God’s Word Translation
Zechariah 4:6
6Then he replied, “This is the word the Lord spoke to Zerubbabel: You won’t ⌞succeed⌟ by might or by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Armies.
Zechariah 4:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
- New International Version (NIV)So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.
Context of Zechariah 4:6
4I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What do these things mean, sir?” 5Then the angel asked me, “Don’t you know what they mean?” “No, sir,” I answered. Then he replied, “This is the word the Lord spoke to Zerubbabel: You won’t ⌞succeed⌟ by might or by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Armies. 7What a high mountain you are! In front of Zerubbabel you will become a plain. He will bring out the topmost stone with shouts of ‘Blessings, blessings on it!’ ” 8Then the Lord spoke his word to me. He said,
Read all of Zechariah 4Zechariah 4:6 word by word
וַיַּ֜עַן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶ֚ה דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֤א בְחַ֙יִל֙ וְלֹ֣א בְכֹ֔חַ כִּ֣י אִם־בְּרוּחִ֔י אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then he answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- and spakeאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- unto Zerubbabelזְרֻבָּבֶ֫לzerûbbâbel · ZerubbabelH2216
- Not by mightחַ֫יִלchayil · strengthH2428
- nor by powerכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
- but by my spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
Cross-references for Zechariah 4:6
- Zechariah 9:13I will bend Judah as my bow and draw my bow with Ephraim ⌞as its arrow⌟. I will stir up your people, Zion, against your people, Greece, and I will use you like a warrior’s sword.
- Numbers 27:16“Lord, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone. Please appoint someone over the community
- 2 Chronicles 14:11Asa called on the Lord his God. He said, “Lord, there is no one except you who can help those who are not strong so that they can fight against a large ⌞army⌟. Help us, Lord our God, because we are depending on you. In your name we go against this large crowd. You are the Lord our God. Don’t let anyone successfully oppose you.”
- Isaiah 11:2The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of advice and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.
- Isaiah 30:1The Lord declares, “How horrible it will be for those rebellious children. They carry out plans, but not mine. They make alliances against my will. They pile sin on top of sin.
- Isaiah 32:15until the Spirit is poured on us from on high. Then the wilderness will be turned into a fertile field, and the fertile field will be considered a forest.
- Isaiah 63:10But they rebelled and offended his Holy Spirit. So he turned against them as their enemy; he fought against them.
- Ezekiel 37:11The Lord also said to me, “Son of man, all the people of Israel are like these bones. The people say, ‘Our bones are dry, and our hope has vanished. We are completely destroyed.’
- Hosea 1:7Yet, I will love the descendants of Judah. I will rescue them because I am the Lord their God. I won’t use bows, swords, wars, horses, or horsemen to rescue them.”
- Haggai 2:2“Now, speak to Zerubbabel (who is the son of Shealtiel and is governor of Judah), the chief priest Joshua (who is the son of Jehozadak), and the faithful few who returned from Babylon.
- 1 Corinthians 2:4I didn’t speak my message with persuasive intellectual arguments. I spoke my message with a show of spiritual power
- 2 Corinthians 10:4The weapons we use in our fight are not made by humans. Rather, they are powerful weapons from God. With them we destroy people’s defenses, that is, their arguments
- 1 Peter 1:12God revealed to the prophets that the things they had spoken were not for their own benefit but for yours. What the prophets had spoken, the Holy Spirit, who was sent from heaven, has now made known to you by those who spread the Good News among you. These are things that even the angels want to look into.
- 2 Chronicles 32:7“Be strong and courageous. Don’t be frightened or terrified by the king of Assyria or the crowd with him. Someone greater is on our side.
- Psalms 20:6Now I know that the Lord will give victory to his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty deeds of his powerful hand.
- Psalms 33:16No king achieves a victory with a large army. No warrior rescues himself by his own great strength.
Commentaries on Zechariah 4:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel - This prince was in a trying situation, and he needed especial encouragement from God; and here it is: Not by might, (of thy own), nor by power, (authority from others), but by my Spirit - the providence, authority, power, and energy of the Most High. In this way shall my temple be built; in this way shall my Church be raised and preserved. No secular arm, no human prudence, no earthly policy, no suits at law…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel - Osorius: “As if he were to say, the meaning of the vision and scope of what has been exhibited is, God‘s doings have almost cried aloud to Zerubbabel that all these visions shall come to an end in their time, not effected by human might nor in fleshly strength, but in power of the Holy Spirit and through Divine Will.‘ For the Only Begotten became Man as we are, but He warred not after the flesh, to set up the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Jeshua and Zerubbabel would succeed in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, not by their own power, but because of God's empowering Spirit (compare Haggai 2:4–5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. Not by might ... but by my Spirit--As the lamps burned continually, supplied with oil from a source (the living olive trees) which man did not make, so Zerubbabel need not be disheartened because of his weakness; for as the work is one to be effected by the living Spirit (compare Hag 2:5) of God, man's weakness is no obstacle, for God's might will perfect strength out of weakness (Ho 1:7; 2Co 12:10; He 11:34). "Might and power" express human strength…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 4:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zechariah 4
- 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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