Commentary for Zechariah 1:5

[As for] your fathers - where are they? See that they suffered an evil blow, with famine, with the sword, and with pestilence.

" Your fathers, where are they?" Do ye not see that they have been consumed by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, as the prophets said to them ?

But the prophets - do they live forever? And if you ask, “the prophets, too where are they? Have they not died?” I [God] will answer you, “Should the prophets have lived forever?” But their end proves that their words were true; for all My words, and the declarations of the decrees of My retribution that I commanded My servants, the prophets, concerning you - did they not overtake your fathers?

" And the prophets, do they live for ever ?'' The prophets, who reproved them, could they live for ever, and reprove them ? He reproved them already, and they did not hearken. But see how every thing has happened to them, as the prophets announced, and as is said (in the following verse), "But my words and statutes," Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, have interpreted the words, "The prophets, where are they," as the answer of the people. They say that the congregation of Israel gave a controversial reply to the prophet. He said to them, Return in true repentance, for your fathers sinned, and where are they? The people answered him, And the prophets who did not sin, where are they ? But they afterwards repented and made confession to him.