New International Version
Zechariah 2:4
4and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it.
Zechariah 2:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:
- English Standard Version (ESV)and said to him, "Run, say to that young man, 'Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it.
- New King James Version (NKJV)who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The other angel said, “Hurry, and say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls.
Context of Zechariah 2:4
2I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.” 3While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. 5And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’ 6“Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the Lord.
Read all of Zechariah 2Zechariah 2:4 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו רֻ֗ץ דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־הַנַּ֥עַר הַלָּ֖ז לֵאמֹ֑ר פְּרָזוֹת֙ תֵּשֵׁ֣ב יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם מֵרֹ֥ב אָדָ֛ם וּבְהֵמָ֖ה בְּתוֹכָֽהּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto him, Runרוּץrûts · to run: runH7323
- speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- to thisהַלָּזhallâz · thisH1975
- young manנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
- Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- shall be inhabitedיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- towns without wallsפְּרָזָהperâzâh · villageH6519
- for the multitudeרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
- of menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- and cattleבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- thereinתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
Cross-references for Zechariah 2:4
- Jeremiah 1:6“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
- Daniel 1:17To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
- 1 Timothy 4:12Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
- Zechariah 1:17“Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’ ”
- Zechariah 8:4This 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.
- Zechariah 12:6“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.
- Zechariah 14:10The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place.
- Isaiah 33:20Look on Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.
- Isaiah 44:26who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’ of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’ and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’
- Jeremiah 30:18“This is what the Lord says: “ ‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.
- Jeremiah 31:24People will live together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.
- Jeremiah 31:38“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
- Jeremiah 33:10“This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more
- Ezekiel 36:10and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
- Micah 7:11The day for building your walls will come, the day for extending your boundaries.
Commentaries on Zechariah 2:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Run, speak to this young man - Nehemiah must have been a young man when he was sakee, or cup-bearer, to Artaxerxes. As towns without walls - It shall be so numerously inhabited as not to be contained within its ancient limits. Josephus, speaking of this time, says, Wars 5:4:2, "The city, overflowing with inhabitants, by degrees extended itself beyond its walls."Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And said unto him, Run, speak unto this young man - The prophet himself, who was to report to his people what he heard. Jeremiah says, “I am a youth” Jeremiah 1:6; and, “the young man,” “the young prophet,” carried the prophetic message from Elisha to Jehu. “Youth,‘” common as our English term in regard to man, is inapplicable and unapplied to angels, who have not our human variations of age, but exist, as they were created. Jerusalem shall be inhabited…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-5The visions move from a wide focus to a narrow one. They begin with the whole world (vision 1), then move to the nations (vision 2), and finally focus on the city of Jerusalem. The vision itself appears in 2:1–3, followed by an explanation of its meaning in 2:4–5.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. this young man--So Zechariah is called as being still a youth when prophetically inspired [Grotius]. Or, he is so called in respect to his ministry or service (compare Nu 11:27; Jos 1:1) [Vatablus]. Naturally the "angel that talked with" Zechariah is desired to "speak to" him the further communications to be made from the Divine Being. towns without walls for the multitude ... Cattle--So many shall be its inhabitants that all could not be contained…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 2:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zechariah 2
- 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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