Zechariah 8 7

Zechariah 8:7 kjv

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;

Zechariah 8:7 nkjv

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west;

Zechariah 8:7 niv

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.

Zechariah 8:7 esv

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country,

Zechariah 8:7 nlt

"This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue my people from the east and from the west.

Zechariah 8 verses

Zechariah 8 7 Meaning

This verse declares the LORD of hosts' solemn promise to personally deliver and gather His covenant people from the various lands where they have been scattered. Specifically mentioning "east and west" signifies a comprehensive, complete, and global ingathering, demonstrating God's sovereign power and faithfulness to His word to restore Israel from exile.

Zechariah 8 7 Context

Zechariah 8 is a pivotal chapter within a series of divine responses (Chapters 7-8) to the people's inquiry about continuing their post-exilic fasts. After decades in Babylon and some having returned to a devastated Jerusalem, the community faced hardship and doubted God's favor. Chapter 7 addressed their past disobedience, but Chapter 8 shifts entirely to future hope, prosperity, and joy for Jerusalem. This verse, Zechariah 8:7, comes amidst a section detailing how God will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, blessing it with a flourishing population and peace. It underscores God's unfailing commitment to His covenant with Israel, assuring them of a comprehensive gathering from their exiles as a cornerstone of the promised restoration and the fulfillment of past prophetic declarations.

Zechariah 8 7 Word analysis

• Thus says (כֹּה אָמַר - koh amar): This phrase serves as a definitive prophetic formula, establishing the absolute authority and unchallengeable certainty of the words that follow. It signifies that the message originates directly from the divine will.
• the LORD (יְהוָה - Yahweh): This is the covenant name of God, revealing His personal relationship and faithfulness to His people. It emphasizes His enduring commitment to His promises despite their failings.
• of hosts (צְבָאוֹת - Ts'va'ot): Meaning "armies" or "hosts," this title signifies God's supreme power, sovereignty, and might over all creation, heavenly bodies, and earthly affairs. It assures the impossibility of failure in His plans, particularly His ability to gather His dispersed people.
• Behold, I (הִנְנִי - hinnĕnî): This emphatic particle combined with the first-person singular suffix, translates to "Here I am!" or "Indeed, I Myself." It denotes God's personal, direct, and immediate involvement and commitment to the action described, highlighting His deep resolve.
• will save (מוֹשִׁיעַ - moshia'): A Hiphil participle of the verb yasha' (to save, deliver). The participle form here emphasizes God's active role as the deliverer and portrays the salvation as a present, ongoing, or imminent act driven by His constant nature. It's not a mere possibility but a guaranteed action by a willing savior.
• My people (אֶת־עַמִּי - et-ammi): This reaffirms the enduring covenant relationship between God and Israel. Despite their disobedience and exile, they remain His treasured possession, a declaration of His unwavering love and faithfulness to His election.
• from the land of the east (מֵאֶרֶץ מִזְרָח - me'eretz mizrach): Refers to lands east of Israel, predominantly associated with the Babylonian and Assyrian exiles. It specifies the vast geographical scope of their dispersion.
• and from the land of the west (וּמֵאֶרֶץ מַעֲרָב - ume'eretz ma'arav): Refers to lands west of Israel, like Egypt and later the Mediterranean regions of the diaspora. Together with "east," it signifies a universal and complete ingathering from all directions, leaving no dispersed member behind. It polemically counters any notion that God is limited in bringing back His people from any distance or circumstance.

• Words-group: "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save My people": This potent phrase serves as an authoritative divine pronouncement. It merges God's unchallengeable power as the "LORD of hosts" with His personal and emphatic pledge ("Behold, I") to directly intervene and rescue ("will save") His special covenant group ("My people"). It promises a divine act of salvation guaranteed by the very nature and authority of God Himself.
• Words-group: "from the land of the east and from the land of the west": This geographical pairing is a merism, a literary device representing the totality of directions. It emphasizes that no matter how widely dispersed or how far away His people are scattered across the earth, God's reach extends to every corner to bring them back. It promises a comprehensive and complete reversal of their exile, ensuring no one is forgotten or left behind.

Zechariah 8 7 Bonus section

This verse carries a significant eschatological dimension. While it had a partial fulfillment in the returns from Babylonian exile, the scope implied by "east and west" suggests a future, complete gathering of Israel that extends beyond those historical events, anticipating a worldwide ingathering of God's people prior to or concurrent with ultimate Messianic kingdom establishment. This ingathering is not just physical; it implies a spiritual restoration where the scattered, a "remnant," will once again turn fully to God, experience covenant renewal, and dwell securely in His presence. It signifies the undoing of the curse of dispersion (e.g., Deut 28:64-65) and the restoration of a people made ready for God's presence, serving as a beacon to other nations, as foretold later in Zechariah 8:20-23.

Zechariah 8 7 Commentary

Zechariah 8:7 powerfully conveys God's unwavering commitment to His covenant with Israel. This divine pronouncement, introduced by the authoritative "Thus says the LORD of hosts," emphasizes that the forthcoming act is not a mere possibility but a certain, divinely decreed event. The emphatic "Behold, I will save My people" highlights God's personal and active role as the deliverer, ensuring their redemption. The specificity of "from the land of the east and from the land of the west" symbolizes a comprehensive and global regathering, signifying that God will reclaim His dispersed people from every point of their scattering. This promise provides immense hope and comfort, affirming that even after widespread judgment and exile, God's faithfulness endures, culminating in a future, complete restoration that transcends the immediate post-exilic returns and points to an ultimate eschatological fulfillment. It underscores God's sovereign power to accomplish His redemptive purposes regardless of any human obstacle.