Zechariah 4:4 kjv
So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Zechariah 4:4 nkjv
So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?"
Zechariah 4:4 niv
I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"
Zechariah 4:4 esv
And I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"
Zechariah 4:4 nlt
Then I asked the angel, "What are these, my lord? What do they mean?"
Zechariah 4 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 25:4-5 | Show me Your ways, O LORD... Teach me Your paths. | Seeking God's guidance and teaching. |
| Psa 119:18 | Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things from Your law. | Request for spiritual insight. |
| Prov 2:3-6 | If you call out for insight... then you will understand the fear of the LORD. | Seeking wisdom leads to understanding God. |
| Dan 7:16 | I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the exact meaning.. | Daniel also sought interpretation of visions. |
| Dan 8:15 | when I, Daniel, had seen the vision... behold, there stood before me one.. | Prophet seeing a vision and then an angel. |
| Hab 2:1-2 | I will stand on my guard post... and see what He will speak to me. | Waiting for divine revelation. |
| Jas 1:5 | If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God... | God grants wisdom to those who ask. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | For My thoughts are not your thoughts... higher than your ways. | God's thoughts transcend human understanding. |
| Job 42:3 | Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful. | Acknowledging human limitation in understanding God. |
| Matt 13:10 | Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” | Disciples asking for clarification. |
| Matt 13:36 | Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying.. | Seeking private interpretation from Jesus. |
| Luke 24:45 | Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. | Divine enablement for understanding. |
| John 14:26 | But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will teach you all things... | The Holy Spirit's role in teaching. |
| 1 Cor 2:10-14 | ...the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God... | Spiritual truth requires spiritual discernment. |
| 2 Cor 3:18 | But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.. | Gradual understanding and transformation. |
| Heb 1:14 | Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve... | Angels as ministering spirits. |
| Rev 5:4 | So I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll.. | Need for a qualified interpreter/opener of revelation. |
| Rev 7:13 | Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they and from where have they come?” | Revelation often prompts questions from the viewer. |
| 2 Tim 3:16 | All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching... | Source of truth and instruction is God's Word. |
| Neh 8:8 | They read from the Book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense.. | The importance of clear explanation for understanding Scripture. |
Zechariah 4 verses
Zechariah 4 4 Meaning
Zechariah 4:4 portrays the prophet's humble and eager request for understanding regarding the mysterious vision presented before him. Having observed the gold lampstand and the two olive trees, Zechariah, not comprehending their symbolism, directly asks the angel who had been communicating with him for an interpretation. This verse highlights the human need for divine illumination to grasp God's revelation.
Zechariah 4 4 Context
Zechariah 4:4 is part of a series of eight night visions granted to the prophet Zechariah during a crucial period for the Jewish returnees in Judah. Having returned from Babylonian exile, the people faced formidable challenges in rebuilding Jerusalem and, most critically, the Temple. The visions serve as a divinely given encouragement and revelation of God's plans and empowerment for their task. The immediate context for verse 4 is the fourth vision (Zech 4:1-10), which presents a golden lampstand (representing God's unfailing presence and watchful care over His people, and perhaps the rebuilt Temple as a light-bearing sanctuary) flanked by two olive trees (representing God's two anointed ones, Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest, the political and religious leaders). Zechariah, a young priest, receives these complex symbolic images and naturally seeks their meaning, demonstrating his human limitation and dependence on divine explanation for understanding. His question "What are these, my lord?" sets the stage for the pivotal message that follows in Zechariah 4:6, emphasizing that the rebuilding work would be accomplished "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit."
Zechariah 4 4 Word analysis
- So I answered and spoke: The Hebrew Va'a'en va'omer (וָאַעַן וָאֹמַר) uses two verbs to convey a rapid and decisive action of response and speaking. This highlights Zechariah's readiness to engage and his eagerness for understanding. It's an active rather than passive reception of the vision.
- to the angel: The Hebrew el-hamal'akh (אֶל־הַמַּלְאָךְ). The word mal'akh (מַלְאָךְ) literally means "messenger." This angel is God's chosen intermediary, directly tasked with revealing God's mysteries to Zechariah. His role emphasizes that divine truth often comes through specific, chosen conduits.
- who talked with me: The Hebrew haddover bi (הַדּוֹבֵר בִּי). This phrasing can imply more than just simple conversation; it suggests the angel's ongoing, active interaction and instruction in Zechariah, pointing to a profound, intimate, and revelatory encounter. It indicates a consistent source of divine communication.
- saying: The Hebrew lemor (לֵאמֹר) is a common grammatical particle in Hebrew, introducing direct speech. Here, it functions to explicitly introduce Zechariah's immediate question.
- "What are these: The Hebrew Mah-elleh (מָה־אֵלֶּה) is a simple, direct question. It signifies Zechariah's perplexity and his earnest desire to grasp the meaning of the symbolic vision. It demonstrates that spiritual understanding does not always come intuitively, but often requires specific revelation and interpretation from God. This question reveals the natural human limitation in discerning spiritual truths without divine aid.
- my lord?" The Hebrew Adoni (אֲדֹנִי). This is a respectful and deferential form of address. Zechariah acknowledges the angel's superior status as a divine messenger, underscoring his humility and submission to the source of the revelation. This address contrasts human ignorance with divine wisdom.
Words-group Analysis:
- "So I answered and spoke... my lord?": This phrase signifies Zechariah's immediate and humble initiative in seeking clarification. It marks a moment of direct interaction between the human prophet and the divine messenger, indicating the reciprocal nature of prophecy where human inquiry can lead to deeper revelation. The urgency in "answered and spoke" combined with the deference of "my lord" creates a model for seeking spiritual truth – actively yet humbly.
- "to the angel who talked with me": This highlights the specific source of Zechariah's prophetic instruction. It emphasizes that divine revelation is channeled and delivered through God's appointed messengers, often requiring direct communication to clarify complex symbolic visions. It establishes the authoritative and continuous nature of the angelic guidance Zechariah is receiving.
Zechariah 4 4 Bonus section
The interactive nature of Zechariah's visions, where he actively queries the angelic messenger, is a consistent theme throughout the book of Zechariah. This contrasts with more passive prophetic reception seen elsewhere and emphasizes that God desires His people, including His prophets, to deeply engage with His word and seek profound understanding. This pursuit of knowledge is essential for moving from mere observation of divine truth to internalizing and proclaiming it with conviction. Zechariah's "What are these?" is echoed in similar questions posed by other prophets like Daniel (Dan 7:16), reinforcing a pattern of human limitation confronting divine mystery, and God's readiness to explain His truth to those who sincerely ask.
Zechariah 4 4 Commentary
Zechariah 4:4 is pivotal as it records the prophet's explicit request for clarification. Rather than presuming understanding, Zechariah expresses his bewilderment at the symbolic imagery of the lampstand and olive trees. This act of asking underscores the foundational principle that divine truth, particularly in its prophetic and symbolic forms, often requires divine interpretation. Zechariah's humility and active seeking become a model for all who encounter God's mysteries; genuine understanding flows not from human intellect or intuition alone, but from God's own illumination through His appointed means, be it an angel, the Holy Spirit, or the taught Word. This specific question sets the stage for the iconic declaration of "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit," demonstrating that divine accomplishment flows from revelation and empowered obedience rather than human strength or cleverness. It serves as a reminder that prophets were not always passive recipients but often active participants in the process of revelation, demonstrating a heart desirous of knowing God's will.