Zechariah 1:21
in Zechariah 1“What are these coming to do?” I asked. And He replied, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head; but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations that have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these are come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.
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.
⋯
This verse in Zechariah 1
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThen said I, What come these to do?.... That is, these four carpenters; for, being artificers or workmen, as the Targum renders the word, the prophet concluded there was some work for them to do: And he spake, saying; meaning the angel that talked with him, and interpreted the visions to him: These are the horns which have scattered Judah; not that the carpenters were the horns, for these two are distinct from, and opposite to, one another.
This site's exposition
behold four horns
on Zechariah 1:18-21
The second vision answers the first with a change of image: four horns, the power to gore and scatter, which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem so that no man did lift up his head. The bench names the readings on which four are meant, some hearing the four world powers later named in Daniel, others the regional enemies nearer Zechariah's own day, and settles on no single identification. Against the horns the Lord shows four carpenters, or smiths, raised up to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, a craftsman's tool matched to every weapon lifted against Zion, so that no power that scatters outlasts the hand that answers it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Before he came to visions and revelations, and delivered his prophetic discourses, he preached that which was plain and practical; for it is best to begin with that. Before he published the promises of mercy, he published calls to repentance, for thus the way of the Lord must be prepared. Law must be first preached, and then gospel.
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 it is with an eye of faith that we see it safe, notwithstanding; it is the Lord that shows us that, as he opened the eyes of the prophet's servant to see the angelic guards round about his master, 2 Kings vi.
These - He first points to the four horns. But these - These carpenters are emblems of those instruments God will employ in breaking those destroyers. Who lift up - Who employed their arms and strength against the kingdom of Judah, to drive them out of God's inheritance.
No man durst show his face for fear of them, much less give them any opposition, or make head against them. They are horns, denoting their dignity and dominion-- horns exalted, denoting also their strength, and power, and violence. They are four horns, for the Jews are surrounded with them on every side; when they avoid one horn that pushes at them they run upon another.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
These 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.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Therefore thus says the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: My house shall be built in it, says the Lord of Hosts and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. Cry yet, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad. And the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem. Then lifted I up my eyes and sa w and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these?
Therefore thus says the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: My house shall be built in it, says the Lord of Hosts and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. Cry yet, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad. And the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem. Then lifted I up my eyes and sa w and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem. And the Lord showed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do? And He spoke, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to scatter them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it." Zechariah 1:8-21. THIS is a somewhat dark and mysterious passage. And if we should ask many a reader, "Do you understand what you are reading?" he would be compelled to reply as did the Ethiopian eunuch, "How can I, except some man should guide me?" Although there are some portions of the Word of God which are hard to be understood—by far the greater portion of Scriptures which are at first perplexing—will open up if we will carefully peruse them and prayerfully ask the illumination of God's Holy Spirit. We should seek to know all of God's Word which can be known. You will perceive that the Prophet Zechariah himself was not content with beholding the two visions described in this passage, but had to ask, in the ninth verse, "O my Lord, what are these?" And then, again, in the nineteenth verse, "What are these?" Nor did he cease his enquiries! In the twenty-first verse he says, "What come these to do?" If the seer of the vision asked for an interpretation, much more may you and I.
The words behind it
32 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֹמַ֕ר | vaomar | and I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מָ֛ה | mah | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אֵ֥לֶּה | ʾeleh | [are] these | H428 → | 746 times |
| בָאִ֖ים | vaim | coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לַֽעֲשׂ֑וֹת | laasot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֵאמֹ֗ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵ֣לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| הַקְּרָנ֞וֹת | hakeranot | [are] the horns | H7161 → | 76 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| זֵ֣רוּ | zeru | they scattered | H2219 → | 39 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוּדָ֗ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| כְּפִי־ | kefi- | according to [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| אִישׁ֙ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נָשָׂ֣א | nasa' | he lifted up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| רֹאשׁ֔וֹ | rosho | head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ | vaiyavou | and they have come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵ֙לֶּה֙ | ʾeleh | these [craftsmen] | H428 → | 746 times |
| לְהַחֲרִ֣יד | lehacharid | to terrify | H2729 → | |
| אֹתָ֔ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְיַדּ֞וֹת | leyadot | to throw down | H3034 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| קַרְנ֣וֹת | karnot | [the] horns of | H7161 → | 76 times |
| הַגּוֹיִ֗ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| הַנֹּשְׂאִ֥ים | hanoseim | which lifted up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| קֶ֛רֶן | keren | a horn | H7161 → | 76 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֶ֥רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| יְהוּדָ֖ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| לְזָרוֹתָֽהּ׃ ס | lezarotah | to scatter it | H2219 → | 39 times |
וָאֹמַ֕רand I said
vaomarH559 →5305 times
מָ֛הwhat?
mahH4100 →752 times
אֵ֥לֶּה[are] these
ʾelehH428 →746 times
בָאִ֖יםcoming
vaimH935 →2568 times
לַֽעֲשׂ֑וֹתto do
laasotH6213 →2628 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אֵ֣לֶּהthese
ʾelehH428 →746 times
הַקְּרָנ֞וֹת[are] the horns
hakeranotH7161 →76 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
זֵ֣רוּthey scattered
zeruH2219 →39 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוּדָ֗הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
כְּפִי־according to [the] mouth of
kefi-H6310 →498 times
אִישׁ֙a man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
נָשָׂ֣אhe lifted up
nasa'H5375 →656 times
רֹאשׁ֔וֹhead his
roshoH7218 →599 times
וַיָּבֹ֤אוּand they have come
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
אֵ֙לֶּה֙these [craftsmen]
ʾelehH428 →746 times
לְהַחֲרִ֣ידto terrify
lehacharidH2729 →
אֹתָ֔ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לְיַדּ֞וֹתto throw down
leyadotH3034 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
קַרְנ֣וֹת[the] horns of
karnotH7161 →76 times
הַגּוֹיִ֗םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
הַנֹּשְׂאִ֥יםwhich lifted up
hanoseimH5375 →656 times
קֶ֛רֶןa horn
kerenH7161 →76 times
אֶל־against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֶ֥רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
יְהוּדָ֖הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
לְזָרוֹתָֽהּ׃ סto scatter it
lezarotahH2219 →39 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 12:7And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever,…
it leads to
- Daniel 7:25
He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for…
- Revelation 12:14
But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times,…
- Daniel 8:24
His power will be great, but it will not be his own. He will cause terrible destruction and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men along with the holy people.
- Revelation 10:5–7
Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven.
- Daniel 7:25
Through
Psalms 75:10“All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.”
it leads to
- Psalms 92:10
But You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; with fine oil I have been anointed.
- Psalms 89:17
For You are the glory of their strength, and by Your favor our horn is exalted.
- Jeremiah 48:25
The horn of Moab has been cut off, and his arm is broken,” declares the LORD.
- Psalms 101:8
Every morning I will remove all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.
- Psalms 92:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Zechariah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 598: “Two Visions” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.