Zechariah 1 15

Zechariah 1:15 kjv

And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

Zechariah 1:15 nkjv

I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; For I was a little angry, And they helped?but with evil intent."

Zechariah 1:15 niv

and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.'

Zechariah 1:15 esv

And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster.

Zechariah 1:15 nlt

But I am very angry with the other nations that are now enjoying peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations inflicted harm on them far beyond my intentions.

Zechariah 1 verses

Zechariah 1 15 Meaning

Zechariah 1:15 declares the Lord's intense wrath against the Gentile nations who enjoyed ease and tranquility while His people, Judah, suffered under their hand. While God's initial anger with Judah for their sin was a disciplinary measure intended to be temporary and restorative, these nations exceeded their divine mandate as instruments of judgment, showing excessive cruelty and furthering the disaster out of their own malice and complacency, rather than God's will alone. This verse reveals God's profound jealousy and righteous indignation for His chosen people and promises a reversal of their fortunes and the judgment of their oppressors.

Zechariah 1 15 Context

Zechariah chapter 1 marks the beginning of Zechariah's prophetic ministry to the Jewish remnant that returned from Babylonian exile, approximately 520 BC. The people had returned to Judah but were disheartened by their struggles, especially the slow progress in rebuilding the Temple. Zechariah's ministry, alongside Haggai's, aims to encourage the people to finish the Temple, reassure them of God's covenant faithfulness, and reveal His future plans for Jerusalem and the nations.

This verse (1:15) directly follows an angelic report to the "angel of the Lord" (Zech 1:11) stating that the earth is "at rest and quiet" (Zech 1:11), implying that the Gentile nations are experiencing peace and prosperity while Jerusalem and the cities of Judah still lay in ruins and the Jewish people suffered. This apparent disparity prompts the "angel of the Lord" to intercede (Zech 1:12), asking "How long, O Lord of hosts, will you not have compassion on Jerusalem...?" Verse 13 then records God's "gracious and comforting words" to the interpreting angel, leading directly to the declaration in verse 14 of God's jealousy for Zion and then the strong condemnation in verse 15 of the nations responsible for their prolonged suffering. It shifts the focus from Judah's past sin to the nations' excessive cruelty and promises God's impending justice against them.

Zechariah 1 15 Word analysis

• וְקֶ֣צֶף (ve·qetsaf) / and wrath: The Hebrew word for "wrath" (קֶצֶף - qetseph) denotes fierce, passionate anger, often linked to divine judgment. The prefixed 'vav' (וְ - ve) means "and" or "but," indicating a continuation from the preceding promise of God's jealousy (v.14) and leading into a statement of judgment. Its use here signifies a settled, strong, and impending divine indignation.
• גָּד֤וֹל (ga·dol) / great: Modifies "wrath." Gadōl means large, great, or mighty. It emphasizes the intensity and magnitude of God's wrath, indicating it's not a light displeasure but a significant, consuming anger against the complacent nations.
• אֲנִי֙ (a·ni) / I: The first-person pronoun, explicitly identifying the Lord God as the one who possesses this great wrath. It underscores His personal involvement and resolve in judgment.
• עַל־הַגּוֹיִ֣ם (al-ha·go·yim) / upon the nations: Goyim (גּוֹיִם) refers to Gentile nations, non-Israelite peoples. The preposition 'al' (עַל) means "upon" or "against," specifying the target of God's anger. This highlights the universal scope of God's authority and justice.
• הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּ֔ים (ha·sha'a·nan·nim) / the complacent/at ease: Derived from sha'anan (שַׁאֲנָן), meaning to be quiet, at rest, prosperous, or carefree. In this context, it carries a negative connotation of being self-secure, unconcerned, arrogant, or insensible to the suffering around them, specifically Israel's. Their "ease" is viewed as an offense given Israel's plight and their role in it.
• אֲשֶׁר֙ (a·sher) / because/for: A relative pronoun functioning here as a conjunction meaning "because," "for," or "in that." It introduces the reason for God's great wrath.
• קָצַ֣פְתִּי (qa·tsaf·ti) / I was angry/indignant: The verb form of "wrath" (qetseph), but here in the perfect tense. It denotes a completed action, God's prior anger that led to Israel's exile.
• מְּעַ֔ט (mə·'at) / a little/mildly: Me'at signifies a small quantity, short time, or mild degree. This is crucial: God states His initial anger that led to Judah's exile was "a little" or "mild" – a disciplinary, limited judgment. This implies He did not intend for the destruction and suffering to be as extreme or prolonged as the nations inflicted.
• וְהֵ֖מָּה (ve·hem·mah) / and they: Emphatic pronoun "they" referring to the Gentile nations. It highlights their active role and responsibility in exceeding God's intention.
• עָזְר֥וּ (a·zə·ru) / helped/contributed: The verb azar (עָזַר) usually means "to help" or "assist." However, in this context, coupled with "for evil," it implies they "helped" in a destructive or intensifying way; they actively contributed to the worsening of the calamity. They became partners in evil beyond their assigned role as instruments of God's discipline.
• לְרָעָֽה׃ (le·ra·'ah) / for evil/disaster: Ra'ah (רָעָה) means evil, calamity, disaster, or wickedness. It defines the nature of their "help" – it was for harm, disaster, and oppressive wickedness, exceeding God's righteous disciplinary purpose.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And I am very angry upon the nations": Establishes divine indignation. The Lord is personally engaged and deeply offended by the actions of these nations.
• "the complacent/at ease": Characterizes the specific type of nations under judgment. Their state of untroubled security contrasts sharply with Judah's desolation and is seen as morally culpable. This complacency led them to disregard divine restraint and humane limits in their oppression.
• "because I was a little angry": Reveals the limited scope of God's initial wrath towards Israel. His anger was for discipline and correction, implying a set boundary and duration for their suffering. This is key to understanding the nations' transgression.
• "and they furthered the disaster": This phrase pinpoints the nations' specific sin. They didn't just execute divine judgment; they actively magnified the suffering and inflicted evil for its own sake, often with malice and self-interest, going far beyond God's "little anger" or His limited mandate.

