God’s Word Translation
Zechariah 10:1
1Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime. The Lord makes thunderstorms. He gives everyone rain showers for the plants in the field.
Zechariah 10:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
- New International Version (NIV)Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Ask the Lord for rain In the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone.
Context of Zechariah 10:1
Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime. The Lord makes thunderstorms. He gives everyone rain showers for the plants in the field. 2The idols speak lies. The fortunetellers see false visions. They speak about false dreams. They give useless comfort. That is why people wander around like sheep. They are troubled because there is no shepherd. 3“My burning anger is directed against the shepherds. I will punish the male goats. The Lord of Armies takes care of his flock, the people of Judah. He makes them like his splendid war horse.”
Read all of Zechariah 10Zechariah 10:1 word by word
שַׁאֲל֨וּ מֵיְהוָ֤ה מָטָר֙ בְּעֵ֣ת מַלְק֔וֹשׁ יְהוָ֖ה עֹשֶׂ֣ה חֲזִיזִ֑ים וּמְטַר־גֶּ֙שֶׁם֙ יִתֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֔ם לְאִ֖ישׁ עֵ֥שֶׂב בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Askשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
- ye of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- rainמָטַרmâţâr · rainH4306
- in the timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- of the latter rainמַלְקוֹשׁmalqôsh · spring rainH4456
- shall makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- bright cloudsחֲזִיזchăzîyz · lightningH2385
- and giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- them showersגֶּ֫שֶׁםgeshem · rainH1653
- to every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- grassעֵ֫שֶׂב‛eώeb · vegetationH6212
- in the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
Cross-references for Zechariah 10:1
- Ezekiel 36:37“This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will also let the people of Israel ask me to make them as numerous as sheep.
- Matthew 7:7“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you.
- John 16:23When that day comes, you won’t ask me any more questions. I can guarantee this truth: If you ask the Father for anything in my name, he will give it to you.
- James 5:16So admit your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you will be healed. Prayers offered by those who have God’s approval are effective.
- Deuteronomy 11:13If you faithfully obey the commands that I’m giving you today, love the Lord your God, and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
- Deuteronomy 28:23The sky above will look like bronze, and the ground below will be as hard as iron.
- 1 Kings 17:1Elijah, who was from Tishbe but had settled in Gilead, said to Ahab, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord God of Israel whom I serve lives, there will be no dew or rain during the next few years unless I say so.”
- 1 Kings 18:41Then Elijah told Ahab, “Get up, eat, and drink. It sounds like a heavy rain ⌞is coming⌟.”
- Isaiah 5:6I will make it a wasteland. It will never be pruned or hoed. Thorns and weeds will grow in it, and I will command the clouds not to rain on it.
- Isaiah 30:23The Lord will give you rain for the seed that you plant in the ground, and the food that the ground provides will be rich and nourishing. When that day comes, your cattle will graze in large pastures.
- Jeremiah 14:22The worthless gods of the nations can’t make it rain. By themselves, the skies can’t give showers. But you can, O Lord our God. We have hope in you because you do all these things.
- Amos 4:7I stopped the rain from falling three months before the harvest. I sent rain on one city and not on another. One field had rain. Another field had none and dried up.
- Deuteronomy 11:14I will send rain on your land at the right time, both in the fall and in the spring. Then you will gather your own grain, new wine, and olive oil.
- Job 29:23They were as eager to hear me as they were for rain. They opened their mouths wide as if waiting for a spring shower.
- Proverbs 16:15When the king is cheerful, there is life, and his favor is like a cloud bringing spring rain.
- Hosea 6:3Let’s learn about the Lord. Let’s get to know the Lord. He will come to us as sure as the morning comes. He will come to us like the autumn rains and the spring rains that water the ground.
Commentaries on Zechariah 10:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Ask ye of the Lord rain - Rain in the due seasons - To impregnate the seed when sown; and 2. To fill the ear near the time of harvest - was so essential to the fertility of the land, and the well-being of the people, that it stands well among the chief of God's mercies and the promise of it here shows that God designs to ensure the prosperity promised, by using those means by which it was promoted.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Ask ye of the Lord rain - “Ask and ye shall receive” our Lord says. Zechariah had promised in God‘s name blessings temporal and spiritual: all was ready on God‘s part; only, he adds, ask them of the Lord, the Unchangeable, the Self-same not of Teraphim or of diviner, as Israel had done aforetime Jeremiah 44:15-28. He had promised, “If ye shall hearken diligently unto My coramandments, to love the Lord your God, I will give you the rain of your land in his…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Blessings to be sought from the Lord. (1-5) God will restore his people. (6-12) Verses 1-5 Spiritual blessings had been promised under figurative allusions to earthly plenty. Seasonable rain is a great mercy, which we may ask of God when there is most need of it, and we may look for it to come. We must in our prayers ask for mercies in their proper time. The Lord would make bright clouds, and give showers of rain. This may be an exhortation to seek the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Rain was a sign of divine blessing (see Joel 2:23). The Lord provided the rain, but Israel's leaders made the people trust false gods instead.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-12Call to prayer to Jehovah, as contrasted with the idol-worship which had brought judgments on the princes and people. Blessings promised in answer to prayer: (1) rulers of themselves; (2) conquest of their enemies; (3) restoration and establishment of both Israel and Judah in their own land in lasting peace and piety. 1. Ask ... rain--on which the abundance of "corn" promised by the Lord (Zec 9:17) depends. Jehovah alone can give it, and will give it on…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 10:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zechariah 10
- 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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