Zechariah 1:15
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. | but I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease. For I was a little angry, but they have added to the calamity.’ | And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedIn Zechariah's first night vision, the LORD answers the angel's cry of "how long" for Jerusalem. He says he is jealous for Zion, and he is deeply angry with the nations that sit secure. He had been only a little angry with his people, but those nations pushed their suffering further than he intended. Zechariah 1:11Zechariah 1:12Zechariah 1:14Zechariah 1:15
SpeakingThe LORD of hosts is speaking. The angel who talked with Zechariah tells the prophet to cry out these words. Zechariah 1:14Zechariah 1:15
ToThe words were for the people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. In that same second year of Darius, Haggai and Zechariah stirred them to build the temple again. Zechariah overviewZechariah 1:3Zechariah 1:7
Also involvedThe heathen nations are the ones spoken about. The patrol reported the earth sitting still and at rest, while the nations' horns had scattered Judah. Zechariah 1:11Zechariah 1:15Zechariah 1:19Zechariah 1:21
God sets two angers side by side. His anger at his people was "but a little." His anger at the nations is "very sore," because they "helped forward the affliction," adding harm beyond what he purposed. Isaiah 47:6 says the same of Babylon: God gave his people into its hand, but it "didst shew them no mercy." Zechariah 1:15Strong's H4592Strong's H5826Strong's H7451CIsaiah 47:6
Zechariah gave these messages in Jerusalem, among the returned exiles. The vision concerns Jerusalem, the cities of Judah, and the nations that scattered them. Zechariah overviewZechariah 1:12Zechariah 1:16Zechariah 1:21
The eventsThe vision came on the 24th day of the eleventh month, Sebat, in the second year of Darius. The angel speaks of God's indignation against Jerusalem lasting seventy years. Zechariah 1:7Zechariah 1:12
WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote it. Scholarly: most agree that chapters 1-8 come from Zechariah in about 520-518 BC. Many assign chapters 9-14 to a later writer, while others hold Zechariah wrote the whole book. Zechariah overview
HereThe verse explains why God now turns toward Jerusalem with mercy. He promises that his house will be built there and that he will comfort Zion. He also promises to cast out the nations that scattered Judah. Zechariah 1:16Zechariah 1:17Zechariah 1:21
In the whole of ScriptureOther prophets say the same thing. God's anger at his people was brief, but his kindness is everlasting (Isaiah 54:8). The nations that harmed his people will be repaid, as Babylon will be (Jeremiah 51:24) and as Edom will be (Ezekiel 25:12, 17; Obadiah 1:10). Isaiah 54:8Jeremiah 51:24Ezekiel 25:12Ezekiel 25:17Obadiah 1:10
For readersGod's discipline of his own people has limits, and it ends in mercy. Those who use another's suffering as a chance for cruelty answer to him. Zechariah 1:15Zechariah 1:16Isaiah 54:8Isaiah 47:6
- at easeשַׁאֲנָן
The word means at ease or secure, and it can also mean careless or arrogant. It describes nations sitting still and at rest (verse 11) while Judah lay scattered. Strong's H7600Zechariah 1:11Zechariah 1:19
- a littleמְעַט
The word means littleness or a little. It marks God's anger at his people as limited, as in Isaiah 54:8, "In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment." Strong's H4592Isaiah 54:8
The word means evil, misery, distress, or injury. The nations "helped" for harm, adding injury to God's measured discipline. Strong's H7451CStrong's H5826Zechariah 1:15
Takeaway
God was only a little angry with his people. He is very angry with the secure nations that added to their suffering. So he returns to Jerusalem with mercy. Zechariah 1:15Zechariah 1:16
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
The world around the text
About 520-518 BC. King of Persia: Darius I (522-486 BC). Where Zechariah prophesied. A small, poor community was rebuilding the temple among the ruins of the city Babylon had burned.
Who ruled
- King of PersiaDarius I522-486 BC
Zechariah dates his messages by the years of Darius. Darius confirmed Cyrus's decree and ordered the temple work to go on at royal expense. Zechariah 1:1Zechariah 7:1Ezra 6:1-12Haggai 1:1Behistun Inscription
- Governor of JudahZerubbabelc. 520 BC
A descendant of David who led the rebuilding. "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it." Zechariah 4:6-10Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:8
- High priestJoshua the high priestc. 520 BC
Called Jeshua in Ezra. He stands in Zechariah's vision clothed in filthy garments, which are taken away, and later receives crowns as a sign. Zechariah 3:1-10Zechariah 6:11Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:2
- Persian governor "on this side the river"Tattenaic. 520 BC
The governor of the province west of the Euphrates. He asked who had allowed the building, wrote to Darius, and was told to let the work go on. Ezra 5:3-6Ezra 6:6-13
What was happening, 539 BC to 332 BC
- 539 BCWarBabylon falls to Cyrus
Cyrus king of Persia took Babylon, ending the empire that had destroyed Jerusalem. Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Cyrus Cylinder
- 538 BCGod's peopleThe first return
Cyrus let the exiles go home to build the LORD's house. About fifty thousand returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Ezra 1:1-4Ezra 2:1-2Ezra 2:64-65
- c. 536 BCGod's peopleThe foundation is laid, then the work stops
