English Standard Version
Zechariah 1:4
4Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.' But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.
Zechariah 1:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Don’t be like your ancestors who would not listen or pay attention when the earlier prophets said to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Turn from your evil ways, and stop all your evil practices.’
Context of Zechariah 1:4
2"The Lord was very angry with your fathers. 3Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.' But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. 5Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6But 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.'"
Read all of Zechariah 1Zechariah 1:4 word by word
אַל־תִּהְי֣וּ כַאֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֡ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר קָרְאֽוּ־אֲלֵיהֶם֩ הַנְּבִיאִ֨ים הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֜ים לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת שׁ֤וּבוּ נָא֙ מִדַּרְכֵיכֶ֣ם הָרָעִ֔ים וּמַֽעֲלְלֵיכֶ֖ם הָֽרָעִ֑ים וְלֹ֥א שָׁמְע֛וּ וְלֹֽא־הִקְשִׁ֥יבוּ אֵלַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Be ye not as your fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- unto whom the formerרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · first: previousH7223
- prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- have criedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- Turnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- ye now from your evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- waysדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
- doingsמַעֲלָלma‛ălâl · deedH4611
- but they did not hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- nor hearkenקָשַׁבqâshab · to listenH7181
- unto me, saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
Cross-references for Zechariah 1:4
- 2 Chronicles 29:6For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord and turned their backs.
- 2 Chronicles 30:7Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the Lord God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see.
- 2 Chronicles 34:21"Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book."
- Ezra 9:7From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today.
- Nehemiah 9:16"But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments.
- Psalms 78:8and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.
- Psalms 106:6Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
- Ezekiel 18:14"Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise:
- 1 Peter 1:18knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
- Zechariah 7:11But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.
- 2 Chronicles 24:19Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.
- 2 Chronicles 36:15The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.
- Nehemiah 9:26"Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.
- Isaiah 30:9For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord;
- Jeremiah 6:16Thus says the Lord: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'
- Jeremiah 13:16Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness.
Commentaries on Zechariah 1:4
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Be ye not like your fathers - Strangely infectious is the precedent of ill. Tradition of good, of truth, of faith, is decried; only tradition of ill and error are adhered to. The sin of Jeroboam was held sacred by every king of Israel: “The statutes of Omri were diligently kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab” Micah 6:16. “They turned back and were treacherous like their forefathers; they turned themselves like a deceitful bow” Psalm 78:57, is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Before the exile in Babylon, earlier prophets urged Judah and Israel to repent. Zechariah shows the influence of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. your fathers … they did not listen: The people of Israel (2 Kings 17:13–14) and Judah (2 Chronicles 36:15–16) went into exile because they stubbornly ignored the word of the Lord (compare 2 Chronicles 30:7).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Be ye not as your fathers--The Jews boasted of their fathers; but he shows that their fathers were refractory, and that ancient example and long usage will not justify disobedience (2Ch 36:15, 16). the former prophets--those who lived before the captivity. It aggravated their guilt that, not only had they the law, but they had been often called to repent by God's prophets.Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 1:4
In the dictionaries
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
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