The Meaning of Zechariah 1:20 Explained

Zechariah 1:20

KJV: And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.

YLT: And Jehovah doth shew me four artisans.

Darby: And Jehovah shewed me four craftsmen.

ASV: And Jehovah showed me four smiths.

Discover Zechariah 1:20

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Zechariah 1:20?

MEANING: What does Zechariah 1:20 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Zechariah 1:20 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Zechariah 1:20?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  shewed  me four  carpenters. 

What does Zechariah 1:20 Mean?

Study Notes

And the Lord
The word charash, trans. "carpenter," is lit. carver, engraver. Zechariah 1:21 makes it plain that, whatever the four carvers may be, they are used to "fray," or carve away (Heb. charad) in the sense of diminishing, enfeebling, the great Gentile world-powers. They may stand for Jehovah's "four sore judgments," the sword, famine, evil beasts, and pestilence Ezekiel 14:21 the four horses of Revelation 6.

Verse Meaning

Then the Lord showed Zechariah four smiths (Heb. harashim, lit. workers in metal, craftsmen). Either the Lord Himself pointed them out or the Lord did so through Zechariah"s guiding angel.

Context Summary

Zechariah 1:18-21 - The Redemption Of Jerusalem
The work of Temple-building had ceased for fifteen years and the new resolve to arise and build might meet with a similar fate. But the four horns met with four carpenters. For Babylon the carpenter was Cyrus; for Persia, Alexander the Great; for Greece, the Roman; for Rome, the Gaul. No weapon that is formed to thwart God's purposes can prosper. The young man with the measuring line embodied the new spirit animating the returned exiles. But God was intending to give more prosperity and increase than could be contained in walls. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 1

1  Zechariah exhorts to repentance
7  The vision of the horses
12  At the prayer of the angel comfortable promises are made to Jerusalem
18  The vision of the four horns and the four carpenters

What do the individual words in Zechariah 1:20 mean?

And showed me Yahweh four craftsmen
וַיַּרְאֵ֣נִי יְהוָ֔ה אַרְבָּעָ֖ה חָרָשִֽׁים

וַיַּרְאֵ֣נִי  And  showed  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אַרְבָּעָ֖ה  four 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
חָרָשִֽׁים  craftsmen 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֶרֶשׁ 
Sense: craftsman, artisan, engraver, graver, artificer.

What are the major concepts related to Zechariah 1:20?

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