Zechariah 7 12

Zechariah 7:12 kjv

Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

Zechariah 7:12 nkjv

Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.

Zechariah 7:12 niv

They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry.

Zechariah 7:12 esv

They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts.

Zechariah 7:12 nlt

They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the LORD of Heaven's Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the LORD of Heaven's Armies was so angry with them.

Zechariah 7 verses

Zechariah 7 12 Meaning

This verse succinctly explains that the people of Israel intentionally made their hearts extremely stubborn and impenetrable, like an adamant stone (a diamond or hard flint), specifically to avoid hearing and obeying God's Law and the messages that the LORD of hosts sent through His Spirit by means of the former prophets. Consequently, because of this willful disobedience and hardened stance against divine revelation, a severe and powerful wrath emanated from the sovereign LORD of hosts. It highlights the devastating outcome of sustained rebellion against God's communicated will.

Zechariah 7 12 Context

Zechariah chapter 7 opens with a delegation from Bethel, sent by the returning exiles, to ask the priests and prophets in Jerusalem if they should continue the customary fasts that commemorated the destruction of the temple and the events leading to the Babylonian exile. The LORD's response through Zechariah critiques their past and present attitudes. Instead of mere ritualistic fasting, God calls them to genuine righteousness, justice, mercy, and compassion (Zec 7:9-10). The current verse (7:12) directly explains why the exile happened: not because God failed to warn them, but because their ancestors deliberately closed their hearts to His word spoken through a long line of prophets. This deliberate disobedience led to divine wrath and ultimately, the catastrophe of exile, a severe lesson Zechariah's contemporaries were being exhorted to learn from, lest they repeat the same failures.

Zechariah 7 12 Word analysis

• Yea, they made (וַיִּשְׂמ֥וּ - va'yismu): The introductory particle waw with the imperfect, implies a strong emphatic or continuous action. Sim (שִׂים) means to place, set, make, appoint. Here, it conveys intentionality and active will on their part – they weren't just passively hard-hearted but deliberately made their hearts so.
• their hearts (לִבָּ֛ם - libbam): The Hebrew word lev (לב) or levav (לבב) refers to the totality of the inner being – the seat of intellect, will, emotion, and conscience. Thus, their very essence and will were involved in this act of hardening.
• as an adamant stone (כְּשָׁמִ֣יר - k'shamir): The prefix ke- (כְּ) means "as" or "like." Shamir (שָׁמִיר) is a crucial term. It denotes a very hard, impenetrable stone, usually translated as diamond, flint, or beryl, often used for cutting other hard materials (Jer 17:1). Its significance lies in its absolute hardness, symbolizing unyielding, stubborn, and unbreakable resistance to influence, especially divine truth. It's a vivid metaphor for utter inflexibility.
• lest they should hear (מִשְּׁמ֗וֹעַ - mishmo'a): Mi- (מִ) is "from" or "so as not to," indicating purpose. Shama (שָׁמַע) is one of the most significant verbs in the Hebrew Bible. It means not merely to hear with the ears but to listen attentively, to understand, and crucially, to obey or respond. Therefore, they deliberately hardened their hearts in order not to obey.
• the law (תּוֹרָה - Torah): Refers to divine instruction, teaching, particularly God's revealed will given through Moses. It encompasses both legal statutes and general divine guidance.
• and the words (וְאֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֛ים - ve'et-ha'dvarim): Emphasizes specific messages and prophecies, often divine pronouncements, which reinforced or elaborated upon the Torah.
• which the LORD of hosts hath sent (אֲשֶׁר֩ שָׁלַ֨ח יְהוָ֜ה צְבָא֨וֹת - asher shalach YHWH Tzeva'ot): "LORD of hosts" (YHWH Sabaoth) underscores God's absolute sovereignty, power, and military might over all creation. The use of this divine title stresses the immense authority and omnipotence of the One whose words they rejected. Shalach (שָׁלַח) means to send, indicating God's active, intentional, and authoritative delivery of His message.
• in his spirit (בְּרוּח֜וֹ - b'rucho): Be- (בְּ) means "in" or "by means of." Ruach (רוּחַ) here signifies the Holy Spirit, highlighting the divine inspiration behind the prophets' messages. This makes the rejection even more grievous, as it was a resistance not merely to human words but to the Spirit of God.
• by the former prophets (בְּיַ֣ד הַנְּבִאִים֮ הָרִאשֹׁנִים - b'yad ha'nvi'im ha'rishonim): "By the hand of" indicates instrumentality. "Former prophets" typically refers to the pre-exilic prophets who repeatedly warned Israel and Judah about their covenant violations (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Micah).
• therefore came (וַיְהִי֩ - va'yehi): Introduces the direct consequence.
• a great wrath (קֶ֤צֶף גָּד֙וֹל֙ - ketsef gadol): Ketsef (קֶצֶף) denotes intense anger, indignation, and fury, particularly God's divine judgment. Gadol (גָּד֣וֹל) means "great," emphasizing the severity and magnitude of the judgment.
• from the LORD of hosts (מֵאֵ֖ת יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת - me'et YHWH Tzeva'ot): Reinforces the divine origin and authoritative source of the wrath, directly connecting the punishment to the very One whose warnings were despised.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone": This phrase highlights deliberate, intentional, and self-willed stubbornness. It signifies an active defiance, a chosen posture of resistance, rather than a passive lack of understanding. It describes a heart that is impervious to conviction and unwilling to yield, akin to something that cannot be broken or penetrated by ordinary means.
• "lest they should hear the law, and the words...in his spirit by the former prophets": This grouping clearly outlines the target of their resistance. They actively rejected not just specific commandments but the entire body of divine instruction (the Law) and the contemporary, Spirit-inspired messages conveyed through God's designated spokespersons (the former prophets). This demonstrates a comprehensive refusal to submit to God's revealed will, delivered through established channels and divine empowerment.
• "therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts": This concluding statement underscores the undeniable causal link between their defiant, hardened hearts and God's inevitable, severe judgment. It stresses the direct connection between their active rejection of His authoritative word (sent by the "LORD of hosts" in "His spirit") and His holy indignation as the just, sovereign ruler.

