English Standard Version
Zechariah 8:9
9Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
Zechariah 8:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
- New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets said who were present when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, You who have been hearing in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid For the house of the Lord of hosts, That the temple might be built.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building.
Context of Zechariah 8:9
7Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, 8and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness." Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. 10For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. 11But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the Lord of hosts.
Read all of Zechariah 8Zechariah 8:9 word by word
כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאוֹת֒ תֶּחֱזַ֣קְנָה יְדֵיכֶ֔ם הַשֹּֽׁמְעִים֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֵ֖ת הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה מִפִּי֙ הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים אֲ֠שֶׁר בְּי֞וֹם יֻסַּ֨ד בֵּית־יְהוָ֧ה צְבָא֛וֹת הַהֵיכָ֖ל לְהִבָּנֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- Let your handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- be strongחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
- ye that hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- in these daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- these wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- by the mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- of the prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- the foundationיָסַדyâsad · to foundH3245
- of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
- that the templeהֵיכָלhêykâl · templeH1964
- might be builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
Cross-references for Zechariah 8:9
- Zechariah 8:13And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong."
- Joshua 1:6Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
- 1 Chronicles 22:13Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.
- 1 Chronicles 28:20Then David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.
- Isaiah 35:4Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you."
- Haggai 2:4Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts,
- Ephesians 6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
- 2 Timothy 2:1You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,
- Ezra 5:1Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.
- Haggai 1:1In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest:
- Haggai 2:21"Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth,
Commentaries on Zechariah 8:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9By the mouth of the prophets - The day or time of the foundation was about two years before, as this discourse of the prophet was in the fourth year of Darius. After this God raised up prophets among them.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Let your hands be strong - The fulfillment of God‘s former promises are the earnest of the future; His former providences, of those to come. Having then those great promises for the time to come, they were to be earnest in whatever meantime God gave them to do. He speaks to them, “as hearing in these days,” that is, that fourth year of Darius in which they apparently were, “these words from the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day when the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-17Verses 9-17 Those only who lay their hands to the plough of duty, shall have them strengthened with the promises of mercy: those who avoid their fathers' faults have the curse turned into a blessing. Those who believed the promises, were to show their faith by their works, and to wait the fulfilment. When God is displeased, he can cause trade to decay, and set every man against his neighbour; but when he returns in mercy, all is happy and prosperous…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9the foundations were laid: This refers to Zerubbabel's and Jeshua's first efforts to rebuild the temple in 536 BC (Ezra 3:8–13). They quickly abandoned the temple reconstruction project. It did not resume until the prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged it 16 years later (Ezra 5:1–2; Haggai 1:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-139-13. All adversities formerly attended them when neglecting to build the temple: but now God promises all blessings, as an encouragement to energy in the work. hands ... strong--be of courageous mind (2Sa 16:21), not merely in building, but in general, as having such bright prospects (Zec 8:13, &c.). these days--the time that had elapsed between the prophet's having spoken "these words" and the time (Zec 8:10; compare Hag 2:15-19) when they set about in…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 8:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zechariah 8
- 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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