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Connecting Statement:
The angel who speaks with Zechariah continues to explain the vision.
The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, "The hands
This idiom is used to introduce a special message from God. AT: "Yahweh gave a message to me. He said, 'The hands" or "Yahweh spoke this message to me: 'The hands" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom)
The hands of Zerubbabel have laid ... his hands will bring it to completion
Here the word "hands" represents Zerubbabel. AT: "Zerubbabel has laid ... he will bring it to completion" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche)
the foundation of this house
The word "house" represents the temple. AT: "the foundation of this temple" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)
Who has despised the day of small things? These people will rejoice
Zechariah uses this rhetorical question to speak specifically about those who have "despised the day of small things." It can be translated as a statement. AT: "Those who have despised the day of small things will rejoice" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
the day of small things
"the time of small things." This phrase refers to the time when the people were building the temple and appeared to be making little progress. AT: "the time when progress was slow" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit)
plumb stone
This refers to an instrument made with a heavy object attached to the end of a string that builders used to ensure that the walls of buildings were straight.
These seven lamps ... these two olive trees
These phrases refer to the lamps and olive trees that Zechariah saw in Zechariah 4:2-3.
These seven lamps are the eyes of Yahweh that roam over the whole earth
The seven lamps symbolize the eyes of Yahweh, but they are not literally the eyes of Yahweh. The angel speaks of Yahweh seeing everything that happens on the earth as if his eyes roamed over the whole earth. AT: "These seven lamps represent the eyes of Yahweh, who sees everything that happens on the earth" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-symlanguage and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)