1. the prophet Zechariah, interpreted by Martin Luther. *)
Published by Luther himself in German at the end of December 1527.
Preface.
1. God, the Almighty Father, has given us at this time many excellent, learned people, who act mightily on the Holy Scriptures, both in the New and Old Testaments. May He also help us and give us grace to recognize it and give thanks, amen.
(2) In addition, there are more and more reckless spirits every day who know no end to their art, although, as St. Paul says [1 Tim. 6:3, 4], they do not yet know how they should know. These are the ones who ride high, on top and nowhere, just as if they had the ge-
*) After Luther, probably already in 1525 and in the first months of 1526, had given lectures on Zechariah, he started at the beginning of 1527 to interpret and publish this prophet in German. Already on January 1, 1527, he wrote to Michael Stiefel that he was busy editing Zechariah (St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1792 we have assigned this letter with Seidemann and Burkhardt to the year 1528, but it is more correctly placed with Köstlin, vol. II, 644 aä 1132) in the year 1527). On January 10, 1527, it was already being worked on in the print shop, as we see from Luther's letter to Nicolaus Hausmann (De Wette III, 154). But on September 2, the interpretation was only half finished, as Luther writes to Viscampius (De Wette III, 199); the cause of this delay was Luther's state of health. On December 28, 1527, Luther sent a finished copy to Spalatin (De Wette III, 248). Since it was customary in the Reformation period to begin the new year with Christmas Day, the Jena edition correctly placed our writing in the year 1528, as was done in the only original edition, which bears the title: "Der Prophet Sachar Ja, ausgelegt durch Mart. Luther." At the end: "Printed at Wittemberg. Michel Lotter. M.D.XXVIII." The other editions are reprints bearing the same title; one appeared in the same year at Erfurt "ynn der Archen Noe durch Melchior Sachssen"; another in 1528 without indication of the place; a third without place and time. In the collective editions: in the Wittenberg (1556), vol. V, p. 366; in the Jena (1552), vol. IV, p. 233; in the Altenburg, vol. IV, p. 276; in the Leipzig, vol. VIII, p. 525 and in the Erlangen, vol. 42, p. 108. Our writing is translated into Latin by M. Laurentius Span and included in the Latin Wittenberg edition (1566), born. V, col. 505. We give the text according to the Erlangen edition, which offers the same according to the original.
My doctrine of faith, love and the cross has long since been torn by the shoes; they fall for figures, secret interpretations and allegories, and tickle themselves with fine thoughts, so that they likewise lick and jump. As Origen and Jerome did in ancient times, who made the world full of allegories, and yet waved them to the common useful doctrine; so that the blasphemer Porphyrio was given honest causes to mock the Christians, as if their doctrine was such a vain work of interpretation.
(3) So now, too, each one wants to be a new master of deception. This one takes Daniel, that one Apocalypse, and so on, either what is most difficult, or what has the most allegories; there they want to prove their art, but pay no attention at all to how useful they are to your poor common man, but how artistically and splendidly they can teach, and are, praise God, now all highly learned doctors who need nothing from us. And even if they interpret as long and as much, they still have nothing certain on which to build.
4 Now this would be a good thing for them to suffer, if they did the same with themselves or with the scholars, and also gave the unlearned people their share, that is, the simple teaching of the faith of Christ. For I daily find that there are very few preachers nowadays who can understand and teach the Lord's Prayer, the faith, and the Ten Commandments properly and well to the poor people. And while they fly high in Daniel, Hosea, Apocalypsi and such heavy books, the poor rabble goes and listens, and gapes at such splendid jugglers, with great wonder. When the year is over, they can neither read the Lord's Prayer, nor the Faith, nor the Ten Commandments, which are the most noble pieces, as the old, right, Christian catechism, or common instruction for Christians. I do not know how much more useful such launderers are to the poor people than those who preached Aristotle and spiritual law before.
5 There are also now some enthusiasts who boast of great art and spirit from the ancient histories of the Bible. The tabernacle of Moses and priestly garments must come forth etc. Let there still be imago et veritas, and do not know how many high, great, excellent things are present, so that they do not do anything, your: lock up the before
They open their mouths to this witty rabble, just as if it were a small thing that has been revealed to us, how we have been redeemed and saved from sins and death through Christ; that we know how to keep God's commandments, and how to bear the cross and persecution etc. No, such is not'ts, they can fine; yes, like the goose the Psalter. I have myself (I say this truly) had before me ten such high prophets, who always wanted to teach me high things and the most spiritual spirit; and when I did not want to accept it, but wanted to stay with the bad crucified, simple Christ, they became angry, went away, and created hordes.
(6) Wherefore I beseech and exhort every man, both teachers and disciples, with all Christian faithfulness: first, that they despise not them which interpret the scriptures, and are able to do and give the hard books: for Paul saith [1 Thess. 5:19, 20.Paul says [1 Thess. 5:19, 20] that one should not despise diviners, nor dampen spirits (only that they do so in places and before persons where it is useful and necessary; as Paul teaches the Colossians [Col. 4:6] that their speech should be useful where it is necessary); but do not greatly esteem interpreters, who base all their art on allegories, which, of course, do not seek much benefit but great fame. For without such art one can well be a Christian and be blessed, because they interpret nothing, or even rarely something certain.
(7) The best and most useful teachers, however, and the best of all, are those who can teach the catechism well; that is, the Lord's Prayer, the ten commandments, and teaching the faith correctly, these are strange birds. For there is neither great glory nor appearance in such, but still great benefit, and is also the most necessary sermon, because therein is briefly comprehended the whole Scripture, and there is no gospel in which one could not teach such, if only one would do it, and take care to teach the common poor man. One must always preach such a short thing to the rabble, as the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments and faith, and then insist on it in all the gospels and sermons; they nevertheless (unfortunately) learn little enough of it; and as St. Paul speaks [2 Tim. 4:4], they turn from truth to fairy tales.
For this reason I have also read this prophet Zechariah, and now let it go forth; truly, not for the common people, but for those who like to read the Scriptures at home and want to strengthen themselves in the faith, but mostly for the sake of the careless spirits who fall into the allegories, and also lack mastery. For since this prophet has many visions, and much interpretation is needed, I have wanted to help forestall the same spirits, and to show, as much as is in me, that it is not so great an art to give allegories and interpretations, as they boast and wonder, but that one should seek the right principal, faith, always and in all prophets. Which, alas, they do very little of, and jump about as if it were an unnecessary thing.
9. but Christ our Lord give us all his Spirit and gifts, not for our glory, but for the benefit and improvement of Christianity, for which alone the Spirit is given; as St. Paul says 1 Cor. 12:11, that it may be equally and rightly distributed, namely, to us shame and dishonor for our sin and unrighteousness, but to the Lord praise and honor, love and thanksgiving for his unspeakable grace and gifts forever. Amen. 1)
1) After this preface, in the Wittenberg edition, both the German and the Latin, the preface is inserted, which is found Walch, St. Louis edition, in the 14th volume, Col. 66 ff. In the original, the translation of the entire prophet follows, which we, like Walch, have omitted.