Good News Translation marks the beginning of a new section by including the introductory words “In another vision…” (compare 1.18; 2.1). On the translation of “vision,” see 1.7.

Then he showed me: It is not certain who he refers to. Some scholars (Petersen, New Living Translation) think it refers to the interpreting angel. However, most take it to refer to the LORD, especially as a similar clause occurs in 1.20 with the LORD as subject. According to Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, some manuscripts of both the ancient Greek and Latin versions actually mention the LORD at this point. Likewise some translations, such as Good News Translation, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, include “the LORD” in the text here. This is perhaps the best course for translators to take as it removes the ambiguity of literal translations such as Revised Standard Version, New International Version, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh. Other versions such as Bible de Jérusalem and Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible indicate in a footnote that they regard the LORD as the subject, and this is another valid way to solve the problem.

Joshua the high priest: See the comments on Hag 1.1.

Standing before the angel of the LORD: This expression suggests standing in the manner in which a defendant stands before a judge in court. The Hebrew does not state an exact location for this scene. Some commentators understand this to be simply heaven (Mason); others think in more detail of a heavenly court (Baldwin, R. L. Smith, Meyers & Meyers, Stuhlmueller [1988], Merrill) or even the gate of heaven (Bible de Jérusalem and Jerusalem Bible/ New Jerusalem Bible in footnotes). Fortunately translators do not need to state such details. For comments on the angel of the LORD, see 1.8, 11.

Satan standing at his right hand: Satan is literally “the Satan,” as in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, that is “the accuser” or “the adversary.” In the Old Testament this label refers to the role of an angelic accuser rather than to a personal tempter as in the New Testament. Here “the Satan” is a kind of counsel for the prosecution, and as such, is under God’s control. Compare Job 1.6-12; Job 2.1-7. Some modern versions translate Satan as “the Adversary” (Moffatt, New English Bible, New Revised Standard Version footnote) or “the Accuser” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) while others retain the more traditional “Satan” (New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Biblen: Det Gamle og Det Nye Testamente). In cultures where Christianity has only recently arrived, the Christian community may not yet have agreed upon a suitable term for Satan. Translators (in consultation with the churches) should carefully select a term that adequately translates the idea of Satan, as in this context. It will be necessary, however, to have an item in the glossary or a footnote (as do Good News Translation and others) explaining who Satan is, especially in his role as the opponent of God’s people. In A Handbook on the Book of Job, Reyburn offers the following advice on translation possibilities for Satan:
(1) transliteration with translation; for example, “Satan the accuser”;
(2) translation only; for example, “the accuser, the tester.” Bible en français courant employs (1) on the first occurrence … and then drops the name “Satan” in subsequent verses. SPCL and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible use solution (2) throughout.

In the phrase standing at his right hand, his refers to Joshua the high priest, not to the angel of the LORD. The right hand of the defendant was the traditional place in court for an accuser to stand (compare Psa 109.6). Since this will not be familiar to many readers, Good News Translation does not mention the right hand but makes its significance clear by saying, “ready to bring an accusation.” It may be helpful for translators in other languages to make this meaning clear, but they can include “at his right hand” as well, as Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, and Contemporary English Version do.

To accuse him: In Hebrew the verb translated to accuse is a form of the same root that the name Satan comes from. Him refers of course to Joshua. Alternative ways of expressing this phrase are “ready to accuse him of doing wrong,” “ready to say that he has done wrong,” or even idiomatically, for example, “ready to break words on him.”

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 .