Zechariah 1

Zechariah · Chapter 1

Zechariah 1:8

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
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.I looked out into the night and saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the hollow, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.I saw in the 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 there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

This is the first of Zechariah's night visions. He sees a man on a red horse standing among myrtle trees in a hollow, with red, sorrel and white horses behind him. The chapter explains that these are the ones the LORD sent to walk to and fro through the earth, and their report leads to God's promise to return to Jerusalem with mercies. Zechariah 1:8Zechariah 1:10Zechariah 1:11Zechariah 1:12Zechariah 1:16Zechariah overview

SpeakingZechariah the prophet tells what he saw after the word of the LORD came to him. Zechariah 1:7Zechariah 1:8Zechariah overview

ToThe people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon, whom the LORD had just called to turn back to him. Zechariah overviewZechariah 1:3

Also involvedJerusalem and the cities of Judah, which had been under God's indignation for seventy years. The nations that were at ease are also in view. Zechariah 1:12Zechariah 1:15

Zechariah sees, by night, a man on a red horse standing among myrtles in a hollow, with more horses behind him. The man among the myrtles says these are the ones the LORD sent to walk to and fro through the earth. They report to "the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees" that all the earth sits still and is at rest. Zechariah 1:8Zechariah 1:10Zechariah 1:11

Within the vision the rider stands among myrtle trees in a hollow. The lexicon says this word apparently refers to a place near Jerusalem. The book was written from Jerusalem, among the returned exiles. Zechariah 1:8Strong's H4699Zechariah overview

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThe vision came on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, Sebat, in the second year of Darius king of Persia, about 520 BC. Zechariah 1:7Zechariah overview

WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote the book, with dated messages from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: most agree chapters 1-8, including this vision, come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC. Many assign the undated chapters 9-14 to a later writer or writers, while others hold that Zechariah wrote the whole book. Zechariah overview

HereThe vision sets up a report that the earth sits at rest while Jerusalem still lies under affliction. That report prompts the plea "how long" and God's answer: "I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it." Zechariah 1:11Zechariah 1:12Zechariah 1:15Zechariah 1:16

In the whole of ScriptureThis opens the eight night visions of 1:7-6:8. They came in the second year of Darius, the year Haggai and Zechariah stirred the people to build the temple again after work had stopped. Zechariah overviewZechariah 1:7

For readersThe vision shows that the LORD sends his riders through the whole earth and hears their report. He answers the plea for his people with "good words and comfortable words." Zechariah 1:10Zechariah 1:11Zechariah 1:13Zechariah 1:17

  • bottom (hollow)מְצֻלָה
    Hebrew · me.tsul.lah · H4699

    The word means a ravine, basin or hollow. The lexicon notes it is apparently a place near Jerusalem, the city the vision concerns. Strong's H4699Zechariah 1:12

  • myrtle treesהֲדַס
    Hebrew · ha.das · H1918

    The word simply means myrtle. Isaiah names the myrtle among the trees the LORD will plant in the wilderness, and as one that will grow in place of the brier as a sign for the LORD. Strong's H1918Isaiah 41:19Isaiah 55:13

  • speckledשָׂרֹק
    Hebrew · sa.ruq · H8320

    The lexicon defines this word as sorrel, reddish, tawny or bay. It names a horse color alongside the red and white horses. Strong's H8320Zechariah 1:8

  • nightלַ֫יְלָה
    Hebrew · lay.lah · H3915

    The vision comes by night, as Daniel received a secret "in a night vision" and the LORD appeared to Solomon "in a dream by night." Strong's H3915Daniel 2:191 Kings 3:5

Takeaway

Zechariah's first vision shows the riders the LORD sent through the earth reporting a world at rest while Jerusalem still suffers. It leads straight to God's promise to return to Jerusalem with mercies and to have his house built there. Zechariah 1:8Zechariah 1:10Zechariah 1:11Zechariah 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

Riders on patrol
The Persian kings kept mounted messengers stationed along their roads. Herodotus says nothing mortal travels faster. Zechariah sees horsemen sent "to walk to and fro through the earth." Zechariah 1:8-11Zechariah 6:7Herodotus, Histories 8.98

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
I sawרָאִ֣יתִי׀ra-'I-tiH7200L
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

the nightהַלַּ֗יְלָהha-LAY-lahH3915
night

לַ֫יְלָה (lay.lah) 1) night 1a) night (as opposed to day) 1b) of gloom, protective shadow (fig.)

and there!וְהִנֵּה־ve-hi-neh-H2009
behold

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) behold, lo, see, if

a manאִישׁ֙'ishH0376G
man

אִישׁ (ish) : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective)

[was] ridingרֹכֵב֙ro-KHEVH7392
to ride

רָכַב (ra.khav) 1) to mount and ride, ride 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to mount, mount and sit or ride 1a2) to ride, be riding 1a3) rider (subst) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to ride, cause to (mount and) ride 1b2) to cause to draw (plough, etc) 1b3) to cause to ride upon (fig)

onעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (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) …

a horseס֣וּסsusH5483M
horse

סוּס (sus) 1) horse 1a) chariot horses

redאָדֹ֔ם'a-DOMH0122A
red

אָדֹם (a.dom) red, ruddy (of man, horse, heifer, garment, water, lentils)

and heוְה֣וּאve-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] standingעֹמֵ֔ד'o-MEDH5975G
to stand: stand

עָמַד (a.mad) : stand/stop/establish 1) to stand, remain, endure, take one's stand 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to stand, take one's stand, be in a standing attitude, stand forth, take a stand, present oneself, attend upon, be or become servant of 1a2) to stand still, stop (moving or doing), cease 1a3) to tarry, delay, remain, continue, abide, endure, persist, be steadfast 1a4) to make a stand, hold one's ground 1a5) to stand upright, remain standing, stand up, rise, be erect, be upright 1a6) to arise, appear, come on the scene, stand forth, appear, rise up or against …

betweenבֵּ֥יןbeinH0996G
between

בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) : between between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between

the myrtle treesהַהֲדַסִּ֖יםha-ha-da-SIMH1918
myrtle

הֲדַס (ha.das) myrtle (tree)

whichאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (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

[were] in the hollowבַּמְּצֻלָ֑הba-me-tzu-LAHH4699
ravine

מְצֻלָה (me.tsul.lah) 1) ravine, basin, hollow 1a) apparently a place near Jerusalem

and [were] behind himוְאַחֲרָיו֙ve-'a-cha-RAVH0310A
after

אַחַר (a.char) 1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time) 1a) as an adverb 1a1) behind (of place) 1a2) afterwards (of time) 1b) as a preposition 1b1) behind, after (of place) 1b2) after (of time) 1b3) besides 1c) as a conjunction 1c) after that 1d) as a substantive 1d1) hinder part 1e) with other prepositions 1e1) from behind 1e2) from following after

horsesסוּסִ֣יםsu-SIMH5483M
horse

סוּס (sus) 1) horse 1a) chariot horses

redאֲדֻמִּ֔ים'a-du-MIMH0122A
red

אָדֹם (a.dom) red, ruddy (of man, horse, heifer, garment, water, lentils)

sorrelשְׂרֻקִּ֖יםse-ru-KIMH8320
sorrel

שָׂרֹק (sa.ruq) sorrel, reddish, tawny, bay

and whiteוּלְבָנִֽים׃u-le-va-NIMH3836
white

לָבָן (la.van) white

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