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

7These are the words that I, the Lord, spoke by my prophets in past years. At that time, the people in Jerusalem lived without trouble. Many rich people lived in Jerusalem. People in the Negev region in the south and in the low hills in the west also lived safely.” ’ 8The Lord spoke again to Zechariah. He said, ‘The Lord Almighty has said, “Be sure that you are fair to all people. Be kind to each other. 10Do not cheat widows or children who have no family. Do not cheat foreigners or poor people. Do not think secretly of ways to hurt each other.” 11But the people would not listen and they turned away. They put their hands over their ears, because they did not want to hear.

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 7:7These are the words that I, the Lord, spoke by my prophets in past years. At that time, the people in Jerusalem lived without trouble. Many rich people lived in Jerusalem. People in the Negev region in the south and in the low hills in the west also lived safely.” ’
• Zechariah 8:16These are the things that you should do. Speak true words to each other. Leaders, be fair to all people.
• Leviticus 19:15You must be fair to other people when you judge them. You must not be more kind to a rich person than to a poor person. You must be fair to everyone.
• Deuteronomy 10:18He brings justice to widows and to children who have no family. He loves the foreign people who live among you. He gives them food to eat and clothes to wear.
• Deuteronomy 15:7The Lord your God will bless you in the land that he is giving to you. But perhaps there will be a poor person among the Israelites in one of your towns. Then do not refuse to help him. Do not think only about yourself.
• Deuteronomy 16:18Each tribe must choose judges and officers in every town that the Lord gives you. They must judge the people in a way that is fair.
• Psalms 82:2He asks them, ‘How long will you continue to judge people in a way that is not fair? How long will you say that wicked people are right? Selah.
• Proverbs 21:3If you do what is right and fair, it pleases the Lord more than sacrifices.
• Isaiah 58:6This is the way that I want you to fast: You must remove the chains from prisoners who should not be in prison. You must stop being cruel to the people who work for you. You must let people who are in pain go free. You must break the yoke of work that is too hard for weak people.
• Jeremiah 7:5You must change the way that you have been living. You must do what is right. Be fair to each other.
• Ezekiel 45:9The Almighty Lord says this: Rulers of Israel, stop cheating my people and making them suffer! You have done enough bad things! Instead, do things that are right and fair. Stop chasing my people off their land. That is what the Almighty Lord says.
• Hosea 10:12Be like a farmer who plants good seed. Plant things that are good and right. Then your harvest will be faithful love. Plough the hard ground and prepare it for the Lord to bless you. It is time for you to turn back to the Lord. Then he will bless you with good things, like rain that falls on the ground!
• Amos 5:24What I do want to see is justice! I want to see that you always do what is right. Those good things should never stop, like a river that always runs with water.
• Micah 6:8But God has told us what is good. This is what the Lord wants from us: ‘You must be fair to other people,’ God says. ‘You must want to be kind. And you must be careful to do what I show you.’
• Matthew 23:23It will be very bad for you, teachers of God's Law and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! When you grow spices to cook with food, you give a tenth part of these small things to God. You are right to obey this rule. But you do not obey the more important parts of God's Law. You do not help people in a good way. You are not kind to them. You do not always do what God says is right. You should have done these important things as well as the other small things.
• Luke 11:42It will be very bad for you Pharisees! When you grow spices to cook with food, you give a tenth part of these small things to God. You are right to obey this rule. But you do not do the most important things. You do not help people in a good way. You do not really love God. You should have done the important things as well as the other little things.

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