The Meaning of Zechariah 7:13 Explained

Zechariah 7:13

KJV: Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:

YLT: And it cometh to pass, as He called, And they have not hearkened, So do they call, and I do not hearken, Said Jehovah of Hosts.

Darby: And it came to pass, like as he called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear, saith Jehovah of hosts;

ASV: And it is come to pass that, as he cried, and they would not hear, so they shall cry, and I will not hear, said Jehovah of hosts;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore it is come to pass, [that] as he cried,  and they would not hear;  so they cried,  and I would not hear,  saith  the LORD  of hosts: 

What does Zechariah 7:13 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 7:13 mean?

Therefore it came to pass [that] just as He proclaimed and not they would hear so they called out I would listen says Yahweh of hosts
וַיְהִ֥י כַאֲשֶׁר־ קָרָ֖א וְלֹ֣א שָׁמֵ֑עוּ כֵּ֤ן יִקְרְאוּ֙ אֶשְׁמָ֔ע אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת

וַיְהִ֥י  Therefore  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כַאֲשֶׁר־  [that]  just  as 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
קָרָ֖א  He  proclaimed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁמֵ֑עוּ  they  would  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
כֵּ֤ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יִקְרְאוּ֙  they  called  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
אֶשְׁמָ֔ע  I  would  listen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אָמַ֖ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָאֽוֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.