Zechariah 1:9
in Zechariah 1“What are these, my lord?” I asked. And the angel who was speaking with me replied, “I will show you what they are.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are.
KJV
Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
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This verse in Zechariah 1
Commentary
12 notes on this verseI will hear what the Lord God speaks within me. The prophet prays on behalf of the people, and he who speaks within himself while God speaks, and he says, I will hear what the Lord God speaks within me. You see that God speaks not in the ears but in the heart; just as Zechariah too says: "And the angel who spoke within me said to me." There the angel is understood to be our Lord, who announces the will of the Father, who in Isaiah is called the "angel of great counsel."
This site's exposition
Upon the four and twentieth day
on Zechariah 1:7-13
Three months later, on the twenty-fourth of Shebat, the first of eight night visions opens: a rider on a red horse among the myrtle trees in a ravine, with red, speckled and white horses behind him, patrol-angels who have walked to and fro through the earth and report that all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest. The report is the vision's irony, the Persian world at ease while Jerusalem and the cities of Judah lie under the Lord's own indignation these threescore and ten years, the seventy years of Jeremiah's prophecy apparently expired without the promised restoration arriving in full. The angel of the Lord himself intercedes, how long wilt thou not have mercy, and the Lord answers with good words and comfortable words, the vision's crisis resolved before it is explained to the prophet.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Verse 8 and following) I saw during the night: and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the ravine, and behind him there were red, sorrel, and white horses. And I said, 'What are these, my lord?' And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, 'I will show you what these are.' And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, 'These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.'
Likewise, who will tell with what bodies angels appear to people, in such fashion as not to be visible but to be tangible? And again how, not through tangible corporeality but by spiritual power, angels produce certain visions, not to the eyes of the body but to those of the spirit or the mind, or can utter speech, not of the ear from without, but within the soul of humans, being themselves placed there, as is written in the book of the prophets: "And the angel that spoke in me said to me" (for what the prophet says is not "that spoke to me," but "in me").… They appear also in sleep and speak through dreams (for we read in the Gospel: "Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying"). These methods of communication tend to show that the angels have intangible bodies, and make it a very difficult question how the patriarchs could wash the feet of angels, and how Jacob could wrestle with an angel in contact so unmistakable. Asking these questions and answering them with such guesses as we can is not a useless exercise for the mind, if the discussion is kept within bounds and if those who take part avoid the error of thinking they know what they do not know. For what need is there of affirming or denying or making nice distinctions about these and similar matters, when ignorance of them imputes no blame?
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
O my Lord - This was Christ, the Lord of hosts. What are these - What is the meaning of these appearances. The angel - Christ, the angel of the covenant.
Then said I, O my Lord,.... These are the words of the Prophet Zechariah to the angel that showed him this vision: what are these? what is the meaning of this vision? particularly who are meant by the horses, red, speckled, and white, and those upon them?
Would we be acquainted with the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, we must make our application, not to angels (they are themselves learners), but to Christ himself, who is alone able to take the book, and open the seals, Rev. v. 7 . The prophet's question implies a humble acknowledgment of his own ignorance and an earnest desire to be informed.
5 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century5 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
What are these? - He asks, not who, but what they import. The angel that talked with me - Literally, “spake in me.” The very rare expression seems meant to convey the thought of an inward speaking, whereby the words should be borne directly into the soul, without the intervention of the ordinary outward organs. God says to Moses, “If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make Myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak (literally) in him in a dream.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
6:4), that is, the interpreting angel. The Hebrew for "with me," or, "in me" (Nu 12:8), implies internal, intimate communication [JEROME]. show thee--reveal to thy mental vision.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
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.
O my lord, what are these - The angel here mentioned was distinct from those mentioned in the eighth verse; he who talked with the prophet, Zec 1:13.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
to walk to and fro on the earth To see the tranquility of the nations.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֹמַ֖ר | vaomar | and I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מָה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אֵ֣לֶּה | ʾeleh | [are] these | H428 → | 746 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֑י | ʾadoni | O lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלַ֗י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמַּלְאָךְ֙ | hamalokh | the angel | H4397 → | 213 times |
| הַדֹּבֵ֣ר | hadover | who was speaking | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| בִּ֔י | bi | with me | ||
| אֲנִ֥י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אַרְאֶ֖ךָּ | ʾareka | I will show you | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| מָה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| הֵ֥מָּה | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| אֵֽלֶּה׃ | ʾeleh | [are] these | H428 → | 746 times |
וָאֹמַ֖רand I said
vaomarH559 →5305 times
מָה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
אֵ֣לֶּה[are] these
ʾelehH428 →746 times
אֲדֹנִ֑יO lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלַ֗יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
הַמַּלְאָךְ֙the angel
hamalokhH4397 →213 times
הַדֹּבֵ֣רwho was speaking
hadoverH1696 →1141 times
בִּ֔יwith me
bi
אֲנִ֥יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
אַרְאֶ֖ךָּI will show you
ʾarekaH7200 →1300 times
מָה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
הֵ֥מָּהthey
hemahH1992 →553 times
אֵֽלֶּה׃[are] these
ʾelehH428 →746 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
Genesis 31:11In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’
it leads to
- Isaiah 58:9
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry out, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and…
- Genesis 31:13
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”
- Genesis 18:17
And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
- Genesis 48:15–16
Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
- 1 Samuel 3:6
Once again the LORD called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “My son, I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and…
- Isaiah 58:9
Through
Zechariah 2:3Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and another angel came out to meet him
it leads to
- Zechariah 1:19
So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he told me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
- Zechariah 1:8–11
I looked out into the night and saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the hollow, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.
- Zechariah 5:5
Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and told me, “Now lift up your eyes and see what is approaching.”
- Zechariah 1:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
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About Zechariah
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Enchiridion 15; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 598: “Two Visions” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS, ALTERNATE SERIES 64; Jerome, Commentary on Zechariah; 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.