Zechariah 4
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
4 And the angel who talked with me came again and awakened me, like a man who is wakened out of his sleep.
2 And said to me, What do you see? I said, I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl [for oil] on the top of it and its seven lamps on it, and [there are] seven pipes to each of the seven lamps which are upon the top of it.(A)
3 And there are two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl and the other upon the left side of it [feeding it continuously with oil].(B)
4 So I asked the angel who talked with me, What are these, my lord?
5 Then the angel who talked with me answered me, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, my lord.
6 Then he said to me, This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts.
7 For who are you, O great mountain [of human obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who with Joshua had led the return of the exiles from Babylon and was undertaking the rebuilding of the temple, before him] you shall become a plain [a mere [a]molehill]! And he shall bring forth the finishing gable stone [of the new temple] with loud shoutings of the people, crying, Grace, grace to it!(C)
8 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this house; his hands shall also finish it. Then you shall know (recognize and understand) that the Lord of hosts has sent me [His messenger] to you.
10 Who [with reason] despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice when they see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. [These seven] are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro throughout the whole earth.(D)
11 Then I said to him [the angel who talked with me], What are these two olive trees on the right side of the lampstand and on the left side of it?
12 And a second time I said to him, What are these two olive branches which are beside the two golden tubes or spouts by which the golden oil is emptied out?
13 And he answered me, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, my lord.
14 Then said he, These are the two [b]sons of oil [Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the prince of Judah, the two anointed ones] who stand before the Lord of the whole earth [as His anointed instruments].(E)
Footnotes
- Zechariah 4:7 This recalls the familiar proverb about “making mountains out of molehills,” with a surprising twist.
- Zechariah 4:14 The oil used in anointing symbolizes the Holy Spirit (Zech. 4:6). The combination of priest and ruler points ultimately to the Messianic Priest-King (Ps. 110; Zech. 6:13; Heb. 7).
Zechariah 4
English Standard Version
A Vision of a Golden Lampstand
4 And (A)the angel who talked with me came again (B)and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, (C)a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and (D)seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 And there are (E)two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4 And I said to (F)the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, (G)“Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to (H)Zerubbabel: (I)Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 Who are you, (J)O great mountain? Before (K)Zerubbabel (L)you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward (M)the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 (N)“The hands of (O)Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also (P)complete it. (Q)Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10 (R)For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see (S)the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
(T)“These seven (U)are the eyes of the Lord, (V)which range through the whole earth.” 11 Then I said to him, “What are these (W)two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these (X)two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil[a] is poured out?” 13 He said to me, (Y)“Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, (Z)“These are the two anointed ones[b] who stand by (AA)the Lord of the whole earth.”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 4:12 Hebrew lacks oil
- Zechariah 4:14 Hebrew two sons of new oil
Zechariah 4
Wycliffe Bible
4 And the angel turned again, that spake in me, and raised me, as a man that is raised (up out) of his sleep. (And the angel who spoke to me, returned, and raised me up, like a man who is raised up from his sleep.)
2 And he said to me, What seest thou? And I said, I saw, and lo! a candlestick all of gold, and the lamp thereof on the head thereof, and seven lanterns thereof on it, and seven vessels for to hold oil to the lanterns, that were on the head thereof. (And he said to me, What seest thou? And I said, Lo! I see a gold candlestick, and a lamp on top of it, and seven lanterns on it, and seven vessels to hold oil for the lanterns, on top of them.)
3 And two olives thereon, one of the right half of the lamp, and another on the left half thereof. (And two olive trees beside it, one on the right side of the lamp, and the other on its left side.)
4 And I answered, and said to the angel that spake in me, and I said, What be these things, my lord? (And I answered, and said to the angel who spoke to me, and I said, What be these things, my lord?)
5 And the angel that spake in me, answered, and said to me, Whether thou knowest not what be these things? And I said, No, my lord. (And the angel who spoke to me, answered, and said to me, Knowest thou not what these things be? And I said, No, my lord.)
6 And he answered, and said to me, and spake, This is the word of the Lord, saying to Zerubbabel, Not in host, neither in strength, but in my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. (And he answered, and spoke to me, and said, This is the word of the Lord, saying to Zerubbabel, Not by army, nor by strength, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.)
7 Who art thou, great hill, before Zerubbabel, into plain? and he shall lead out the first stone, and shall make even grace to grace thereof. (Who art thou, great mountain, compared to Zerubbabel? nothing but a flat plain! yea, he shall lay the first stone, and shall make the last stone’s beauty equal to the beauty of the first stone.)
8 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and said,
9 The hands of Zerubbabel founded this house, and the hands of him shall perform it; and ye shall know, that the Lord of hosts sent me to you. (Zerubbabel’s hands founded this House, and his hands shall finish it; and then ye shall know, that the Lord of hosts sent me to you.)
10 Who forsooth despised little days? and they shall be glad, and shall see a stone of tin in the hand of Zerubbabel (Who hath despised the day of small things? they shall be happy, and shall see the plumb bob in Zerubbabel’s hand). These be the seven eyes of the Lord, that run about into all (the) earth.
11 And I answered, and said to him, What be these twain olives on the right half of the candlestick, and at the left half thereof? (And I answered, and said to him, What be these two olive trees on the right side of the candlestick, and on its left side?)
12 And I answered the second time, and said to him (And I spoke a second time, and asked him), What be the twain ears, either ripe fruit, of olives that be beside the two pipes of gold, in which be (the) oil vessels of gold?
13 And he said to me, and spake, Whether thou knowest not what be these things? And I said, No, my lord. (And he spoke to me, and said, Knowest thou not what these things be? And I said, No, my lord.)
14 And he said, These be two sons of oil shining, which stand nigh to the lordly governor of all earth. (And he said, These be the two sons shining with oil, who stand near to the Lord who ruleth over all the earth.)
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2001 by Terence P. Noble