God’s Word Translation
Zechariah 1:6
6Didn’t my warnings and my laws, which I’ve commanded my servants the prophets ⌞to preach⌟, finally catch up with your ancestors? Then your ancestors turned away from their sins and said, ‘The Lord of Armies has done to us what he had planned to do. He has dealt with us as our ways and deeds deserve.’ ”
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
4Don’t be like your ancestors, who heard the earlier prophets preach to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Turn from your evil ways and your evil deeds.’ But they didn’t listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. 5Your ancestors—where are they now? And the prophets—are they still alive? Didn’t my warnings and my laws, which I’ve commanded my servants the prophets ⌞to preach⌟, finally catch up with your ancestors? Then your ancestors turned away from their sins and said, ‘The Lord of Armies has done to us what he had planned to do. He has dealt with us as our ways and deeds deserve.’ ” 7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat) in Darius’ second year as king, the Lord spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah, who was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo. 8During that night I saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, chestnut, and white horses.
Read all of Zechariah 1Zechariah 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! Whoever is thirsty, come to the water! Whoever has no money can come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk. You don’t have to pay; it’s free!
- Numbers 23:19God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn’t change his mind. When he says something, he does it. When he makes a promise, he keeps it.
- Numbers 32:23“If you don’t do all these things, you will be sinning against the Lord. You can be sure that you will be punished for your sin.
- 2 Chronicles 36:17So he had the Babylonian king attack them and execute their best young men in their holy temple. He didn’t spare the best men or the unmarried women, the old people or the sick people. God handed all of them over to him.
- Isaiah 44:26He confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the plan of his messengers. He says about Jerusalem, “It will be inhabited.” He says about the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt.” He says about their ruins, “I will restore them.”
- Jeremiah 26:15But know for certain that if you put me to death, you, this city, and the people living in it will be guilty of killing an innocent person. The Lord has certainly sent me to speak all these things to you.”
- Jeremiah 44:28Those who escape the wars will return to Judah from Egypt. Then all the people of Judah who went to live in Egypt will know whose words have come true, mine or theirs.
- Ezekiel 12:25I, the Lord, will speak. Everything that I say will happen without any more delay. I will say something, and it will happen during your lifetime, you rebellious people, declares the Almighty Lord.’ ”
- Daniel 9:11All Israel has ignored your teachings and refused to listen to you. So you brought on us the curses you swore in an oath, the curses written in the Teachings of your servant Moses. We sinned against you.
- Matthew 24:35The earth and the heavens will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
- Deuteronomy 28:15Obey the Lord your God, and faithfully follow all his commands and laws that I am giving you today. If you don’t, all these curses will come to you and stay close to you:
- Jeremiah 12:16Suppose they learn carefully the ways of my people. Suppose they take an oath in my name, ‘As the Lord lives …’ as they taught my people to take an oath in ⌞the name of⌟ Baal. Then they will build homes among my people.
- Amos 9:10All the sinners among my people are thinking, “Destruction will not catch up to us or run into us.” In spite of this, they will be killed with swords.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:4But, brothers and sisters, you don’t live in the dark. That day won’t take you by surprise as a thief would.
- Job 6:29Please change your mind. Don’t permit any injustice. Change your mind because I am still right about this!
- Malachi 3:18Then you will again see the difference between righteous people and wicked people, between the one who serves God and the one who doesn’t 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
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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