Zechariah 8:10 kjv
For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.
Zechariah 8:10 nkjv
For before these days There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.
Zechariah 8:10 niv
Before that time there were no wages for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor.
Zechariah 8:10 esv
For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor.
Zechariah 8:10 nlt
Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other.
Zechariah 8 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Zech 8:11-12 | But now I will not treat the remnant of these people as I did before. ... They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. | Zechariah 8:11-12 (Fulfillment of promise) |
| Isa 65:21-22 | They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. | Isaiah 65:21-22 (Prophecy of future blessings) |
| Jer 31:27-28 | "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will plant Israel and Judah with the seed of men and beasts." | Jeremiah 31:27-28 (Promise of future restoration and rebuilding) |
| Lev 26:3-5 | “If you keep my statutes and obey my commandments and perform them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit." | Leviticus 26:3-5 (Covenant blessings for obedience) |
| Deut 28:3-14 | "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. ... The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you." | Deuteronomy 28:3-14 (Blessings for obedience) |
| Joel 2:21-22 | Do not fear, O soil; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things! Do not fear, O animals of the field, for the meadows of the wilderness are becoming green. | Joel 2:21-22 (Prophecy of blessing after judgment) |
| Ezek 36:29-30 | "I will provide for the gathering of your crops ... and no longer will you suffer the shame of your hunger or bear the reproach of the nations." | Ezekiel 36:29-30 (Promise of abundance and restoration of dignity) |
| Ps 85:12 | The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. | Psalm 85:12 (Psalm of praise for God's goodness and provision) |
| Hos 2:21-22 | "In that day I will respond," declares the LORD. "I will respond to the heavens, and they in turn will respond to the earth, and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, and these will respond to Jezreel." | Hosea 2:21-22 (Promise of abundant harvests and God's responsiveness) |
| Micah 4:4 | But they will sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. | Micah 4:4 (Prophecy of peace and security) |
| Matt 13:23 | But the seed falling on good soil refers to those who hear the word and understand it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. | Matthew 13:23 (Parable of the Sower - the Word yielding fruit) |
| John 15:5 | “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." | John 15:5 (Jesus' teaching on bearing fruit through Him) |
| Rev 22:1-2 | Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life, with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month, and on the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations. | Revelation 22:1-2 (Vision of the Tree of Life in the New Jerusalem, bearing perpetual fruit) |
| Zech 3:10 | “‘On that day, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your own vine and fig tree,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” | Zechariah 3:10 (Previous promise of similar peace and security) |
| Isa 30:23-25 | He will also send rain on the grain you sow, and on the produce of your land—grain that yields plenty, supported by rich pastures. ... On every lofty mountain and on every high hill rivers of water will flow on that day of slaughter when the towers fall. | Isaiah 30:23-25 (Promise of abundant rain and blessings on fertile land) |
| Ezek 34:26-27 | I will bless them and the areas around my hill. I will send down showers in season, and it will be a year of blessings. The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. | Ezekiel 34:26-27 (Promise of blessings on flocks and land) |
| Jer 23:3-6 | “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the countries into which I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase greatly. I will place shepherds who will care for them, and they will no longer be afraid or discouraged, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD. “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up a righteous Branch for David..." | Jeremiah 23:3-6 (Prophecy of gathering, prosperity, and the reign of a righteous king) |
| Ps 72:15-16 | Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long. May grain be plentiful throughout the land, even on the tops of the mountains. May its fruit be like Lebanon's; may the city flourish like the grass of the field. | Psalm 72:15-16 (Prayer for a king, including a blessing of agricultural abundance) |
| Amos 9:13-15 | "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the reaper will overtake the plowman, and the treader of grapes the one who sows seed. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. I will bring my people Israel back from exile. They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; they will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their produce. I will plant them securely in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God. | Amos 9:13-15 (Prophecy of abundant harvest and secure dwelling) |
| Hag 2:19 | Is the seed yet to sprout? So far the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate tree and the olive tree have not produced their fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you." | Haggai 2:19 (Haggai's promise of blessing following obedience in rebuilding the temple) |
Zechariah 8 verses
Zechariah 8 10 Meaning
This verse describes a time of great peace and prosperity following God's restoration. It foretells a period where the land yields abundant harvests and there is no longer any cause for worry or fear of past calamities, signifying a complete reversal of fortunes for God's people. The absence of "forefathers" from the usual formula points to a new beginning, emphasizing God's direct action in blessing them in the present.
Zechariah 8 10 Context
Zechariah chapter 8 focuses on the joyous future restoration of Jerusalem and its people after their exile. The prophet Zechariah, alongside Haggai, was instrumental in encouraging the post-exilic Jewish community to rebuild the Second Temple. This chapter describes the rebuilding as a prelude to a new era of God's favor and blessing. Verse 10 specifically highlights the economic and social prosperity that will characterize this restored community, emphasizing peace, abundance, and security. The overall message is one of hope, assuring the people that God's promises of restoration are indeed being fulfilled.
