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Zechariah 1:6

in Zechariah 1

But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? and they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

KJV

But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

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This verse in Zechariah 1

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Zechariah · Written before 420.

(Vers. 5, 6.) Where are your fathers and the prophets? Will they live forever? However, my words and my ordinances that I commanded my servants the prophets, did not your fathers understand them? And they turned and said: Just as the Lord of hosts planned to do to us according to our ways and according to our inventions, He has done to us. LXX: Where are your fathers and the prophets? Will they live forever? However, listen to my words and accept my law, which I command in my spirit to my servants, the prophets who have understood your ancestors.

This site's exposition

In the eighth month

on Zechariah 1:1-6

The date fixes the moment precisely: the eighth month of Darius's second year, roughly October 520 BC, two months after Haggai's first oracle and while the temple foundation still lay stalled. Zechariah's opening word is not a vision but a plain summons to repentance, framed as a two-way turning, Turn ye unto me... and I will turn unto you, the covenant relationship restored from the human side first. The fathers who ignored the former prophets are held up as a warning, and the returned exiles themselves are made to confess the point: Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, so hath he dealt with us, the exile itself standing as proof that the prophetic word does not fail.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Sero sapiunt Phryges--It is late before the Phrygians become wise. This after-wit, as it is a proof of the truth of God, so it is a proof of the folly of men, who will look no further than they can see.

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

My words - The dreadful menaces which I spake. My statutes - The decreed judgments which I resolved to execute on them, which by my prophets I proclaimed.
But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Did they not take hold of your fathers? - Every thing happened according to the predictions, and they were obliged to acknowledge this; and yet they would not turn from their evil way.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

statutes--My determined purposes to punish for sin. which I commanded my servants--namely, to announce to your fathers. did they not take hold--that is, overtake, as a foe overtakes one fleeing. they returned--Turning from their former self-satisfaction, they recognized their punishment as that which God's prophets had foretold. thought to do--that is, decreed to do.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

1 more voice on this verse

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Only My words and My decrees - Which God spake by them, “did not they overtake them?” (as Psa 2:7; Zep 2:2). Pagan reminiscence of God’s justice acknowledged , “Rarely hath punishment with limping tread parted with the forerunning miscreant.” “All these curses,” Moses foretells, “shall come upon thee and overtake thee, until thou art destroyed” Deu 28:45. And they returned to God and said - The history of the Jews in Babylon is omitted in Holy Scripture, except as to His special dealings with Daniel and his three companions. Yet Jeremiah confesses in words, what Zechariah had apparently in his mind; “The Lord hath done that which He purposed; He hath fulfilled His word, which He commanded in the days of old” Lam 2:17. The Lamentations are one long confession of deserved punishment, such as Daniel too made in the name of his people with himself Dan 9:4-16. It was one long waiting for God and for the restoration of His visible worship. Yet repentance was a condition of their restoration.

The words behind it

24 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • אַ֣ךְ׀nevertheless

    ʾakhH389 →

  • דְּבָרַ֣יwords my

    devaraiH1697 →1440 times

  • וְחֻקַּ֗יand statutes my

    vechukaiH2706 →

  • אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • צִוִּ֙יתִי֙I commanded

    tzivitiH6680 →

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • עֲבָדַ֣יservants my

    ʾavadaiH5650 →799 times

  • הַנְּבִיאִ֔יםthe prophets

    haneviimH5030 →314 times

  • הֲל֥וֹא¿ not

    halo'H3808 →5168 times

  • הִשִּׂ֖יגוּdid they overtake

    hisiguH5381 →

  • אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֑םancestors your

    ʾavoteikhemH1 →1212 times

  • וַיָּשׁ֣וּבוּand they repented

    vaiyashuvuH7725 →1056 times

  • וַיֹּאמְר֗וּand they said

    vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times

  • כַּאֲשֶׁ֨רjust as

    kaasherH834 →5497 times

  • זָמַ֜םhe planned

    zamamH2161 →13 times

  • יְהוָ֤הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • צְבָאוֹת֙of hosts

    tzevaotH6635 →485 times

  • לַעֲשׂ֣וֹתto do

    laasotH6213 →2628 times

  • לָ֔נוּto us

    lanu

  • כִּדְרָכֵ֙ינוּ֙according to ways our

    kidrakheinuH1870 →707 times

  • וּכְמַ֣עֲלָלֵ֔ינוּand according to deeds our

    ukhemaalaleinuH4611 →

  • כֵּ֖ןso

    kenH3651 →771 times

  • עָשָׂ֥הhe has done

    ʾasahH6213 →2628 times

  • אִתָּֽנוּ׃ סwith us

    ʾitanuH854 →929 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Jeremiah 29:11For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.79 worksDeuteronomy 28:2And all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the voice of the LORD your God:16 worksJeremiah 1:10See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”13 worksIsaiah 40:8The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”10 worksLamentations 2:17The LORD has done what He planned; He has accomplished His decree, which He ordained in days of old; He has overthrown you without pity. He has let the enemy gloat over you and exalted the horn of your foes.8 worksEzekiel 12:25–28because I, the LORD, will speak whatever word I speak, and it will be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak a message and bring it to pass, declares the Lord GOD.’”7 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Deuteronomy 28:15If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:6 worksMatthew 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.5 worksJeremiah 23:20The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has fully accomplished the purposes of His heart. In the days to come you will understand this clearly.5 worksJeremiah 5:14Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.5 worksNumbers 23:19God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?4 worksJeremiah 44:28Those who escape the sword will return from Egypt to Judah, few in number, and the whole remnant of Judah who went to dwell in the land of Egypt will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs!4 worksDaniel 9:11–12All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey Your voice; so the oath and the curse written in the Law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You.4 worksAmos 9:10All the sinners among My people will die by the sword—all those who say, ‘Disaster will never draw near or confront us.’”4 worksIsaiah 44:26who confirms the message of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, and I will restore their ruins,’4 works2 Kings 10:10Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah.”4 worksHosea 5:9Ephraim will be laid waste on the day of rebuke. Among the tribes of Israel I proclaim what is certain.4 worksIsaiah 21:17The remaining archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” For the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.4 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Matthew 24:35

    Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 55:11

      so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Isaiah 40:8

      The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

    • 1 Peter 1:25

      but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

    • Numbers 23:19

      God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

    • Matthew 5:18

      For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 28:15

    If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

    it leads to

    • Leviticus 26:14–46

      If, however, you fail to obey Me and to carry out all these commandments,

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Malachi 2:2

      If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to honor My name,” says the LORD of Hosts, “I will send a curse among you, and I will curse…

  • Through

    Jeremiah 23:20

    The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has fully accomplished the purposes of His heart. In the days to come you will understand this clearly.

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 30:24

      The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has fully accomplished the purposes of His heart. In the days to come you will understand this.

Where this verse is studied

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About Zechariah

Zechariah's Vision of Four Chariots, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Zechariah's Vision of Four Chariots, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Zechariah: the study guide →Read Zechariah 1 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Zechariah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.

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