God’s Word Translation
Zechariah 8:4
4This is what the Lord of Armies says: Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. Each will have a cane in hand because of old age.
Zechariah 8:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
- New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age.
Context of Zechariah 8:4
2This is what the Lord of Armies says: I am very jealous about Zion. I am fiercely possessive of it. 3This is what the Lord says: I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth. The mountain of the Lord of Armies will be called the holy mountain. This is what the Lord of Armies says: Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. Each will have a cane in hand because of old age. 5The city will be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets. 6This is what the Lord of Armies says: It may seem impossible to the few remaining people in those days, but will it seem impossible to me? declares the Lord of Armies.
Read all of Zechariah 8Zechariah 8:4 word by word
כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת עֹ֤ד יֵֽשְׁבוּ֙ זְקֵנִ֣ים וּזְקֵנ֔וֹת בִּרְחֹב֖וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְאִ֧ישׁ מִשְׁעַנְתּ֛וֹ בְּיָד֖וֹ מֵרֹ֥ב יָמִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- There shall yet old menזָקֵןzâqên · oldH2205
- dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in the streetsרְחוֹבrechôb rechôb · street/plazaH7339
- of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- and every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- with his staffמִשְׁעֶ֫נֶתmish‛ênâh mish‛eneth · staffH4938
- in his handיָדyâd · handH3027
- for veryרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
- ageיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
Cross-references for Zechariah 8:4
- 1 Samuel 2:31The time is coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s house so that no one will grow old in your family.
- Job 5:26“You will come to your grave at a ripe old age like a stack of hay in the right season.
- Job 42:17Then at a very old age, Job died.
- Isaiah 65:20There will no longer be an infant who lives for only a few days or an old man who doesn’t live a long life. Whoever lives to be a hundred years old will be thought of as young. Whoever dies before he is a hundred years old will be cursed as a sinner.
- Lamentations 2:20“O Lord, look and consider: Have you ever treated anyone like this? Should women eat their own children, the children they have nursed? Should priests and prophets be killed in the Lord’s holy place?
- Lamentations 5:11Women in Zion are raped, so are the girls in the cities of Judah.
- Hebrews 12:22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to tens of thousands of angels joyfully gathered together
Commentaries on Zechariah 8:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4There shall yet old men and old women - In those happy times the followers of God shall live out all their days, and the hoary head be always found in the way of righteousness.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4There shall yet dwell old men and old women - Dionysius: “Men and women shall not be slain now, as before in the time of the Babylonish destruction, but shall fulfill their natural course.” It shall not be, as when “He gave His people over unto the sword; the fire consumed their young men and their maidens were not given to marriage; the priests were slain by the sword and their widows made no lamentation” Psalm 78:63-64; apart from the horrible…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5The images of elderly men and women walking, along with boys and girls playing in the streets, show that families are returning to the once devastated city of Jerusalem. God's presence returning to his rebuilt temple will bring peace and safety to the city's people (see Jeremiah 33:10–11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. So tranquil and prosperous shall the nation be that wars shall no longer prematurely cut off the people: men and women shall reach advanced ages. The promise of long life was esteemed one of the greatest blessings in the Jewish theocracy with its temporal rewards of obedience (Ex 20:12; De 4:40). Hence this is a leading feature in millennial blessedness (Is 65:20, 22). for very age--literally, "for multitude of days."Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 8:4
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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