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. Many years ago the prophets gave them a message from me. The message was, “Stop doing those evil and wicked things.” But they did not listen to me. They did not think that my message was important. 5That was a long time ago. Your ancestors have been dead for a long time. So have the prophets. I told my prophets to speak my message and my commands. I punished your ancestors, as I warned them I would do. Then they turned back to me. They said, “The Lord Almighty has punished us for our sins, as he said he would do.” ’ 7On the 24th day of Shebat, the 11th month of the year, the Lord spoke to Zechariah the prophet. This was when Darius had been king for two years. 8During the night I, Zechariah, had a dream from the Lord. I saw a man on a red horse. The horse was standing among some trees called myrtle trees, in the valley. And behind him were red, 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‘Listen! All of you who are thirsty, come here for water to drink! You may have no money, but come here and buy food to eat! Come and buy wine and milk! You do not need to pay any money. It is free!
• Numbers 23:19God is not human. He does not tell lies. He does not change his thoughts. If he promises to do something, it happens.
• Numbers 32:23But if you do not do what you have promised, that will be a sin against the Lord. And be sure that God will punish you for your sin.
• 2 Chronicles 36:17Then the Lord sent the king of Babylon to attack them. His soldiers killed Jerusalem's young men in the temple, where they thought that they would be safe. They were not kind to anybody, the young men or women, or even the very old people. God put all the people of Jerusalem under the king of Babylon's power.
• Isaiah 44:26But I do the things that my servants say will happen. I show that my prophets' messages are true. I say about Jerusalem, “People will live there again.” I say about the towns in Judah, “I will cause people to build them again, so that they are no longer heaps of stones.”
• Jeremiah 26:15But you should know this: If you punish me with death, you will bring great trouble on yourselves, this city, and everyone who lives here. You will be guilty of murder, because I have not done anything wrong. The Lord has sent me to speak all these words for you to hear. That is the truth!’
• Jeremiah 44:28But a few of them will escape death and return to Judah from Egypt. They will be very few people. Then all the people of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know who speaks the truth. Do I speak the truth, or do they speak the truth? I do!”
• Ezekiel 12:25But I, the Lord, will speak. Whatever I say will certainly happen. It will happen very soon. Understand this, you people who refuse to obey me. I will do this while you are still alive. I will do all the things that I have said. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’
• Daniel 9:11All the people of Israel have turned away from your laws. We have refused to obey you. Your servant Moses gave us your laws. He warned us about your punishments. Now you have punished us in the way that he said. We have turned away from you.
• Matthew 24:35One day, the earth and the sky will have an end. But my words will be there for ever.’
• Deuteronomy 28:15But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God, all these curses will happen to you. So be careful to obey all his commands and rules that I am giving you today. If you do not obey the Lord, these curses will happen to you:
• Jeremiah 12:16But they must learn to live in the way that my people live. At one time they taught my people to use Baal's name when they made promises. But now they must give honour to me as the true God. When they make a promise, they must say, “I promise to do this, as surely as the Lord lives.” If they do these things, they will belong among my people.
• Amos 9:10Those among my people who do bad things will die. They say, “God will not send trouble to us. Nothing bad will happen to us.” But their enemies will kill those bad people in war.’
• 1 Thessalonians 5:4But you, our Christian friends, know about these things. You are not like people who live in the dark. So when the great day of the Lord happens, it should not suddenly surprise you, like a robber might surprise you.
• Job 6:29Change what you are saying about me. Do not say that I am guilty. Think again, for I am truly a good person.
• Malachi 3:18Because of that, you will see again that I am kind to good people, but I punish wicked people. I show the difference between people who serve me well and those who do not.’

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