New English Translation
Zechariah 7:9
9“The Lord who rules over all said, ‘Exercise true judgment and show brotherhood and compassion to each other.
Zechariah 7:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
- New International Version (NIV)“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.
Context of Zechariah 7:9
7Should you not have obeyed the words that the Lord cried out through the former prophets when Jerusalem was peacefully inhabited and her surrounding cities, the Negev, and the Shephelah were also populated? 8Again the word of the Lord came to Zechariah: “The Lord who rules over all said, ‘Exercise true judgment and show brotherhood and compassion to each other. 10You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, or the poor, nor should anyone secretly plot evil against his fellow human being.’ 11“But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear.
Read all of Zechariah 7Zechariah 7:9 word by word
כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר מִשְׁפַּ֤ט אֱמֶת֙ שְׁפֹ֔טוּ וְחֶ֣סֶד וְרַֽחֲמִ֔ים עֲשׂ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־אָחִֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus speakethאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- Executeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- trueאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: trueH571
- judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
- and shewעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- mercyחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
- and compassionsרַחֲמִיםracham · compassionH7356
- every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- to his brotherאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
Cross-references for Zechariah 7:9
- Zechariah 7:7Should you not have obeyed the words that the Lord cried out through the former prophets when Jerusalem was peacefully inhabited and her surrounding cities, the Negev, and the Shephelah were also populated?
- Zechariah 8:16These are the things you must do: Speak the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts.
- Leviticus 19:15“‘You must not deal unjustly in judgment: you must neither show partiality to the poor nor honor the rich. You must judge your fellow citizen fairly.
- Deuteronomy 10:18who justly treats the orphan and widow, and who loves resident foreigners, giving them food and clothing.
- Deuteronomy 15:7If a fellow Israelite from one of your villages in the land that the Lord your God is giving you should be poor, you must not harden your heart or be insensitive to his impoverished condition.
- Deuteronomy 16:18You must appoint judges and civil servants for each tribe in all your villages that the Lord your God is giving you, and they must judge the people fairly.
- Psalms 82:2He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah)
- Proverbs 21:3To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
- Isaiah 58:6No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke.
- Jeremiah 7:5You must change the way you have been living and do what is right. You must treat one another fairly.
- Ezekiel 45:9“‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Enough, you princes of Israel! Put away violence and destruction, and do what is just and right. Put an end to your evictions of my people, declares the sovereign Lord.
- Hosea 10:12Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap unfailing love. Break up the unplowed ground for yourselves, for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers deliverance on you.
- Amos 5:24Justice must flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up.
- Micah 6:8He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God.
- Matthew 23:23“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others.
- Luke 11:42“But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, rue, and every herb, yet you neglect justice and love for God! But you should have done these things without neglecting the others.
Commentaries on Zechariah 7:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Execute true judgment - See Isaiah 58:6, Isaiah 58:7; Jeremiah Jeremiah 7:23; Micah 6:8, chap. 8.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Thus spake the Lord - that is, through the former prophets, for he goes on to speak of their rejection in the past. “Execute true judgment.” He retains the words of Ezekiel. The injunction itself runs throughout the prophets. “Shew mercy” (as Isaiah 1:17, Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 58:6-7; Jeremiah 7:5; Ezekiel 18:8; Hosea 12:6, etc.), that is, tender love, to all; compassion, to the unhappy. Omit no act of love, God so loves the loving. Lap.: “Like Paul to the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-14Verses 8-14 God's judgements upon Israel of old for their sins, were written to warn Christians. The duties required are, not keeping fasts and offering sacrifices, but doing justly and loving mercy, which tend to the public welfare and peace. The law of God lays restraint upon the heart. But they filled their minds with prejudices against the word of God. Nothing is harder than the heart of a presumptuous sinner. See the fatal consequences of this to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-14Representatives from Bethel asked Zechariah a practical question (Zechariah 7:2–3). Although he answered it later (Zechariah 8:18–19), he first asked rhetorical questions about the people's selfish motives (7:5–6). Zechariah then explained God's expectations for Israel (Zechariah 7:8–10; see Jeremiah 22:3) and described what happened to those who disobeyed before (Zechariah 7:11–14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. speaketh--implying that these precepts addressed to their ancestors were the requirements of Jehovah not merely then, but now. We must not only not hurt, but we must help our fellow men. God is pleased with such loving obedience, rather than with empty ceremonies.Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 7:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zechariah 7
- 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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