Zechariah 7:9

Zechariah 7:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
• New International Version (NIV)“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.

Context of Zechariah 7:9

7Should you not hear the words which the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with her cities around her, and the South (the Negev) and the foothills were inhabited?’ ” 8Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus has the Lord of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion, to each other; 10and do not oppress or exploit the widow or the fatherless, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise or even imagine evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11But they refused to listen and pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder [stiffening themselves in resistance] and stopped up their ears.

Zechariah 7:9 word by word

כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר מִשְׁפַּ֤ט אֱמֶת֙ שְׁפֹ֔טוּ וְחֶ֣סֶד וְרַֽחֲמִ֔ים עֲשׂ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־אָחִֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thus speakethאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
• Executeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• trueאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: trueH571
• judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• and shewעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• mercyחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
• and compassionsרַחֲמִיםracham · compassionH7356
• every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• to his brotherאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251

Cross-references for Zechariah 7:9

• Zechariah 7:7Should you not hear the words which the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with her cities around her, and the South (the Negev) and the foothills were inhabited?’ ”
• Zechariah 8:16These are the things which you should do: speak the truth with one another; judge with truth and pronounce the judgment that brings peace in [the courts at] your gates.
• Leviticus 19:15‘You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor show a preference for the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
• Deuteronomy 10:18He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger (resident alien, foreigner) by giving him food and clothing.
• Deuteronomy 15:7“If there is a poor man among you, one of your fellow Israelites, in any of your cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not be heartless, nor close-fisted with your poor brother;
• Deuteronomy 16:18“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your cities (gates) which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
• Psalms 82:2How long will you judge unjustly And show partiality to the wicked? Selah.
• Proverbs 21:3To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice [for wrongs repeatedly committed].
• Isaiah 58:6[Rather] is this not the fast which I choose, To undo the bonds of wickedness, To tear to pieces the ropes of the yoke, To let the oppressed go free And break apart every [enslaving] yoke?
• Jeremiah 7:5For if you thoroughly change your ways and your behavior, if you thoroughly and honestly practice justice between a man and his neighbor,
• Ezekiel 45:9‘Thus says the Lord God, “Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and destruction, and practice justice and righteousness. Stop your forceful seizure of property from My people,” says the Lord God.
• Hosea 10:12Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate]; Reap in accordance with mercy and lovingkindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, For it is time to seek and search diligently for the Lord [and to long for His blessing] Until He comes to rain righteousness and His gift of salvation on you.
• Amos 5:24But let justice run down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream [flowing abundantly].
• Micah 6:8He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?
• Matthew 23:23“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others.
• Luke 11:42“But woe (judgment is coming) to you Pharisees, because you [self-righteously] tithe mint and rue and every [little] garden herb [tending to all the minutiae], and yet disregard and neglect justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done, without neglecting the others.

Commentaries on Zechariah 7:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Execute true judgment - See Isaiah 58:6, Isaiah 58:7; Jeremiah Jeremiah 7:23; Micah 6:8, chap. 8.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Thus spake the Lord - that is, through the former prophets, for he goes on to speak of their rejection in the past. “Execute true judgment.” He retains the words of Ezekiel. The injunction itself runs throughout the prophets. “Shew mercy” (as Isaiah 1:17, Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 58:6-7; Jeremiah 7:5; Ezekiel 18:8; Hosea 12:6, etc.), that is, tender love, to all; compassion, to the unhappy. Omit no act of love, God so loves the loving. Lap.: “Like Paul to the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-14Verses 8-14 God's judgements upon Israel of old for their sins, were written to warn Christians. The duties required are, not keeping fasts and offering sacrifices, but doing justly and loving mercy, which tend to the public welfare and peace. The law of God lays restraint upon the heart. But they filled their minds with prejudices against the word of God. Nothing is harder than the heart of a presumptuous sinner. See the fatal consequences of this to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-14Representatives from Bethel asked Zechariah a practical question (Zechariah 7:2–3). Although he answered it later (Zechariah 8:18–19), he first asked rhetorical questions about the people's selfish motives (7:5–6). Zechariah then explained God's expectations for Israel (Zechariah 7:8–10; see Jeremiah 22:3) and described what happened to those who disobeyed before (Zechariah 7:11–14).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. speaketh--implying that these precepts addressed to their ancestors were the requirements of Jehovah not merely then, but now. We must not only not hurt, but we must help our fellow men. God is pleased with such loving obedience, rather than with empty ceremonies.Read the comment

Topics related to Zechariah 7:9

• Commandments
• Impenitence
• Integrity
• Kindness
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Lord of Hosts
• Bible, the
• Lovingkindness
• Zechariah, Book of

Commentaries on Zechariah 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings