The Meaning of Zechariah 7:12 Explained

Zechariah 7:12

KJV: Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

YLT: And their heart they have made adamant, Against hearing the law, and the words, That Jehovah of Hosts sent by His Spirit, By the hand of the former prophets, And their is great wrath from Jehovah of Hosts.

Darby: And they made their heart as an adamant, that they should not hear the law, and the words that Jehovah of hosts sent by his Spirit by the hand of the former prophets: therefore was there great wrath from Jehovah of hosts.

ASV: Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which Jehovah of hosts had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets: therefore there came great wrath from Jehovah of hosts.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yea, they made  their hearts  [as] an adamant stone,  lest they should hear  the law,  and the words  which the LORD  of hosts  hath sent  in his spirit  by  the former  prophets:  therefore came a great  wrath  from the LORD  of hosts. 

What does Zechariah 7:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Zechariah 7:1-14 - The Penalty Of Injustice And Cruelty
During their captivity the Jews observed four feasts. That of the 10th month recalled the first enclosure of Jerusalem by the enemies' lines; of the 4th the capture of the city; of the 5th the destruction by fire of the Temple; of the 7th the murder of Gedaliah. The national life was depressed by this constant memory of disaster. It seemed incongruous to act thus, when the Holy City was rising from the dust. Surely the lamentations which were befitting in Babylon, were out of place now. A deputation was therefore sent to inquire the views of the leaders. Zechariah gave four separate answers to the request. In Zechariah 7:4-7 he suggests that as these fasts had been set up by themselves, they were at liberty to discontinue them, and the main question was whether they were pondering the teachings and warnings of the older prophets. In Zechariah 7:8-14 he implored them not to yield to the obtuseness and disobedience of their fathers, in order that no second catastrophe should cast them back to the disasters they had suffered. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 7

1  The captives enquire concerning the set fasts
4  Zechariah reproves the hypocrisy of their fasting
8  Sin the cause of their captivity

What do the individual words in Zechariah 7:12 mean?

And Yes their hearts they made like flint refusing to hear - the law and the words which had sent Yahweh of hosts by His Spirit through the prophets former thus came wrath great from of hosts
וְלִבָּ֞ם שָׂ֣מוּ שָׁמִ֗יר מִ֠שְּׁמוֹעַ אֶת־ הַתּוֹרָ֤ה וְאֶת־ הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁלַ֜ח יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ בְּרוּח֔וֹ בְּיַ֖ד הַנְּבִיאִ֣ים הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֑ים וַֽיְהִי֙ קֶ֣צֶף גָּד֔וֹל מֵאֵ֖ת צְבָאֽוֹת

וְלִבָּ֞ם  And  Yes  their  hearts 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
שָׂ֣מוּ  they  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
שָׁמִ֗יר  like  flint 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמִיר 
Sense: thorn(s), adamant, flint.
מִ֠שְּׁמוֹעַ  refusing  to  hear 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
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.
הַתּוֹרָ֤ה  the  law 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
הַדְּבָרִים֙  the  words 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
שָׁלַ֜ח  had  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
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.
בְּרוּח֔וֹ  by  His  Spirit 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
בְּיַ֖ד  through 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הַנְּבִיאִ֣ים  the  prophets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֑ים  former 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
וַֽיְהִי֙  thus  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
קֶ֣צֶף  wrath 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶצֶף 
Sense: wrath, anger.
גָּד֔וֹל  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
צְבָאֽוֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.