Zechariah 1 15 Bonus section

• The declaration in Zech 1:15 forms part of a divinely inspired oracle meant to counteract the despondency of the returning exiles. It highlights God's sovereignty over all nations, even those who appear powerful and unconcerned. Their present ease is contrasted with God's impending "great wrath."
• This verse underpins the concept of divine retribution, not just against sin in general, but specifically against those who maliciously afflict God's people. It establishes a pattern throughout prophetic literature: while God might use nations to chasten Israel, He will hold those nations accountable for their motivations and the excessiveness of their actions.
• The "little anger" signifies the limited and purposive nature of God's judgment on His people, contrasting with the boundless and destructive "anger" of the nations. It emphasizes God's redemptive purpose behind the discipline.
• The use of sha'anan (complacent) implies spiritual heedlessness and arrogance, characteristic of nations that forget divine accountability and gloat in their prosperity while God's people suffer. This complacency itself invites divine judgment.

Zechariah 1 15 Commentary

Zechariah 1:15 is a profound statement of divine justice and God's unwavering commitment to His covenant people. It offers comfort to the despondent post-exilic community by shifting the blame for their prolonged suffering from God's hand alone to the overreaching malice of the Gentile nations. The "little anger" God had against His people refers to the intended measure of their punishment, a fatherly discipline to bring them to repentance and restore them. This was the precise period of seventy years of exile (Zech 1:12; Jer 29:10).

However, the nations like Babylon, Assyria, Edom, and others, were not passive tools in God's hands. They acted from their own evil intentions, delighting in Israel's downfall, extending the desolation, and inflicting cruelty beyond what God desired for the purpose of chastisement. They reveled in their ease and perceived invincibility, showing no mercy or recognition of their role as mere instruments of God's sovereign plan. This "helping for evil" or "contributing to disaster" crossed a divine line, turning God's "little anger" into an instrument of their own wickedness.

Consequently, God's righteous fury, His "great wrath," is now turned against these very nations. This declaration reassures Judah that their afflictions are not forgotten by God, nor are their oppressors unpunished. It foreshadows future judgments against all those who disregard God's people and revel in their downfall, assuring Israel of their future vindication and God's eventual restoration of Jerusalem. This principle remains constant: God uses instruments for judgment, but holds them accountable when they act beyond their divine commission, from their own pride or malicious intent.