New Living Translation
Zechariah 8:9
9“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building.
Zechariah 8:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
- New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets said who were present when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, You who have been hearing in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid For the house of the Lord of hosts, That the temple might be built.
Context of Zechariah 8:9
7“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue my people from the east and from the west. 8I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God. “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building. 10Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other. 11“But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Read all of Zechariah 8Zechariah 8:9 word by word
כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאוֹת֒ תֶּחֱזַ֣קְנָה יְדֵיכֶ֔ם הַשֹּֽׁמְעִים֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֵ֖ת הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה מִפִּי֙ הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים אֲ֠שֶׁר בְּי֞וֹם יֻסַּ֨ד בֵּית־יְהוָ֧ה צְבָא֛וֹת הַהֵיכָ֖ל לְהִבָּנֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- Let your handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- be strongחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
- ye that hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- in these daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- these wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- by the mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- of the prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- the foundationיָסַדyâsad · to foundH3245
- of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
- that the templeהֵיכָלhêykâl · templeH1964
- might be builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
Cross-references for Zechariah 8:9
- Zechariah 8:13Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!
- Joshua 1:6“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.
- 1 Chronicles 22:13For you will be successful if you carefully obey the decrees and regulations that the Lord gave to Israel through Moses. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!
- 1 Chronicles 28:20Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.
- Isaiah 35:4Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”
- Haggai 2:4But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
- Ephesians 6:10A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
- 2 Timothy 2:1Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus.
- Ezra 5:1At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.
- Haggai 1:1On August 29 of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
- Haggai 2:21“Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth.
Commentaries on Zechariah 8:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9By the mouth of the prophets - The day or time of the foundation was about two years before, as this discourse of the prophet was in the fourth year of Darius. After this God raised up prophets among them.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Let your hands be strong - The fulfillment of God‘s former promises are the earnest of the future; His former providences, of those to come. Having then those great promises for the time to come, they were to be earnest in whatever meantime God gave them to do. He speaks to them, “as hearing in these days,” that is, that fourth year of Darius in which they apparently were, “these words from the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day when the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-17Verses 9-17 Those only who lay their hands to the plough of duty, shall have them strengthened with the promises of mercy: those who avoid their fathers' faults have the curse turned into a blessing. Those who believed the promises, were to show their faith by their works, and to wait the fulfilment. When God is displeased, he can cause trade to decay, and set every man against his neighbour; but when he returns in mercy, all is happy and prosperous…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9the foundations were laid: This refers to Zerubbabel's and Jeshua's first efforts to rebuild the temple in 536 BC (Ezra 3:8–13). They quickly abandoned the temple reconstruction project. It did not resume until the prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged it 16 years later (Ezra 5:1–2; Haggai 1:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-139-13. All adversities formerly attended them when neglecting to build the temple: but now God promises all blessings, as an encouragement to energy in the work. hands ... strong--be of courageous mind (2Sa 16:21), not merely in building, but in general, as having such bright prospects (Zec 8:13, &c.). these days--the time that had elapsed between the prophet's having spoken "these words" and the time (Zec 8:10; compare Hag 2:15-19) when they set about in…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 8:9
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
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