Zechariah 7 12 Bonus section

The concept of "hardness of heart" is a recurring theme throughout biblical history, especially in times leading up to judgment. Pharaoh's hardened heart (Exo 7-14), Israel's wilderness generation testing God (Psa 95, Heb 3-4), and the rejection of Jesus in the Gospels (Matt 13:15) all echo the deliberate refusal to yield to divine authority. The repetition of "LORD of hosts" both as the sender of the message and the source of the wrath highlights the unchanging nature of God's character: He is the sovereign who extends grace through His word, and the righteous judge who punishes disobedience. The verse also implicitly contrasts the "adamant heart" with the promise of a "heart of flesh" (Ezek 36:26), illustrating the transformation that only God's Spirit can accomplish.

Zechariah 7 12 Commentary

Zechariah 7:12 powerfully reveals the core sin that led to Judah's exile: a willful, persistent hardening of the heart against God's repeated revelation. The image of the "adamant stone" conveys a deliberate choice to be impermeable to divine truth, despite God's clear communication through His "Spirit by the former prophets." This was not ignorance but a chosen, stubborn refusal to listen and obey the Law and prophetic words of the almighty "LORD of hosts." The consequence of such rebellion is presented as an inescapable and "great wrath" directly from the same sovereign God. The verse underscores that God’s judgment is never arbitrary, but a righteous response to deliberate and sustained defiance against His grace and clear instruction. It emphasizes that true faith is not marked by ritualistic practice (like their questions about fasting) but by a receptive heart that hears and obeys God’s revealed will.

Examples for practical usage:

• A believer persistently refusing counsel from God's word or spiritual leaders on an area of sin, akin to making their heart "adamant."
• A church that prioritizes tradition or personal comfort over clear biblical teachings, displaying a hardness to divine truth.
• Individuals ignoring clear warnings from sermons or biblical studies about detrimental paths, resulting in adverse consequences in their lives.