Zechariah 4
Expanded Bible
The Vision of the Lampstand
4 Then the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me returned and woke me up as if I had been asleep. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?”
I said, “I see a solid gold ·lampstand [menorah] with a bowl at the top. And there are seven lamps and also seven ·places [pipes; spouts] for wicks. 3 There are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on the left.”
4 I asked the ·angel [messenger] who talked with me, “·Sir [My lord], what are these?”
5 ·The angel [L He] said, “Don’t you know what they are?”
“No, sir,” I said.
6 Then he told me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘·You will not succeed by your own strength or by your own power [T Not by might, nor by power], but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
7 “Who are you, ·big [mighty; great] mountain? ·In front of [Compared with] Zerubbabel you will become ·flat land [a level plain], and he will bring out the ·topmost stone [capstone], ·shouting [or amid shouting], ‘·It’s beautiful! It’s beautiful [or Blessings, Blessings upon it; L Grace, Grace to it]!’”
8 Then the ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me again, saying, 9 “[L The hands of] Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of this ·Temple [L house; Ezra 3:7–13], and he will complete it [Ezra 6:13–18]. Then you will know that the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has sent me to you.
10 “·The people should not think that small beginnings are unimportant [L For who despises the day of small things?]. ·They [or These seven eyes] will ·be happy [rejoice] when they see Zerubbabel with ·tools [or his plumb line; or the chosen capstone], building the Temple.
“(These are the seven eyes of the Lord, which look back and forth across the earth.)”
11 Then I asked the ·angel [messenger], “What are the two olive ·trees [or branches] on the right and left of the lampstand?”
12 ·I also [or Again I] asked him, “What are the two olive branches beside the two gold pipes, from which the olive oil ·flows to the lamps [pours out]?”
13 He answered, “Don’t you know what they are?”
“No, ·sir [my lord],” I said.
14 So he said, “They are symbols of the two ·who have been appointed to serve [anointed ones who stand by] the Lord of all the earth.”
Zechariah 4
Amplified Bible
The Golden Lampstand and Olive Trees
4 And the angel who was speaking with me came back and awakened me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2 He said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a [a]lampstand all of gold, with its bowl [for oil] on the top of it and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it.(A) 3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side [supplying it continuously with oil].”(B) 4 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who was speaking with me answered me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he said to me, “This [continuous supply of oil] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel [prince of Judah], saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of whom the oil is a symbol],’ says the Lord of hosts. 7 ‘What are you, O great mountain [of obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who will rebuild the temple] you will become a plain (insignificant)! And he will bring out the capstone [of the new temple] with loud shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”(C)
8 Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know (recognize, understand fully) that the Lord of hosts has sent me [as His messenger] to you. 10 Who [with reason] despises the day of small things (beginnings)? For these [b]seven [eyes] shall rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord which roam throughout the earth.”(D)
11 Then I said to him [who was speaking with me], “What are these two olive trees on the right side of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And a second time I said to him, “What are these two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes by which the golden oil is emptied?” 13 And he answered me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two [c]sons of fresh oil [Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the prince of Judah] who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth [as His anointed ones].”(E)
Footnotes
- Zechariah 4:2 The lampstand may symbolize Israel as a light to the nations.
- Zechariah 4:10 The seven eyes reflect God’s oversight of the world and its inhabitants, and His pleasure in the construction of the temple.
- Zechariah 4:14 The oil used in anointing symbolizes the Holy Spirit (v 6). The combination of priest and ruler points ultimately to the Messianic Priest-King (Ps 110; Zech 6:13; Heb 7).
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