Zechariah 1 19

Zechariah 1:19 kjv

And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

Zechariah 1:19 nkjv

And I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these?" So he answered me, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."

Zechariah 1:19 niv

I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these?" He answered me, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem."

Zechariah 1:19 esv

And I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these?" And he said to me, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."

Zechariah 1:19 nlt

"What are these?" I asked the angel who was talking with me. He replied, "These horns represent the nations that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."

Zechariah 1 verses

Zechariah 1 19 Meaning

Zechariah 1:19 is part of Zechariah's second night vision, where the prophet directly asks for understanding of the preceding imagery of four horns. The angel's response identifies these horns as symbolic representations of the powerful, oppressive kingdoms or nations that have violently dispersed and afflicted God's people: Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. It highlights the past suffering and scattered state of the covenant community due to external adversaries.

Zechariah 1 19 Context

Zechariah 1:19 is the second question asked by the prophet within the second vision (Zech 1:18-21), following the initial presentation of "four horns." This vision occurs during Zechariah's prophetic ministry to the returning Jewish exiles in the post-exilic period (c. 520 BCE). They were engaged in rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem and were still living under the suzerainty of the Persian Empire. Despite being back in their land, the effects of the exile—the brokenness, the loss of national independence, and the perceived vulnerability to powerful surrounding nations—were deeply felt. This vision directly addresses their lingering anxieties and helps them understand the historical oppression they endured, identifying its sources as a precursor to a divine promise of retribution and restoration. It assures them that God saw their suffering and would act on their behalf against the powers that had scattered them.

Zechariah 1 19 Word analysis

• And I said: Highlights Zechariah's active role as a participant in receiving and seeking understanding of divine revelation, indicating an engaged prophetic experience.
• What are these?: An earnest query indicating the prophet's need for interpretation, common in apocalyptic visions (e.g., Dan 7:16). It signifies the obscurity of symbolic vision without divine elucidation.
• And he answered me: The direct response from the interpreting angel, revealing the meaning of the symbol. This demonstrates God's gracious provision of understanding through His messenger.
• These are the horns: (Hebrew: qarnâyim, plural of qeren).
  • Horns: In the ancient Near East and biblical symbolism, "horn" profoundly signifies power, strength, dominion, aggressive might, and royal authority. Animals with horns, like bulls or rams, represented potent forces. Here, their destructive aspect is emphasized. They are implicitly "four horns" from the preceding verse (Zech 1:18), signifying universal oppression (from the four cardinal directions) or four specific successive or concurrent world empires that oppressed God's people.
• that have scattered: (Hebrew: asher zerû' et).
  • Scattered: (Heb. zārāh). Means to sow, spread abroad, scatter, or disperse. It denotes a violent dispersion, a breaking up of unity, often used in the context of divine judgment leading to exile and breaking up nations. It evokes the trauma of the diaspora and the breaking of national cohesion for Judah and Israel.
• Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem: These three terms collectively describe the full scope of God's covenant people and their homeland.
  • Judah: Refers primarily to the Southern Kingdom, whose remnants had returned from Babylonian exile and were rebuilding Jerusalem.
  • Israel: While historically referring to the Northern Kingdom (which had largely disappeared by Zechariah's time after Assyrian conquests), its inclusion here broadly signifies the entire twelve-tribe people of God—the whole covenant community that suffered scattering over generations. It suggests the scope of the scattering wasn't limited to the Babylonian exile of Judah but included earlier dispersals.
  • Jerusalem: The capital city, the political, spiritual, and religious center. It represents the heart of God's dwelling among His people. Its specific mention underscores the comprehensive nature of the devastation and humiliation suffered at their most sacred and strategic point. The phrase thus emphasizes the complete, devastating, and far-reaching effect of the horns' destructive power upon God's unified, chosen people across their ancestral lands and sacred center.

Zechariah 1 19 Bonus section

The specific identity of the "four horns" has been a subject of ongoing biblical study, though their exact historical identification is less important than their symbolic function. They represent all the oppressive world powers (four signifying totality, like the four corners of the earth) that had previously oppressed and dispersed God's people. Historically, they could refer to Assyria, Babylon, Persia (even as current rulers, from a prophetic standpoint they still exercised imperial control over God's people and could be seen as one in a succession of oppressive Gentile powers), and perhaps an as-yet-future power or broadly encompassing any future anti-God world power (e.g., Greece/Rome as viewed from a wider prophetic lens extending beyond Zechariah's immediate context). The mention of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem together stresses the unified, though fractured, identity of God's people despite the historical divisions between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. It emphasizes that God sees His people as one, and their suffering was collective, foreshadowing a future ultimate unity.

Zechariah 1 19 Commentary

Zechariah 1:19 is a crucial interpretive moment in the vision sequence, identifying the problem for which the subsequent solution of the smiths will be revealed. The "horns" are established as formidable Gentile powers that have historically inflicted profound suffering upon God's people. The term "scattered" vividly depicts the comprehensive and violent dispersal of the unified nation, causing profound disunity and vulnerability. By specifically mentioning "Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem," the text encompasses the entire historical experience of God's covenant community—from the Assyrian scattering of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to the Babylonian exile of the Southern Kingdom (Judah and its capital Jerusalem). This verse acknowledges the historical trauma and lingering pain of the exilic period, validating the fears and anxieties of the post-exilic community. It prepares the reader for the subsequent promise that God, who permitted this scattering, also orchestrates the downfall of these very oppressors, ensuring His people's ultimate justice and security.