Zechariah 1

Zechariah · Chapter 1

Zechariah 1:7

1In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,2The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.3Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.4Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.5Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?6But 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.7Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,8I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.9Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.10And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.11And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.12Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?13And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.14So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.15And 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.16Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.17Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.18Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.19And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.20And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.21Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
7Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

This verse is a date line that opens the eight night visions of Zechariah (1:7-6:8). It comes about three months after his first message in the eighth month (1:1), which called the people to turn back to the LORD. What follows is the first vision, of a man on a red horse among the myrtle trees (1:8). Zechariah 1:7Zechariah 1:1Zechariah 1:3Zechariah 1:8Zechariah overview

SpeakingThe narrator reports that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo the prophet. The same family line is given in 1:1. Zechariah 1:7Zechariah 1:1Zechariah overview

ToThe message is for the people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. Zechariah is told to cry out the LORD's words to them (1:14, 1:17). Zechariah overviewZechariah 1:14Zechariah 1:17

Also involvedThe visions that follow concern Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and the nations that scattered them (1:12, 1:19, 1:21). Zechariah 1:12Zechariah 1:19Zechariah 1:21

The verse states the exact day the word of the LORD came to Zechariah: the 24th day of the 11th month, Sebat, in the second year of Darius. What came that day was a vision seen by night (1:8), which the verse calls the word of the LORD. Zechariah 1:7Strong's H7627Strong's H1697GZechariah 1:8

Zechariah was among the returned exiles in Jerusalem. The verse itself does not name a place; the vision speaks of myrtle trees "in the bottom" without saying where that is. Zechariah overviewZechariah 1:8

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThe 24th of Sebat, the 11th month (about January or February), in Darius's second year, about 520 BC. This was the time when the people had begun again to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem after work had stopped. Zechariah 1:7Strong's H7627Zechariah overview

WrittenTraditional: written by Zechariah, whose dated messages run from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: most scholars agree chapters 1-8, including this verse, come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC; many assign chapters 9-14 to later writers. Zechariah overview

HereThe date ties the visions to a fixed moment in history and shows that the same LORD who spoke in 1:1 is speaking again. It introduces God's answer to the question "how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem" (1:12). Zechariah 1:7Zechariah 1:1Zechariah 1:12

In the whole of ScriptureEzra names Zechariah with Haggai as the prophets who stirred the people to rebuild the temple (Ezra 5:1). The visions this verse opens promise that the LORD has returned to Jerusalem with mercies and that his house shall be built in it (1:16). Zechariah overviewZechariah 1:16

For readersThe careful date shows that God's word came into real history, to real people in a hard time. The people had just been told to turn to the LORD (1:3), and now God speaks comfort: "the LORD shall yet comfort Zion" (1:17). Zechariah 1:7Zechariah 1:3Zechariah 1:17

  • Sebatשְׁבָט
    Hebrew · she.vat · H7627

    Sebat is the 11th month in the Jewish calendar after the exile, falling in January or February. It places this vision about three months after the call to repent in the eighth month (1:1). Strong's H7627Zechariah 1:1

  • Dariusדָּֽרְיָ֫וֶשׁ
    Hebrew · dar.ya.vesh · H1867H

    The lexicon lists more than one king named Darius. In this book he is Darius king of Persia, whose second year was about 520 BC, the time of the temple rebuilding. Strong's H1867HZechariah overview

  • wordדָּבָר
    Hebrew · da.var · H1697G

    The word means speech, saying or utterance. The verse presents the visions that follow as a message spoken by the LORD, the same phrase used in 1:1. Strong's H1697GZechariah 1:1

Takeaway

Zechariah 1:7 is a dated heading: on a known day in about 520 BC, the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah. It opens visions that answer the plea "how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem" with God's promise to return to Jerusalem with mercy and build his house there. Zechariah 1:7Zechariah overviewZechariah 1:12Zechariah 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

Behind this verse

Darius I, king of persia
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

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
  1. 539 BC
    WarBabylon 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

  2. 538 BC
    God'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

  3. c. 536 BC
    God'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

  4. 525 BC
    WarPersia 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

  5. 522-521 BC
    WarDarius 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

  6. 520 BC
    God'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

  7. c. 520-519 BC
    RulersDarius 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

  8. 515 BC
    BuildingThe 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

  9. 490-479 BC
    WarPersia'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

  10. 445 BC
    BuildingNehemiah 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

  11. 332 BC
    WarAlexander 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

