whole.

In the whole land refers to the territory occupied by the LORD’s people, without saying exactly what or where. At the least it would include Jerusalem and the surrounding area.

Says the LORD is a Hebrew noun phrase as in verse 7, and again it functions at the discourse level to reinforce the opening of a new subunit. For stylistic reasons, namely to avoid repetition that is rather clumsy in English, Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version omit it. Translators may include or omit it according to the stylistic requirements of their own language, but they should be aware of its function.

Two thirds shall be cut off and perish: Two thirds means “two thirds of the people” (New English Bible/ Revised English Bible). The Hebrew expression is literally “mouth of two,” and elsewhere the phrase carries the sense of a double portion (Deut 21.17; 2 Kgs 2.9). Here those killed will be double the number of those who survive. In some languages there are set expressions to refer to fractions, such as “two in three” or “from three, two.” Be cut off may perhaps refer to going into exile, but this verb is a common Hebrew metaphor for dying and probably carries that meaning here. In many languages it may be replaced by a local metaphor. For instance in English, several versions say “be struck down” (New English Bible/ Revised English Bible, New International Version). Perish is merely a higher level word with the same meaning as “die.” Good News Translation runs the two ideas of be cut off and perish together and renders them by the single term “die.” This is clear and simple, but it loses the poetic impact and rhetorical effect of the Hebrew. Translators are advised to retain two verbs if possible.

And one third shall be left alive: This statement says the same as the previous one, but from a different point of view, and is in a sense redundant. Good News Translation absorbs it into the following verse, but this again sacrifices some of the rhetorical effect of the Hebrew, and is not recommended. The general idea behind this verse is probably suggested by the action of Ezekiel in dividing the hair he cut from his head and beard into three parts (Ezek 5.1-4, 12), though the notion of a remnant that survives God’s punishment is common in the prophets who lived and wrote before the exile. See for instance Isa 1.8-9; Amos 3.12; Micah 5.7-8; 7.18.

Possible translation models for the verse are:

• The LORD says that in the whole land, two people out of every three will be struck down and die, and only one will survive.

• The LORD says, “In the whole land most of the people will be struck down and will die, and only a few will remain alive.”

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 .