The Meaning of Zechariah 1:6 Explained

Zechariah 1:6

KJV: But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

YLT: Only, My words, and My statutes, That I commanded My servants the prophets, Have they not overtaken your fathers, And they turn back and say: As Jehovah of Hosts designed to do to us, According to our ways, and according to our doings, So He hath done to us?'

Darby: But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? And they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

ASV: But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? and they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But my words  and my statutes,  which I commanded  my servants  the prophets,  did they not take hold  of your fathers?  and they returned  and said,  Like as the LORD  of hosts  thought  to do  unto us, according to our ways,  and according to our doings,  so hath he dealt  with us. 

What does Zechariah 1:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Zechariah 1:1-17 - A Vision Of Pardon And Restoration
Zechariah does not slur over the sins of the past, but lays stress on the divine forgiveness. His only fear is lest God should call in vain, and the people refuse as their fathers did. Notice the repetition of God's title, Lord of Hosts, five times in the first six verses. The enemy's armies were vast, but the protecting hosts, vaster. A glimpse of these hosts is given in the following vision. A green valley, filled with myrtles, the emblem of humility, where the prophet may have been wont to meditate, seemed alive with mysterious figures, who had been patrolling the earth, and announced that it was peace, for these were the days of Cyrus' illustrious reign. Notice the frequent reference to his celestial friend, Zechariah 1:9; Zechariah 1:14; Zechariah 1:19; Zechariah 4:1; Zechariah 4:4-5; Zechariah 5:5; Zechariah 5:10; Zechariah 6:4. The future was bright with promise, Zechariah 1:16-17. [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 1:6 mean?

yet surely My words and My statutes which I commanded - My servants the prophets did not they overtake your fathers so they returned and said just as determined Yahweh of hosts to do to us According to our ways and according to our deeds so He has dealt with us -
אַ֣ךְ ׀ דְּבָרַ֣י וְחֻקַּ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר צִוִּ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־ עֲבָדַ֣י הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים הֲל֥וֹא הִשִּׂ֖יגוּ ؟ אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וַיָּשׁ֣וּבוּ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר זָמַ֜ם יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת לָ֔נוּ כִּדְרָכֵ֙ינוּ֙ וּכְמַ֣עֲלָלֵ֔ינוּ כֵּ֖ן עָשָׂ֥ה אִתָּֽנוּ ס

אַ֣ךְ ׀  yet  surely 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
דְּבָרַ֣י  My  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
וְחֻקַּ֗י  and  My  statutes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
צִוִּ֙יתִי֙  I  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֲבָדַ֣י  My  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים  the  prophets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
הֲל֥וֹא  did  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הִשִּׂ֖יגוּ  they  overtake 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מַשֶּׂגֶת 
Sense: to reach, overtake, take hold upon.
؟ אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֑ם  your  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וַיָּשׁ֣וּבוּ  so  they  returned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר  just  as 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
זָמַ֜ם  determined 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָמַם  
Sense: to have a thought, devise, plan, consider, purpose.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָאוֹת֙  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת  to  do 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָ֔נוּ  to  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
כִּדְרָכֵ֙ינוּ֙  According  to  our  ways 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, common plural construct, first person common plural
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
וּכְמַ֣עֲלָלֵ֔ינוּ  and  according  to  our  deeds 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: מַעֲלִיל 
Sense: deed, practice.
כֵּ֖ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
עָשָׂ֥ה  He  has  dealt 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אִתָּֽנוּ  with  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation