Zechariah 2
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Third Vision: A Man With a Measuring Line
2 Then I looked up, and I saw a man standing there with a measuring line in his hand.[a] 2 I asked him, “Where are you going?”
He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to determine its width and its length.”
3 At that moment, when the angel who was speaking with me was about to leave, another angel came to meet him and 4 said, “Run and tell this young man that Jerusalem will be inhabited as a city without walls because of the large number of people and livestock in it. 5 For I myself will be a wall of fire around it, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory within it.”
6 Attention! This is urgent! Flee from the land of the north, declares the Lord, for I have scattered you as the four winds of the heavens, declares the Lord.
7 Attention, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For this is what the Lord of Armies says. For the sake of his glory he sent me to the nations that plundered you, because whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye.[b][c] 9 Yes, I myself will swing my hand over them, and they will become plunder for their own slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me.
10 Sing loudly and rejoice, daughter of Zion. Yes, look! I am coming, and I will dwell among you, declares the Lord. 11 Many nations will be joined to the Lord on that day, and they will become my people. I will dwell among you, and you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you. 12 Then the Lord will take possession of Judah as his special portion of the holy soil, and he will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Keep silent before the Lord, all flesh, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 2:1 English verses 2:1-13 are verses 2:5-17 in Hebrew.
- Zechariah 2:8 The term apple of the eye is an old English idiom for the pupil of the eye. Literally, the Hebrew reads daughter or gate of the eye.
- Zechariah 2:8 His eye is the reading in the main body of the Hebrew text. This reading could be understood as a statement of an angel referring to God’s eye or as the Angel of the Lord referring to the eye of God the Father. An alternate Hebrew reading is my eye. This would likely refer to the Angel of the Lord speaking of himself. A secondary issue in regard to the variant is whether some scribes had an aversion to speaking of touching God’s eye.
Zechariah 2
Lexham English Bible
Zechariah’s Third Vision
2 And I looked up[a] and I saw, and look, a man, and in his hand was a measuring rope! 2 And I asked, “Where are you going?” And he answered me, “To measure Jerusalem to see what is its width and what is its length.” 3 And look, the angel who was talking to me was coming forward, and another angel was coming forward to meet him. 4 And he said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited like villages without walls[b] because of the multitude of people and animals in its midst. 5 And I will be for it a wall of fire all around,’ declares[c] Yahweh, ‘and I will be the glory in its midst.’”
6 “Woe! Woe! Flee from the land of the north,” declares[d] Yahweh, “for I have scattered you like the four winds of the heavens,” declares[e] Yahweh. 7 “Woe, Zion! Escape, you inhabitants of the daughter of Babylon!” 8 For thus said Yahweh of hosts, after glory[f] he sent me against the nations plundering you: Truly, the one touching you is touching the apple[g] of his eye. 9 “Yes, look! I am going to wave my hand against them, and they will become plunder for their servants, and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me. 10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for look, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares[h] Yahweh. 11 “Many nations will join themselves to Yahweh on that day, and they will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst. And you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me to you. 12 And Yahweh will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land,[i] and he will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all people,[j] before Yahweh, for he is roused from his holy dwelling.”[k]
Footnotes
- Zechariah 2:1 Literally “lifted up my eyes”
- Zechariah 2:4 Literally “like open regions”
- Zechariah 2:5 Literally “a declaration of”
- Zechariah 2:6 Literally “a declaration of”
- Zechariah 2:6 Literally “a declaration of”
- Zechariah 2:8 The phrase “after glory” is difficult to interpret
- Zechariah 2:8 Hebrew “pupil,” but the expression “apple of his eye” has become well-established in English
- Zechariah 2:10 Literally “a declaration of”
- Zechariah 2:12 Literally “upon the land of the holiness”
- Zechariah 2:13 Literally “all flesh”
- Zechariah 2:13 Literally “the dwelling place of his holiness”
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