When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,
When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men - the Jews of the country "sent to the House of God" or congregation at Jerusalem. The altar was long since reared (Ezra 3:3), though the temple was not completed until two years afterward "in the third day of the, mouth Adar, in the sixth year of Darius the king" (Ezra 6:15). The priests' duty was to give decision on rots of the law (Deuteronomy 17:9; Matthew 2:4). Bethel is here used instead of Beth-Jehovah, because the religious authorities rather than the house itself, designated Beth-Jehovah next verse, are intended. The old Bethel had long ceased to be the seat of idol worship, so that the name had lost its opprobrious meaning. "The house of the Lord" is used for the congregation of worshippers, headed by their priests (Zechariah 3:7; for Hosea 8:1). Thus the way was paved for the spiritual use of the expression "house of the Lord," as applied to the Church of the New Testament (Hebrews 3:6).
Maurer makes the "house of God" nominative to 'sent.' Henderson translates, instead of "house of God," "Bethel," and similarly, as Maurer 'When Bethel sent Sherezer,' etc. He objects to the English version that not х Beeyt-'Eel (H1008)] Bethel, the house of God, but х Beeyt (H1004) Yahweh (H3068)] Beth-Jehovah, the house of Yahweh, is always used of the temple. But it is not the case, as he alleges, that the temple is 'uniformly called the house of Yahweh.' For at this very time when Zechariah wrote Ezra (Zechariah 7:8,15; Zechariah 6:7; 7:20,23) uses the phrase "the house of God." х beeyt (H1004) 'Elaahaa': the variation from 'Eel (H410) is slight; and probably is employed with designed allusion to Jacob's original employment of the name, Genesis 28:19, Beeyt-'Eel (H1008): Genesis 35:1, "Go up to Bethel"] The Jews' going up to the house of God now was exactly similar to Jacob's formerly. His house of God consisted as yet of but a pillar first, then an altar set up, in connection with which God manifested His favour (Genesis 28:17-18; Genesis 28:22; Genesis 35:1; Genesis 35:7).
So the house of God now consisted of merely the altar set up, and the congregation of priests, who were favoured So the house of God now consisted of merely the altar set up, and the congregation of priests, who were favoured with God's presence in connection with the worship at it. Thus, the Jews were reminded of God's power to bless the obedient, as He did their ancestor Jacob in connection with the bare altar, even before the temple was reared. See below another possible reason for the use of the term Bethel. "Speak unto the priests ... in the house of the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 7:3), is evidently parallel to, and explanatory of, "sent unto the house of God" in this Zechariah 7:2. Moreover, in Zechariah 7:5, it is not to the people of Bethel, as though they had been the inquirers, but "unto all the people of the land," that "the word of the Lord" came in reply.
Sherezer - an Assyrian name, meaning Prefect of the treasury.
Regem-melech - meaning The king's official. These names perhaps intimate the semi-pagan character of the inquirers, which may also be implied in the name "Bethel" (Hebrew for "house of God"), so notorious once for its calf-worship. They sent to Yahweh's house, as their forefathers sent to old Bethel, not (like Jacob at Bethel) in the spirit of true obedience.
To pray before the Lord, х lªchalowt (H2470)] - literally, to stroke or entreat the face of, etc - i:e., to offer sacrifices, the accompaniment of prayers, to conciliate His favour (1 Samuel 13:12).