Zechariahchapter 8

A.Old men with staffs and children playing in the streetsvv. 1-8

1 Again the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying: 2 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great zeal; I am jealous for her with great fervor.” 3 This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.” 4 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of great age. 5 And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.” 6 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “If this is impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be impossible in My eyes?” declares the LORD of Hosts. 7 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. 8 I will bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem, where they will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”

B.Let your hands be strong; you shall be a blessingvv. 9-13

9 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were present when the foundations were laid to rebuild the temple, the house of the LORD of Hosts. 10 For before those days neither man nor beast received wages, nor was there safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I had turned every man against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the LORD of Hosts. 12 “For the seed will be prosperous, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. To the remnant of this people I will give all these things as an inheritance. 13 As you have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid; let your hands be strong.”

C.Speak truth and judge for peace in your gatesvv. 14-17

14 For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Just as I resolved to bring disaster upon you when your fathers provoked Me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the LORD of Hosts, 15 “so now I have resolved to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. 16 These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates, 17 do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely, for I hate all these things,” declares the LORD.

D.Ten men grab a Jew's skirt: we have heard God is with youvv. 18-23

18 Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying, 19 “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: The fasts of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will become times of joy and gladness, cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore you are to love both truth and peace.” 20 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Peoples will yet come—the residents of many cities— 21 and the residents of one city will go to another, saying: ‘Let us go at once to plead before the LORD and to seek the LORD of Hosts. I myself am going.’ 22 And many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead before the LORD.” 23 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue will tightly grasp the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

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Chapter summary

Ten oracles, each headed 'Thus saith Jehovah of hosts,' and the sunniest chapter in the book.

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Ten oracles, each headed 'Thus saith Jehovah of hosts,' and the sunniest chapter in the book. 'I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth.' The picture of that peace is deliberately ordinary: old men and old women in the streets, each with a staff for very age, 'and the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof' (8:5). He gathers them from east and west; the fasts become cheerful feasts. 'Speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor' (Paul quotes it, Ephesians 4:25). And ten men from all languages take hold of a Jew's skirt: 'We will go with you.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Prophecy · Zechariah — Zechariah overview

A. 1–8 Old men with staffs and children playing in the streets
B. 9–13 Let your hands be strong; you shall be a blessing
C. 14–17 Speak truth and judge for peace in your gates
D. 18–23 Ten men grab a Jew's skirt: we have heard God is with you

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Jeremiah 314 verses
- Jeremiah 31:8Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, including the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor. They will return as a great assembly!
- Jeremiah 31:13Then the maidens will rejoice with dancing, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, and give them comfort and joy for their sorrow.
- Jeremiah 31:28Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, destroy, and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.
- Jeremiah 31:33“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.
- Read Jeremiah 31 →
Zechariah 83 verses
- Zechariah 8:13As you have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid; let your hands be strong.”
- Zechariah 8:16These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates,
- Zechariah 8:21and the residents of one city will go to another, saying: ‘Let us go at once to plead before the LORD and to seek the LORD of Hosts. I myself am going.’
- Read Zechariah 8 →
Zechariah 73 verses
- Zechariah 7:2Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech, along with their men, to plead before the LORD
- Zechariah 7:3by asking the priests of the house of the LORD of Hosts, as well as the prophets, “Should I weep and fast in the fifth month, as I have done these many years?”
- Zechariah 7:9“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another.
- Read Zechariah 7 →
Zechariah 12 verses
- Zechariah 1:14Then the angel who was speaking with me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion,
- Zechariah 1:16Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there My house will be rebuilt, declares the LORD of Hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’
- Read Zechariah 1 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Joel 21 verse
- Joel 2:18Then the LORD became jealous for His land, and He spared His people.
- Read Joel 2 →
Psalms 781 verse
- Psalms 78:58They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols.
- Read Psalms 78 →
John 11 verse
- John 1:14The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- Read John 1 →
Zechariah 141 verse
- Zechariah 14:20On that day, HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the house of the LORD will be like the sprinkling bowls before the altar.
- Read Zechariah 14 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.