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
on dayבְּיוֹם֩be-yOmH3117G
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

twentyעֶשְׂרִ֨ים'es-RIMH6242
twenty

עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) twenty, twentieth Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)

and fourוְאַרְבָּעָ֜הve-'ar-ba-'AHH0702
four

אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) four

of one [plus]לְעַשְׁתֵּֽי־le-'ash-tei-H6249
eleven

עַשְׁתֵּי (ash.te) 1) one, eleven, eleventh 1a) one as combined with ten ( a.sar (עָשָׂר "ten" H6240))

tenעָשָׂ֥ר'a-SARH6240
ten

עָשָׂר (a.sar) 1) ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers) 1a) used only in combination to make the numbers 11-19

monthחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙cho-deshH2320G
month

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) : month 1) the new moon, month, monthly 1a) the first day of the month 1b) the lunar month

itהוּא־hu'-H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

[was] [the] month ofחֹ֣דֶשׁCHO-deshH2320G
month

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) : month 1) the new moon, month, monthly 1a) the first day of the month 1b) the lunar month

Shebatשְׁבָ֔טshe-VATH7627
Shebat

שְׁבָט (she.vat) § Sebat = "a rod" 11th month in the post-exilic Jewish calendar corresponding to Jan or Feb

in yearבִּשְׁנַ֥תbish-NATH8141
year

שְׁנָה (she.nah) year Aramaic of sha.neh (שָׁנָה "year" H8141)

twoשְׁתַּ֖יִםshe-TA-yimH8147
two

שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) 1) two 1a) two (the cardinal number) 1a1) two, both, double, twice 1b) second (the ordinal number) 1c) in combination with other numbers 1d) both (a dual number)

of Dariusלְדָרְיָ֑וֶשׁle-da-re-YA-veshH1867H
Darius

דָּֽרְיָ֫וֶשׁ (dar.ya.vesh) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.4.5 Also named: dar.ya.vesh (דָּֽרְיָ֫וֶשׁ "Darius" H1868) § Darius = "lord" 1) Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, king of the Chaldeans, who succeeded to the Babylonian kingdom on the death of Belshazzar; probably the same as "Astyages" the last king of the Medes (538 BC) 2) Darius, the son of Hystaspes, the founder of the Perso-Arian dynasty (521 BC) 3) Darius II or Darius III …

it cameהָיָ֣הha-YAHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

[the] word ofדְבַר־de-var-H1697G
word

דָּבָר (da.var) : word/speech/command 1) speech, word, speaking, thing 1a) speech 1b) saying, utterance 1c) word, words 1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

Yahwehיְהוָ֗הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Zechariahזְכַרְיָה֙ze-khar-YAHH2148v
Zechariah

זְכַרְיָהוּ (ze.khar.yah) A prophet living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.5.1; son of: Berechiah (H1296L) Aramaic of ze.khar.yah (זְכַרְיָה "Zechariah" H2148v) § Zechariah = "Jehovah remembers" 11th in order of the minor prophets; a priest, son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo, who, along with Haggai, directed the rebuilding of the temple in the days of Zerubbabel

[the] son ofבֶּן־ben-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Berekiahבֶּ֣רֶכְיָ֔הוּbe-rekh-YA-huH1296L
Berechiah

בֶּרֶכְיָה (be.rekh.yah) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Zec.1.1; son of: Iddo (H5714J); father of: Zechariah (H2148B) § Berachiah or Berechiah = "Jehovah blesses" 1) a son of Zerubbabel 2) a Levite who returned for the exile 3) father of Meshullam, one of Nehemiah's chiefs who assisted in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem 4) father of Zechariah 5) a Gershonite Levite, the father of Asaph, the singer, doorkeeper of the ark 6) an Ephraimite chief in the time of Ahaz

[the] son ofבֶּן־ben-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Iddoעִדּ֥וֹאi-DO'H5714J
Iddo

עִדּוֹ (id.do) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.5.1; father of: Berechiah (H1296L) § Iddo = "His witness" 1) father of Abinadab, an officer of Solomon 2) grandfather of the prophet Zechariah 3) a Gershonite Levite, son of Joah 4) a priest in the time of Nehemiah 5) a seer in the time of king Jeroboam of the northern kingdom of Israel 6) son of Zechariah, ruler of the tribe of Manasseh in the time of David 7) a chief of the temple slaves who assembled at Casiphia at the time of the 2nd caravan from Babylon

the prophetהַנָּבִ֖יאha-na-VI'H5030
prophet

נְבִיא (ne.vi) prophet Aramaic of na.vi (נָבִיא "prophet" H5030)

to sayingלֵאמֹֽר׃le-MORH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.