Zechariah 4

Zechariah · Chapter 4

Zechariah 4:14

1And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,2And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:3And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.4So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?5Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.6Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.7Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.8Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,9The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.10For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.11Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?12And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?13And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.14Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
14Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.So he said, “These are the two anointed ones who are standing beside the Lord of all the earth.”Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

In one of Zechariah's night visions he sees a golden lampstand fed with oil by two olive trees. After he asks twice what the trees are, the angel tells him they are two anointed ones who stand by the LORD of the whole earth. The vision assures Zerubbabel that the temple will be finished by God's Spirit, not by human strength. Zechariah overviewZechariah 4:2Zechariah 4:3Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 4:9Zechariah 4:11Zechariah 4:12Zechariah 4:14

SpeakingThe angel that talked with Zechariah answers the prophet's question. Zechariah 4:1Zechariah 4:5Zechariah 4:13Zechariah 4:14

ToThe prophet Zechariah, who passed the vision on to the returned exiles in Judah, along with Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest. Zechariah 4:4Zechariah overview

Also involvedThe two anointed ones pictured by the olive trees. The verse does not name them. The chapter names Zerubbabel, and chapter 3 shows Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD. Zechariah 4:14Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 4:9Zechariah 3:1

The angel explains the two olive trees and their branches, which pour golden oil into the lampstand. They are two anointed ones who stand by the LORD. The lamp is kept supplied through those he has anointed, and the power is his Spirit. Zechariah 4:3Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 4:12Zechariah 4:14

The scene is a vision. The prophet lived and spoke in Jerusalem among the people who had returned from exile. Zechariah 4:1Zechariah overview

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThis is one of the eight night visions in 1:7-6:8, given during the rebuilding of the temple. The dated messages fall in the second to fourth years of Darius king of Persia, about 520-518 BC. Zechariah overview

WrittenTraditional: written by Zechariah, about 520-518 BC. Scholarly: most scholars agree that chapters 1-8, which include this verse, come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC. Zechariah overview

HereThe vision encourages Zerubbabel and the people to finish the temple. The hands that laid its foundation will finish it, and no one should despise the day of small things. Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 4:7Zechariah 4:9Zechariah 4:10Zechariah overview

In the whole of ScriptureIn Scripture, God anointed men for his service, as priests were anointed to minister to him. Isaiah speaks of one the LORD anointed by his Spirit. Revelation 11:4 takes up Zechariah's picture of two olive trees standing before the God of the earth. Exodus 40:15Isaiah 61:1Revelation 11:4

For readersGod's work goes forward by his Spirit working through the servants he appoints, not by might or power. Small beginnings are not to be despised. Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 4:10Zechariah overview

Christians read this differently

The angel explains the olive trees as two anointed ones, but no cited Scripture names who they are. Many read them as Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest, the two leaders named in chapters 3-4. Others, following Revelation 11:4, see them as also pointing to the two figures Revelation calls the two olive trees standing before the God of the earth. Zechariah 4:14Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 3:1Zechariah 3:7Revelation 11:4

  • anointed (fresh oil)יִצְהָר
    Hebrew · yits.har · H3323

    The word behind "anointed" here means "fresh oil, shining (pure) oil." It ties the two figures to the olive branches that pour out golden oil in the same vision. Strong's H3323Zechariah 4:12Zechariah 4:14

  • standעָמַד
    Hebrew · a.mad · H5975G

    The word can mean to "attend upon" or "be servant of." It pictures the two as servants waiting on the LORD, like "these that stand by" in Zechariah 3:7. Strong's H5975GZechariah 3:7

  • Lordאָדוֹן
    Hebrew · a.don · H0113

    The lexicon lists "Lord of the whole earth" as a title for God. The anointed ones serve the one who rules all the earth, not only Judah. Strong's H0113Strong's H3605Strong's H0776G

Takeaway

The two olive trees are God's anointed servants who stand before him, and golden oil flows from them (4:12). The power behind the work is his Spirit, not human might. Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 4:14Zechariah 4:12

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
  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
and he saidוַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai-YO-merH0559
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)

theseאֵ֖לֶּה'E-lehH0428
these

אֵ֫לֶּה (el.leh) 1) these 1a) used before antecedent 1b) used following antecedent Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)

[are] [the] twoשְׁנֵ֣יshe-NEIH8147
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)

[the] sons ofבְנֵֽי־ve-nei-H1121GNo entry
the fresh oilהַיִּצְהָ֑רhai-yitz-HARH3323
oil

יִצְהָר (yits.har) fresh oil, shining (pure) oil

who standהָעֹמְדִ֖יםha-'o-me-DIMH5975G
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 …

atעַל־'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) …

[the] lord ofאֲד֥וֹן'a-DONH0113
lord

אָדוֹן (a.don) 1) firm, strong, lord, master 1a) lord, master 1a1) reference to men 1a1a) superintendent of household, of affairs 1a1b) master 1a1c) king 1a2) reference to God 1a2a) the Lord God 1a2b) Lord of the whole earth 1b) lords, kings 1b1) reference to men 1b1a) proprietor of hill of Samaria 1b1b) master 1b1c) husband 1b1d) prophet 1b1e) governor 1b1f) prince 1b1g) king 1b2) reference to God 1b2a) Lord of lords (probably = "thy husband, Yahweh") 1c) my lord, my master 1c1) reference to men 1c1a) master 1c1b) husband 1c1c) prophet 1c1d) prince 1c1e) king 1c1f) father 1c1g) Moses 1c1h) priest …

allכָּל־kol-H3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

the earthהָאָֽרֶץ׃ha-'A-retzH0776G
land: country/planet

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) : country/field 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth …

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