American Standard Version
Zechariah 7:12
12Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which Jehovah of hosts had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets: therefore there came great wrath from Jehovah of hosts.
Zechariah 7:12 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (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.
- English Standard Version (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.
- New King James Version (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.
Context of Zechariah 7:12
10and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart. 11But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which Jehovah of hosts had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets: therefore there came great wrath from Jehovah of hosts. 13And it is come to pass that, as he cried, and they would not hear, so they shall cry, and I will not hear, said Jehovah of hosts; 14but I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.
Read all of Zechariah 7Zechariah 7:12 word by word
וְלִבָּ֞ם שָׂ֣מוּ שָׁמִ֗יר מִ֠שְּׁמוֹעַ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָ֤ה וְאֶת־הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁלַ֜ח יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ בְּרוּח֔וֹ בְּיַ֖ד הַנְּבִיאִ֣ים הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֑ים וַֽיְהִי֙ קֶ֣צֶף גָּד֔וֹל מֵאֵ֖ת יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
- madeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- heartsלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
- wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- Spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
- formerרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · first: previousH7223
- prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- wrathקֶ֫צֶףqetseph · wrathH7110
Cross-references for Zechariah 7:12
- Nehemiah 9:29and testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law. Yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thine ordinances (which if a man do, he shall live in them), and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
- Job 9:4He iswise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?—
- Isaiah 48:4Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
- Jeremiah 5:3O Jehovah, do not thine eyes look upon truth? thou hast stricken them, but they were not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
- Ezekiel 2:4And the children are impudent and stiffhearted: I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah.
- Ezekiel 3:7But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are of a hard forehead and of a stiff heart.
- Ezekiel 11:19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;
- Ezekiel 36:26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
- Psalms 50:17Seeing that thou hatest instruction, And castest my words behind thee?
- Isaiah 6:10Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.
- Matthew 13:15For this people’s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them.
- Mark 4:12that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.
- Luke 8:12And those by the way side are they that have heard; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.
- John 3:19And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
- John 3:20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be reproved.
- Acts 28:27For this people’s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them.
Commentaries on Zechariah 7:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Made their hearts as an adamant stone - שמיר shamir may mean the granite. This is the hardest stone with which the common people could be acquainted. Perhaps the corundum, of which emery is a species, may be intended. Bochart thinks it means a stone used in polishing others. The same name, in Hebrew, applies to different stones.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Harder than adamant - The stone, whatever it be, was hard enough to cut ineffaceable characters: it was harder than flint. It would cut rocks; it could not be graven itself, or receive the characters of God. This is the last sin, obduracy, persevering impenitence, which “resisted the Holy Spirit” Acts 7:51. and “did despite to the Spirit of grace” Hebrews 10:29. Not through infirmity, but of set purpose, they hardened themselves, lest “they should…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. 12To make your heart like flint is to resist God's will (see Jeremiah 17:1; compare Ezekiel 3:9). The law (torah in Hebrew) refers to God's laws and commands as taught and explained by the prophets.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. hearts ... adamant--(Eze 3:9; 11:19). Lord ... sent in Spirit by ... prophets--that is, sent by the former prophets inspired with His Spirit. therefore ... great wrath--(2Ch 36:16). As they pushed from them the yoke of obedience, God laid on them the yoke of oppression. As they made their heart hard as adamant, God brake their hard hearts with judgments. Hard hearts must expect hard treatment. The harder the stone, the harder the blow of the hammer to…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 7:12
In the dictionaries
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries