And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem: The Hebrew word that Revised Standard Version translates families does not refer to families that consist only of parents and children, or even extended families in the usual sense. In the period after the exile, the word acquired a wider meaning (Meyers & Meyers). This is shown more clearly in the terms chosen in several modern versions for families of the earth: “races of the world” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible; compare Moffatt), “any of the peoples of the earth” (New International Version, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), and “Any of the earth’s communities” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The following verse shows clearly that such a choice is correct, and translators are advised to use an expression that denotes a large social group. As in the previous verse, go up is a technical term for attending a religious ceremony. In the present context the destination, to Jerusalem, is stated in the Hebrew.

To worship the King, the LORD of hosts: See the comments on the identical expression in verse 16.

There will be no rain upon them: In the Holy Land and most other parts of the Middle East, even normal rainfall is low, and any reduction has drastic effects on agriculture. The threat of having no rain is therefore very severe. In the period after the exile, the Festival of Shelters was associated with prayers for rain in the following year. Normally the autumn rain would fall within a month or so of the festival. If it did not, then the hope of a good crop in the following year was removed. Other ways to say this are “rain will not fall on their land” (Good News Translation) and “No rain will fall on the land of anyone … who…” (Contemporary English Version).

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 .