The Meaning of Zechariah 6:1 Explained

Zechariah 6:1

KJV: And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.

YLT: And I turn back, and lift up mine eyes, and look, and lo, four chariots are coming forth from between two of the mountains, and the mountains are mountains of brass.

Darby: And I lifted up mine eyes again, and saw, and behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.

ASV: And again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.

Discover Zechariah 6:1

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Zechariah 6:1?

MEANING: What does Zechariah 6:1 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Zechariah 6:1 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Zechariah 6:1?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I turned,  and lifted up  mine eyes,  and looked,  and, behold, there came  four  chariots  out  from between two  mountains;  and the mountains  [were] mountains  of brass. 

What does Zechariah 6:1 Mean?

Study Notes

four chariots
The interpretation of the tenth vision must be governed by the authoritative declaration of Zechariah 6:5 . That which is symbolized by the four chariots with their horses is not the four world-empires of Daniel, but "the four spirits of heaven which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth" ( Zechariah 6:5 ). These "spirits" are angels; Luke 1:19 ; Hebrews 1:14 and are most naturally interpreted of the four angels of; Revelation 7:1-3 ; Revelation 9:14 ; Revelation 9:15 . These have also a ministry earthward, and of like nature with the "spirits" of Zechariah 6:1-8 . viz. judgment. The symbol (chariots and horses) is in perfect harmony with this. Always in Scripture symbolism they stand for the power of God earthward in judgment.; Jeremiah 46:9 ; Jeremiah 46:10 ; Joel 2:3-11 , Nahum 3:1-7 . The vision, then, speaks of the Lord's judgments upon the Gentile nations north and south in the day of the Lord; Isaiah 2:10-22 ; Revelation 19:11-21 .

Verse Meaning

The next thing Zechariah saw in his night visions was four chariots coming out from between two bronze mountains. Due to the increasing repetition of "come forth" or "go forth" (Heb. yasa") through the series of eight visions, the careful reader feels a developing sense of intensity in the activity being described that reaches its climax in this vision ( Zechariah 6:8). Chariots were instruments of judgment, and bronze is a color that often carries this connotation in Scripture (cf. Exodus 27:2; Numbers 21:9). William Kelly and others believed the four chariots represent the four great kingdoms in Daniel"s prophecy ( Daniel 2; Daniel 7). [1] This seems unlikely. [2]
Bronze was used to defend against attackers ( Isaiah 2:10-22; Jeremiah 1:18), so perhaps impregnability is also in view. Some interpreters believed the color bronze was due to the rising sun. This results, in the interpretations of some, in the first vision taking place at evening and the last at sunrise. [3] Leupold referred to the commentators who take this view as letting "their fancy play at this point." [4]
Perhaps the mountains represent the gateway to heaven from which these agents of judgment come. [5] Another more probable view is that they were Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives with the valley between being the Kidron Valley. [6] A third possibility is that they are the two parts of the Mount of Olives that will split apart when Messiah returns to the earth (cf. Zechariah 14:1-8). Nevertheless they are "bronze."
"Always in Scripture symbolism, they [7] stand for the power of God earthward in judgment ( Jeremiah 46:9-10; Joel 2:3-11; Nahum 3:1-7). The vision, then, speaks of the LORD"s judgments upon the Gentile nations north and south in the day of the LORD ( Isaiah 45:2; Revelation 19:11-21)." [8]

Context Summary

Zechariah 6:1-15 - The Vision Of The Chariots
This is a vision of protection and deliverance. Four chariots issue from the mountains around Jerusalem. The colors of the horses represent the commission that the drivers were to execute against the nations. Black denoted defeat and despair; the bay acted as a patrol of defence. Note the closing incident, which foreshadowed the union of the offices of priesthood and kingship in the person of our Lord. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 6

1  The vision of the four chariots
9  By the crowns of Joshua are shown the temple and kingdom of Christ the Branch

What do the individual words in Zechariah 6:1 mean?

And I turned and raised my eyes and looked and behold four chariots [were] coming from between two mountains and the mountains [were] mountains of bronze
וָאָשֻׁ֗ב וָאֶשָּׂ֤א עֵינַי֙ וָֽאֶרְאֶ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה אַרְבַּ֤ע מַרְכָּבוֹת֙ יֹֽצְא֔וֹת מִבֵּ֖ין שְׁנֵ֣י הֶֽהָרִ֑ים וְהֶהָרִ֖ים הָרֵ֥י נְחֹֽשֶׁת

וָאָשֻׁ֗ב  And  I  turned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וָאֶשָּׂ֤א  and  raised 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
עֵינַי֙  my  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וָֽאֶרְאֶ֔ה  and  looked 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וְהִנֵּ֨ה  and  behold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
אַרְבַּ֤ע  four 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
מַרְכָּבוֹת֙  chariots 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: מֶרְכָּבָה  
Sense: chariot.
יֹֽצְא֔וֹת  [were]  coming 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מִבֵּ֖ין  from  between 
Parse: Preposition-m
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
שְׁנֵ֣י  two 
Parse: Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
הֶֽהָרִ֑ים  mountains 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
וְהֶהָרִ֖ים  and  the  mountains  [were] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
הָרֵ֥י  mountains 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
נְחֹֽשֶׁת  of  bronze 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְחֹשֶׁת 
Sense: copper, bronze.

What are the major concepts related to Zechariah 6:1?

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