The returned exiles laid the temple's foundation with shouting and weeping. Opposition from their neighbors stopped the work until the second year of Darius. Ezra 3:10-13Ezra 4:4-5Ezra 4:24
- 525 BCWarPersia conquers Egypt
Cyrus's son Cambyses invaded and took Egypt, bringing the whole region from the Nile to the Indus under one king. Herodotus, Histories 3.1-16
- 522-521 BCWarDarius crushes the revolts
When Darius took the throne, provinces across the empire rebelled, Babylon twice. By 520 he had put them all down. Compare the riders' report in Zechariah's first vision: "all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest." Behistun InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 3.150-159Zechariah 1:11
- 520 BCGod's peopleHaggai and Zechariah stir the people to build
In Darius's second year the two prophets urged the people to take up the temple work again, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua began to build. Ezra 5:1-2Haggai 1:1-15Zechariah 1:1
- c. 520-519 BCRulersDarius confirms Cyrus's decree
Tattenai questioned the building. A search found Cyrus's decree at Achmetha, and Darius ordered the work to continue and be paid for from royal taxes. Ezra 5:3-6:12
- 515 BCBuildingThe second temple is finished
The temple was finished on the third day of Adar in Darius's sixth year and dedicated with joy. Ezra 6:14-18Zechariah 4:9
- 490-479 BCWarPersia's wars with Greece
Persia invaded Greece twice and was turned back at Marathon (490), Salamis (480) and Plataea (479). Greece, which Zechariah names in 9:13, was becoming Persia's great rival. Herodotus, Histories 6.102-117Herodotus, Histories 8.40-96Herodotus, Histories 9.1-89Zechariah 9:13
- 445 BCBuildingNehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem's walls
Under the Persian king Artaxerxes, Nehemiah came from Shushan and rebuilt the walls in fifty-two days. Nehemiah 2:1-8Nehemiah 6:15
- 332 BCWarAlexander takes Tyre and Gaza
Alexander the Great besieged island Tyre for seven months and then Gaza for two, on his way to Egypt. Zechariah 9 speaks of Tyre's "strong hold" and of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron and Ashdod. Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 2.15-27Zechariah 9:3-7
The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records (the Behistun Inscription, the Cyrus Cylinder, the Babylonian Chronicles) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.
Original Hebrew words
| English | Hebrew | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and anger | וְקֶ֤צֶף | ve-KE-tzef | H7110A | wrathקֶ֫צֶף (qe.tseph) 1) wrath, anger 1a) of God 1b) of man |
| great | גָּדוֹל֙ | ga-dOl | H1419A | great: largeגָּדוֹל (ga.dol) adj 1) great 1a) large (in magnitude and extent) 1b) in number 1c) in intensity 1d) loud (in sound) 1e) older (in age) 1f) in importance 1f1) important things 1f2) great, distinguished (of men) 1f3) God Himself (of God) subst 1g) great things 1h) haughty things 1i) greatness Also means: ga.dol (גָּדוֹל ": old" H1419K) § Haggedolim = "the great one" (CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel |
| I | אֲנִ֣י | 'a-NI | H0589 | meאֲנָא (a.na) I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis) Aramaic of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589) |
| [am] angry | קֹצֵ֔ף | ko-TZEF | H7107 | be angryקָצַף (qa.tsaph) 1) to be displeased, be angry, fret oneself, be wroth 1a) (Qal) to be wroth, to be full of wrath, to be furious 1b) (Hiphil) to provoke to wrath or anger 1c) (Hithpael) to put oneself in a rage, anger oneself Aramaic equivalent: qe.tsaph (קְצַף "be angry" H7108) |
| towards | עַל־ | 'al- | H5921A | uponעַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) … |
| the nations | הַגּוֹיִ֖ם | ha-go-YIM | H1471A | nationגּוֹי (goy) 1) nation, people 1a) nation, people 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people 1a2) of descendants of Abraham 1a3) of Israel 1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.) |
| the at ease | הַשַּֽׁאֲנַנִּ֑ים | ha-sha-'a-na-NIM | H7600 | secureשַׁאֲנָן (sha.a.nan) adj 1) at ease, quiet, secure 1a) at ease, secure 1b) at ease, careless, wanton, arrogant subst 2) security, pride, arrogance 2a) one at ease 2b) arrogance |
| which | אֲשֶׁ֤ר | 'a-SHER | H0834A | whichאֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when |
| I | אֲנִי֙ | 'a-NI | H0589 | meאֲנָא (a.na) I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis) Aramaic of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589) |
| I was angry | קָצַ֣פְתִּי | ka-TZAF-ti | H7107 | be angryקָצַף (qa.tsaph) 1) to be displeased, be angry, fret oneself, be wroth 1a) (Qal) to be wroth, to be full of wrath, to be furious 1b) (Hiphil) to provoke to wrath or anger 1c) (Hithpael) to put oneself in a rage, anger oneself Aramaic equivalent: qe.tsaph (קְצַף "be angry" H7108) |
| a little | מְּעָ֔ט | me-'AT | H4592 | littleמְעַט (me.at) 1) littleness, few, a little, fewness 1a) little, small, littleness, fewness, too little, yet a little 1b) like a little, within a little, almost, just, hardly, shortly, little worth |
| and they | וְהֵ֖מָּה | ve-HE-mah | H1992 | theyאִנּוּן (in.nun) these, those, they Aramaic of hem.mah (הֵ֫מָּה "they(masc.)" H1992) |
| they have helped | עָזְר֥וּ | 'a-ze-RU | H5826 | to helpעָזַר (a.zar) 1) to help, succour, support 1a) (Qal) to help 1b) (Niphal) to be helped 1c) (Hiphil) to help |
| for evil | לְרָעָֽה׃ | le-ra-'AH | H7451C | distress: harmרָעָה (ra.ah) : harm 1) evil, misery, distress, injury 1a) evil, misery, distress 1b) evil, injury, wrong 1c) evil (ethical) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.