Zechariah 2:13
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation. | Be silent before the LORD, all people, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.” | Be silent, all flesh, before Jehovah; for he is waked up out of his holy habitation. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedThis verse closes a vision in which Zechariah sees a man measuring Jerusalem, and the LORD promises to be her wall of fire and to dwell in her midst. After promising to judge the nations that plundered Zion and to choose Jerusalem again, the passage calls all humanity to hush before the LORD. The reason is that he has roused himself from his holy dwelling to act. Zechariah 2:1Zechariah 2:2Zechariah 2:5Zechariah 2:8Zechariah 2:9Zechariah 2:12Zechariah 2:13
SpeakingThe prophet Zechariah gives this word as part of the message the LORD of hosts sent through his vision. Zechariah overviewZechariah 2:3Zechariah 2:8Zechariah 2:13
ToIt is addressed to "all flesh," meaning all people and nations. The chapter's first hearers were the Jews who had come back from exile in Babylon. Zechariah 2:13Strong's H1320Zechariah 2:11Zechariah overview
Also involvedThe nations that plundered Zion face the LORD's hand against them. Judah and Jerusalem are chosen again, and many nations will be joined to the LORD. Zechariah 2:8Zechariah 2:9Zechariah 2:11Zechariah 2:12
The verse commands every living person to be silent before the LORD. It gives the reason: he has roused himself from his holy habitation, ready to act in judgment on the nations and in rescue for Zion. Zechariah 2:13Strong's H2013Strong's H5782Zechariah 2:9Zechariah 2:10
Zechariah spoke among the returned exiles in Jerusalem, and the vision centers on Jerusalem and "the holy land" of Judah. The verse does not say exactly where the "holy habitation" is, though Psalm 68:5 uses the same phrase for God's dwelling. Zechariah overviewZechariah 2:2Zechariah 2:12Psalms 68:5
The eventsThe vision looks ahead to a day when the LORD comes to dwell in Zion, judges her plunderers, and gathers many nations to himself. Zechariah 2:9Zechariah 2:10Zechariah 2:11
WrittenThis is part of the night visions (1:7-6:8). Traditional and scholarly views agree that chapters 1-8 come from Zechariah in about 520-518 BC, under Darius king of Persia. Zechariah overview
HereThe call to silence seals the promises of the chapter. When the LORD rises to act, the right response from all people is hushed awe, not answering back against God. Zechariah 2:13Zechariah 2:9Romans 9:20
In the whole of ScriptureOther prophets use the same call: "let all the earth keep silence before him" (Habakkuk 2:20) and "Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand" (Zephaniah 1:7). Zephaniah 3:8 also speaks of the LORD rising up to gather the nations for judgment. Habakkuk 2:20Zephaniah 1:7Zephaniah 3:8
For readersThe verse calls readers to reverent stillness because God is truly at work for his people, as in Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God." It assured the returned exiles that the LORD himself had stirred to defend them, for whoever touched them touched "the apple of his eye." Psalms 46:10Zechariah 2:8Zechariah 2:13Zechariah overview
- Be silentהַס
The word is an interjection meaning "hush!" or "keep silence." It is a command for stillness before God's presence, like the call in Habakkuk 2:20. Strong's H2013Habakkuk 2:20
- raised upעוּר
This word means to rouse oneself or awake. It pictures the LORD stirring to act, as in Psalm 78:65, where "the LORD awaked as one out of sleep," and Isaiah 51:9, "Awake, awake... O arm of the LORD." Strong's H5782Psalms 78:65Isaiah 51:9
- fleshבָּשָׂר
"Flesh" can mean mankind, all living things, or humans as frail before God. "All flesh" sets every person, of every nation, under this call. Strong's H1320Strong's H3605Zechariah 2:11
Takeaway
When God rises to keep his promises, judging those who plundered his people and dwelling with them, the fitting response from everyone is awed silence before him. Zechariah 2:13Zechariah 2:9Zechariah 2:10Habakkuk 2:20
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hush! | הַ֥ס | has | H2013 | to silenceהַס (ha.sah) interj 1) (Piel) hush, keep silence, be silent, hold peace, hold tongue, still v 2)(CLBL) to hush 2a) (Hiphil) to command to be silent |
| O all | כָּל־ | kol- | H3605 | allכֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606) |
| flesh | בָּשָׂ֖ר | ba-SAR | H1320 | fleshבָּשָׂר (ba.sar) 1) flesh 1a) of the body 1a1) of humans 1a2) of animals 1b) the body itself 1c) male organ of generation (euphemism) 1d) kindred, blood-relations 1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God) 1f) all living things 1g) animals 1h) mankind Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321) |
| from before | מִפְּנֵ֣י | mi-pe-NEI | H6440G | face: beforeפָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of |
| Yahweh | יְהוָ֑ה | YAH-weh | H3068G | Lordאֲדֹנָי (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) |
| for | כִּ֥י | ki | H3588A | forכִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore |
| he has roused himself | נֵע֖וֹר | ne-'or | H5782 | to rouseעוּר (ur) 1) to rouse oneself, awake, awaken, incite 1a) (Qal) to rouse oneself, awake 1b) (Niphal) to be roused 1c) (Polel) to stir up, rouse, incite 1d) (Hithpolel) to be excited, be triumphant 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to rouse, stir up 1e2) to act in an aroused manner, awake |
| from [the] dwelling place of | מִמְּע֥וֹן | mi-me-'on | H4583 | habitationמָעוֹן (ma.on) 1) dwelling, habitation, refuge 1a) lair, refuge (of jackals) 1b) dwelling |
| holiness his | קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃ ס | ka-de-SHO | H6944G | holinessקֹ֫דֶשׁ (qo.desh) 1) apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness 1a) apartness, sacredness, holiness 1a1) of God 1a2) of places 1a3) of things 1b) set-apartness, separateness |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.