New Living Translation
Zechariah 1:21
21“What are these men coming to do?” I asked. The angel replied, “These four horns—these nations—scattered and humbled Judah. Now these blacksmiths have come to terrify those nations and throw them down and destroy them.”
Zechariah 1:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.
- New International Version (NIV)I asked, “What are these coming to do?” He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I said, "What are these coming to do?" He said, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one raised his head. And these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I said, “What are these coming to do?” So he said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
Context of Zechariah 1:21
19“What are these?” I asked the angel who was talking with me. He replied, “These horns represent the nations that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 20Then the Lord showed me four blacksmiths. “What are these men coming to do?” I asked. The angel replied, “These four horns—these nations—scattered and humbled Judah. Now these blacksmiths have come to terrify those nations and throw them down and destroy them.”
Read all of Zechariah 1Zechariah 1:21 word by word
וָאֹמַ֕ר מָ֛ה אֵ֥לֶּה בָאִ֖ים לַֽעֲשׂ֑וֹת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאמֹ֗ר אֵ֣לֶּה הַקְּרָנ֞וֹת אֲשֶׁר־זֵ֣רוּ אֶת־יְהוּדָ֗ה כְּפִי־אִישׁ֙ לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א רֹאשׁ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ אֵ֙לֶּה֙ לְהַחֲרִ֣יד אֹתָ֔ם לְיַדּ֞וֹת אֶת־קַרְנ֣וֹת הַגּוֹיִ֗ם הַנֹּשְׂאִ֥ים קֶ֛רֶן אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ יְהוּדָ֖ה לְזָרוֹתָֽהּ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- I, What comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- these to doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- the hornsקֶ֫רֶןqeren · hornH7161
- which have scatteredזָרָהzârâh · to scatterH2219
- Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- so thatפֶּהpeh · lip: accordingH6310
- no manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- did lift upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: kindnessH5375
- his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- to frayחָרַדchârad · to trembleH2729
- them, to cast outיָדָהyâdâh · to give thanksH3034
- of the Gentilesגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- which lifted upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: fightH5375
- over the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
Cross-references for Zechariah 1:21
- Zechariah 1:19“What are these?” I asked the angel who was talking with me. He replied, “These horns represent the nations that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
- Daniel 12:7The man dressed in linen, who was standing above the river, raised both his hands toward heaven and took a solemn oath by the One who lives forever, saying, “It will go on for a time, times, and half a time. When the shattering of the holy people has finally come to an end, all these things will have happened.”
- Psalms 75:4“I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’ I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists!
- Lamentations 2:17But it is the Lord who did just as he planned. He has fulfilled the promises of disaster he made long ago. He has destroyed Jerusalem without mercy. He has caused her enemies to gloat over her and has given them power over her.
Commentaries on Zechariah 1:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21These are come to fray them - To break, pound, and reduce them to powder. Fray, from the French, frayer, to rub. חרשים charashim signifies either carpenters or smiths; probably the latter are here intended, who came with hammers, files, and such like, to destroy these horns, which no doubt seemed to be of iron. From a sensible correspondent I have received the following note: - "The word we translate carpenters, חרשים charashim, is a root which, according…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-21Verses 18-21 The enemies of the church threaten to cut off the name of Israel. They are horns, emblems of power, strength, and violence. The prophet saw them so formidable that he began to despair of the safety of every good man, and the success of every good work; but the Lord showed him four workmen empowered to cut off these horns. With an eye of sense we see the power of the enemies of the church; look which way we will, the world shows us that; but…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21scattered Judah: They literally raised their horns against Judah. The Lord would cut off those horns, throw them to the ground, and end their authority. The Judeans did not need to fear the nearby nations.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. These are the horns--rather, Those, namely, the horns being distinguished from the "carpenters," or destroying workmen ("skilful to destroy," Ex 21:31), intended in the "these" of the question. no man ... lift up his head--so depressed were they with a heavy weight of evils (Job 10:15). to fray--to strike terror into them (Eze 30:9). lifted up ... horn--in the haughtiness of conscious strength (Psa 75:4, 5) tyrannizing over Judah (Eze 34:21).Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 1:21
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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