New English Translation
Zechariah 1:6
6But have my words and statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, not outlived your fathers? Then they paid attention and confessed, ‘The Lord who rules over all has indeed done what he said he would do to us, because of our sinful ways.’”
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
4“Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets called out, saying, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “Turn now from your evil wickedness,”’ but they would by no means obey me,” says the Lord. 5“As for your ancestors, where are they? And did the prophets live forever? But have my words and statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, not outlived your fathers? Then they paid attention and confessed, ‘The Lord who rules over all has indeed done what he said he would do to us, because of our sinful ways.’” 7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month Shebat, in Darius’ second year, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows: 8I was attentive that night and saw a man seated on a red horse that stood among some myrtle trees in the ravine. Behind him were red, sorrel, 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“Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost!
- Numbers 23:19God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen?
- Numbers 32:23“But if you do not do this, then look, you will have sinned against the Lord. And know that your sin will find you out.
- 2 Chronicles 36:17He brought against them the king of the Babylonians, who slaughtered their young men in their temple. He did not spare young men or women, or even the old and aging. God handed everyone over to him.
- Isaiah 44:26who fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants and brings to pass the announcements of his messengers, who says about Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, her ruins I will raise up,’
- Jeremiah 26:15But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man. For the Lord has sent me to speak all this where you can hear it. That is the truth!”
- Jeremiah 44:28Some who survive in battle will return to the land of Judah from the land of Egypt. But they will be very few indeed! Then the Judean remnant who have come to live in the land of Egypt will know whose word proves true, mine or theirs.’
- Ezekiel 12:25For I, the Lord, will speak. Whatever word I speak will be accomplished. It will not be delayed any longer. Indeed in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and accomplish it, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
- Daniel 9:11“All Israel has broken your law and turned away by not obeying you. Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you.
- Matthew 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
- Deuteronomy 28:15“But if you ignore the Lord your God and are not careful to keep all his commandments and statutes I am giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you in full force:
- Jeremiah 12:16But they must make sure you learn to follow the religious practices of my people. Once they taught my people to swear their oaths using the name of the god Baal. But then, they must swear oaths using my name, saying, “As surely as the Lord lives, I swear.” If they do these things, then they will be included among the people I call my own.
- Amos 9:10All the sinners among my people will die by the sword – the ones who say, ‘Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’
- 1 Thessalonians 5:4But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would.
- Job 6:29Relent, let there be no falsehood; reconsider, for my righteousness is intact!
- Malachi 3:18Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not.
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
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