Zechariah 1:6

Zechariah 1:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
• New International Version (NIV)But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors? “Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, 'As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Yet surely My words and My statutes, Which I commanded My servants the prophets, Did they not overtake your fathers? “So they returned and said: ‘Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us, According to our ways and according to our deeds, So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”

Context of Zechariah 1:6

4Do not be like your ancestors; the earlier prophets proclaimed to them: This is what the Lord of Armies says: Turn from your evil ways and your evil deeds. But they did not listen or pay attention to me — this is the Lord’s declaration. 5Where are your ancestors now? And do the prophets live forever? But didn’t my words and my statutes that I commanded my servants the prophets overtake your ancestors? ’” So the people repented and said, “As the Lord of Armies decided to deal with us for our ways and our deeds, so he has dealt with us.” 7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo: 8I looked out in the night and saw a man riding on a chestnut horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the valley. Behind him were chestnut, brown, and white horses.

Zechariah 1:6 word by word

אַ֣ךְ׀ דְּבָרַ֣י וְחֻקַּ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר צִוִּ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־עֲבָדַ֣י הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים הֲל֥וֹא הִשִּׂ֖יגוּ אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וַיָּשׁ֣וּבוּ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר זָמַ֜ם יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת לָ֔נוּ כִּדְרָכֵ֙ינוּ֙ וּכְמַ֣עֲלָלֵ֔ינוּ כֵּ֖ן עָשָׂ֥ה אִתָּֽנוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But my wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• and my statutesחֹקchôq · statute: decreeH2706
• which I commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• my servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• the prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• did they not take holdנָשַׂגnâώag · to overtakeH5381
• of your fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• and they returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: repentH7725
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Like as the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
• thoughtזָמַםzâmam · to planH2161
• to doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• unto us, according to our waysדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• and according to our doingsמַעֲלָלma‛ălâl · deedH4611

Cross-references for Zechariah 1:6

• Isaiah 55:1“Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the water; and you without silver, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without silver and without cost!
• Numbers 23:19God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?
• Numbers 32:23But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you.
• 2 Chronicles 36:17So he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their fit young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no pity on young men or young women, elderly or aged; he handed them all over to him.
• Isaiah 44:26who confirms the message of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers; who says to Jerusalem, “She will be inhabited,” and to the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt,” and I will restore her ruins;
• Jeremiah 26:15But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its residents, for it is certain the Lord has sent me to speak all these things directly to you.”
• Jeremiah 44:28Those who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah only few in number, and the whole remnant of Judah, the ones going to the land of Egypt to stay there for a while, will know whose word stands, mine or theirs!
• Ezekiel 12:25But I, the Lord, will speak whatever message I will speak, and it will be done. It will no longer be delayed. For in your days, rebellious house, I will speak a message and bring it to pass. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’”
• Daniel 9:11All Israel has broken your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. The promised curse written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, has been poured out on us because we have sinned against him.
• Matthew 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
• Deuteronomy 28:15“But if you do not obey the Lord your God by carefully following all his commands and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overtake you:
• Jeremiah 12:16If they will diligently learn the ways of my people — to swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ just as they taught my people to swear by Baal — they will be built up among my people.
• Amos 9:10All the sinners among my people who say, “Disaster will never overtake or confront us,” will die by the sword.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:4But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, for this day to surprise you like a thief.
• Job 6:29Reconsider; don’t be unjust. Reconsider; my righteousness is still the issue.
• Malachi 3:18So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Commentaries on Zechariah 1:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Did they not take hold of your fathers? - Every thing happened according to the predictions, and they were obliged to acknowledge this; and yet they would not turn from their evil way.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Only My words and My decrees - Which God spake by them, “did not they overtake them?” (as Psalm 2:7; Zephaniah 2:2). Pagan reminiscence of God‘s justice acknowledged, “Rarely hath punishment with limping tread parted with the forerunning miscreant.” “All these curses,” Moses foretells, “shall come upon thee and overtake thee, until thou art destroyed” Deuteronomy 28:45. And they returned to God and said - The history of the Jews in Babylon is omitted in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6did not My words … overtake your fathers?: The covenant curses described in Deuteronomy 28:15–68 had come upon their ancestors because they refused to obey God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. statutes--My determined purposes to punish for sin. which I commanded my servants--namely, to announce to your fathers. did they not take hold--that is, overtake, as a foe overtakes one fleeing. they returned--Turning from their former self-satisfaction, they recognized their punishment as that which God's prophets had foretold. thought to do--that is, decreed to do. Compare with this verse La 2:17. our ways--evil ways (Jr 4:18; 17:10; 23:2).Read the comment

Topics related to Zechariah 1:6

• Judgment
• Punishment

In the dictionaries

• Lord of Hosts
• Angel
• Bible, the
• Foreknow; Foreknowledge
• Israel, History of
• Joshua (3)
• Prophecy; Prophets
• Zechariah, Book of

Commentaries on Zechariah 1

• 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