Zechariah 2:4
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: | and said to him, “Run and tell that young man: ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the multitude of men and livestock within it. | and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, by reason of the multitude of men and cattle therein. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedIn one of Zechariah's night visions, a man goes out with a measuring line to measure Jerusalem. An angel is told to run and say that Jerusalem will spread out like unwalled villages because so many people and animals will fill it. The next verse gives the reason: the LORD himself will be a wall of fire around her and the glory in her midst. Zechariah 2:1Zechariah 2:2Zechariah 2:3Zechariah 2:4Zechariah 2:5Zechariah overview
SpeakingAn angel speaks to another angel. The angel who talked with Zechariah went out, a second angel came to meet him, and one of them gives the order to run and speak. Zechariah 2:3Zechariah 2:4
ToThe message is for "this young man." The text does not say plainly whether this is Zechariah or the man with the measuring line. Zechariah 2:1Zechariah 2:4Strong's H5288
Also involvedThe people of Jerusalem and Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. Their city is the subject of the promise. Zechariah 2:4Zechariah overviewZechariah 2:7
The promise is that Jerusalem will be too full to fit inside walls. It will be like open villages crowded with people and livestock. Its safety will come from the LORD, who will be a wall of fire around it. Zechariah 2:4Zechariah 2:5Strong's H6519Strong's H7230
The vision concerns Jerusalem, and Zechariah spoke among the people who had returned there. Zechariah 2:2JerusalemZechariah overview
The eventsThis is part of the eight night visions Zechariah received while the returned exiles were rebuilding the temple under Darius king of Persia. Zechariah overview
WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote it, and the dated messages of chapters 1-8 run from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: Most scholars agree that chapters 1-8, which include this verse, come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC. Zechariah overview
HereThe vision tells the returned exiles that God will fill Jerusalem again. Earlier in the book the LORD had promised that his cities would "yet be spread abroad" and that he would "yet choose Jerusalem." Zechariah 2:4Zechariah overviewZechariah 1:17Zechariah 2:12
In the whole of ScriptureOther prophets promised the same thing: God would multiply "man and beast" in the land and the cities would be inhabited again. Zechariah adds that the LORD will dwell in the midst of Zion and many nations will be joined to him. Ezekiel 36:10Ezekiel 36:11Jeremiah 31:27Zechariah 2:10Zechariah 2:11
For readersA measuring line suggests limits, but God's answer is that his city will outgrow them. Its true protection is the LORD himself, the wall of fire around it and the glory in its midst. Zechariah 2:2Zechariah 2:4Zechariah 2:5Zechariah overview
Christians read this differently
The text does not name "this young man." Some read it as Zechariah, the prophet receiving the vision. Others read it as the man with the measuring line, who needs to learn that Jerusalem cannot be measured within walls. Zechariah 2:1Zechariah 2:2Zechariah 2:4Strong's H5288
- towns without wallsפְּרָזָה
The word means open country, hamlets or unwalled villages. Jerusalem will be like open settlements, much as Ezekiel 38:11 pictures people living safely "without walls, and having neither bars nor gates." Strong's H6519Ezekiel 38:11
- multitudeרֹב
The word means multitude or abundance. The city goes without walls because there are too many people and animals to fit inside them, not because it is weak. Strong's H7230Zechariah 2:4
- young manנַ֫עַר
The word means a boy, lad or youth, and can also mean a servant or attendant. It describes the listener but does not say who he is. Strong's H5288
Takeaway
God promised the returned exiles that Jerusalem would overflow its walls with people and animals. He himself would be its wall of fire and its glory within. Zechariah 2:4Zechariah 2:5Zechariah 1:17
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
- Jerusalem: A large city with few people
- Even in Nehemiah's day, "the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded." Compare Zechariah's promise that Jerusalem would be inhabited "as towns without walls for the multitude of men." Nehemiah 7:4Zechariah 2:4Zechariah 8:4-5
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.
Where
- Jerusalem settlementMapAbout this place
Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.
Original Hebrew words
| English | Hebrew | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and he said | וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vai-YO-mer | H0559 | to sayאָמַר (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) |
| to him | אֵלָ֔יו | 'e-LAV | 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) |
| run | רֻ֗ץ | Rutz | H7323G | to run: runרוּץ (ruts) : run/runner/messenger 1) to run 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to run 1a2) runners (participle as subst) 1b) (Polel) to run swiftly, dart 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to bring or move quickly, hurry 1c2) to drive away from, cause to run away |
| speak | דַּבֵּ֛ר | da-BER | H1696G | to speak: speakדָבַר (da.var) : speak/tell/command 1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing 1a) (Qal) to speak 1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to speak 1c2) to promise 1d) (Pual) to be spoken 1e) (Hithpael) to speak 1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight |
| to | אֶל־ | '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) |
| the young man | הַנַּ֥עַר | ha-NA-'ar | H5288 | youthנַ֫עַר (na.ar) 1) a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer 1a) boy, lad, youth 1b) servant, retainer |
| this | הַלָּ֖ז | ha-LAZ | H1975 | thisהַלָּז (hal.laz) this, this one (without subst), yonder |
| to saying | לֵאמֹ֑ר | le-MOR | H0559 | to sayאָמַר (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) |
| open regions | פְּרָזוֹת֙ | pe-ra-zOt | H6519 | villageפְּרָזָה (pe.ra.zah) open region, hamlet, unwalled village, open country |
| it will remain | תֵּשֵׁ֣ב | te-SHEV | H3427 | to dwellיָשַׁב (ya.shav) 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488) |
| Jerusalem | יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם | ye-ru-sha-LIM | H3389 | Arielאֲרִיאֵל (a.ri.el) Ariel = "lion of God" or "lioness of God" Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389) |
| from [the] multitude of | מֵרֹ֥ב | me-RO | H7230 | abundanceרֹב (rov) 1) multitude, abundance, greatness 1a) multitude 1a1) abundance, abundantly 1a2) numerous 1b) greatness |
| person[s] | אָדָ֛ם | 'a-DAM | H0120G | manאָדָם (a.dam) 1) man, mankind 1a) man, human being 1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT) 1c) Adam, first man 1d) city in Jordan valley |
| and livestock | וּבְהֵמָ֖ה | u-ve-he-MAH | H0929 | animalבְּהֵמָה (be.he.mah) 1) beast, cattle, animal 1a) beasts (coll of all animals) 1b) cattle, livestock (of domestic animals) 1c) wild beasts |
| in [the] midst of it | בְּתוֹכָֽהּ׃ | be-to-KHAH | H8432 | midstתָּ֫וֶךְ (ta.vekh) 1) midst, middle 1a) midst, middle 1b) into, through (after verbs of motion) 1c) among (of a number of persons) 1d) between (of things arranged by twos) 1e) from among (as to take or separate etc) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.