Zechariah 8 10 Word analysis
- וְהָיָה (vəhâyâ): "And it shall be." A common conjunctive and temporal particle, introducing a future state or event.
- קְצִיר (qəṣîr): "Harvest" or "reaping." Refers to the gathering of crops, symbolizing provision and sustenance.
- כְּגִבְעָתַיִם (kəğibʿāṯayim): "Like hills." A simile indicating abundance. The yield will be so great that it piles up like hills. This signifies immense fertility and productivity.
- וּמַעֲשֵׂה (ūmaʿăśēh): "And the yield/produce/fruit of." Refers to the outcome or product of labor, particularly in agriculture.
- שָׂדֶה (śāḏeh): "Field." Denotes cultivated land.
- שַׂדַּי (śaddâî): "Shaddai," which can mean "most mighty" or "Almighty." In this context, it's often interpreted as part of a word-play with śāḏeh (field), implying the abundance that comes from the Mighty God's blessing on the fields. The abundance is linked directly to God's power.
- וּפְרִי (ūp̄ərî): "And the fruit of." Pertains to the natural product of trees and plants.
- הַשָּׂדֶה (haśśāḏeh): "The field." Referring again to the cultivated land.
- עֵץ (ʿēṣ): "Tree." Signifying fruit-bearing trees.
- יִצְמָח (yiṣmāḥ): "Will sprout" or "will grow." Denotes healthy growth and the development of produce. This suggests a flourishing land.
- שָׁלוֹם (šālôm): "Peace." Encompasses not only absence of conflict but also completeness, welfare, prosperity, and well-being.
- וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה (wəlō'-yihyeh): "And there shall not be." A strong negation introducing the absence of something undesirable.
- מוֹרָא (mōrâ): "Terror," "fear," or "dread." Indicates a state of being unsettled or anxious.
- אוֹיֵב (ʔōyēḇ): "Enemy." Someone hostile. The absence of enemies signifies complete security.
- אֹיְבֶיךָ (ʔōyəḇeḵā): "Your enemies." Specifically refers to the enemies of God's people.
Word group analysis
- "וְהָיָה קְצִיר כְּגִבְעָתַיִם": "And the harvest will be like hills." This imagery paints a picture of exceptionally abundant crops, piled high, far exceeding normal expectations. It's a promise of surpassing provision.
- "וּמַעֲשֵׂה שָׂדֶה שַׂדַּי": "And the produce of the field Shaddai." This phrase links the abundance directly to God's mighty power actively blessing the land. It's not just a natural yield, but a divinely superintended one.
- "וּפְרִי הַשָּׂדֶה עֵץ יִצְמָח": "And the fruit of the field, tree will sprout/grow." This continues the theme of widespread fertility, indicating that not only grain from the fields but also fruit from the trees will flourish abundantly and readily.
- "וְשָׁלוֹם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה מוֹרָא אֹיְבֶיךָ": "Peace and there shall not be terror of your enemies." This establishes the state of ultimate security. It means a complete cessation of all forms of fear stemming from external threats and internal anxieties.
Zechariah 8 10 Bonus section
The promise in Zechariah 8:10 can be understood in both a literal and a spiritual sense. Literally, it describes agricultural abundance and national security for post-exilic Israel. Spiritually, many see this as a foreshadowing of the spiritual fruitfulness and peace experienced by believers in Christ, especially in the New Covenant era. The "fields" can represent the receptive hearts of people, and the "harvest" the souls saved. The ultimate fulfillment of such comprehensive peace and prosperity is found in the eternal kingdom, where there will be no more enemies, no more fear, and perpetual fruitfulness. The inclusion of "Shaddai" (Almighty) emphasizes that this future blessing is a testament to God's sovereign power to overcome all adversities and restore His people to a state of complete well-being.
Zechariah 8 10 Commentary
Zechariah 8:10 paints a picture of a flourishing future for Jerusalem and its inhabitants. It promises agricultural abundance beyond measure, where harvests will be so plentiful they appear like hills. This is not merely good farming but a divine blessing from the "Almighty" (Shaddai), who actively ensures the fertility of the land and the fruitfulness of the trees. Furthermore, this prosperity is coupled with profound peace and security. The absence of "terror of your enemies" signifies a complete end to threat and oppression. This promise is holistic, covering physical sustenance, national security, and deep-rooted tranquility, all stemming from God's favor.
- Practical Example 1: Imagine a farmer who has faced drought and pestilence, seeing his fields yield little. This promise assures him that in the time of God's blessing, his fields will overflow, symbolizing God's power to turn scarcity into abundance through His faithfulness.
- Practical Example 2: A community living under constant threat of attack experiences a time where walls are strong, borders are secure, and people can go about their lives without fear. This is the essence of "no terror of your enemies."