07_Biblica_AN_Rogland_Layout 1 01/04/14 12:05 Pagina 121 121 HEAVENLY CHARIOTS AND EARTHLY REBELLION IN ZECHARIAH 6 connotation of the insolence and rebelliousness of the Satan”, since there are certainly no contextual indications that he is presenting himself before YHWH in a subservient fashion 20. Such passages are admittedly open to debate, but they are suggestive at the very least. In any event, the example of Ps 2,2 raises the possibility that, at least in some instances, l[ bcyth has the potential of indicating an antagonistic notion of resistance and re- bellion 21. I would claim that this sense is the most fitting in Zech 6,5. If we understand l[ bcyth in Zech 6,5 in this manner, however, how are we to interpret the infinitival clause #rah-lk !wda-l[ bcythm gram- matically? The LXX and Vulgate rendered this as an expression of pur- pose (evkporeu,ontai parasth/nai tw|/ kuri,w|; ut stent coram Dominatore omnis terrae), but this fails to account for the preposition !m prefixed to the infinitive 22. The traditional understanding of the clause has led to ei- ther a temporal interpretation of the preposition !m (“after presenting themselves before the Lord”) or a spatial one (“from presenting them- selves before the Lord”) 23. Another analysis of bcythm is possible, though, if the syntagm l[ bcyth is understood as an expression of resis- tance and rebellion as suggested above. It should be noted that there are instances of the preposition !m prefixed to an infinitive which possess a causal force (“from, on account of”) 24. Such an understanding would fit well with the proposed interpretation of l[ bcyth in this instance, allow- ing the clause to be rendered, “these are going out on account of the taking of a stand (i.e., of opposition) against the Lord of all the earth”. The clause thus gives the reason for the chariots’ “going forth”, indicating that it oc- curs as a response to human rebellion. 20 R. GORDIS, The Book of Job (New York, NY 1978) 14; pace, e.g., J. HARTLEY, The Book of Job (NICOT; Grand Rapids, MI 1988) 78, n. 1. It is not impossible that wyl[ wbcyth in 2 Chr 11,13 indicates resistance 21 to Rehoboam; there are other signs of early opposition to Rehoboam in the Chronicler ’s presentation (G. KNOPPERS, “Rehoboam in Chronicles: Villain or Victim?”, JBL 109 [1990] 434). Alternately, it could mean that the priests and Levites assembled to hold a council “concerning” Rehoboam (cf. BDB, 754). On the other hand, perhaps the diachronic analysis proposed by Hurvitz (n. 14 above) should be considered here. 22 Based on the LXX and Vulgate, the Biblia Hebraica Quinta suggests a possible Vorlage which read bcythl, but the MT is confirmed by the Targum; see A. GELSTON (ed.), Biblia Hebraica Quinta, XIII. The Twelve Minor Prophets (Stuttgart 2010) 139*. 23 For the former, see the NRSV and PETERSEN, Haggai and Zechariah 1–8, 263; for the latter, see WILLI-PLEIN, Haggai, Sacharja, Maleachi, 112; MEYERS – MEYERS, Haggai, Zechariah 1–8, 316. 24 See BDB, 583.