Zechariah 4

Zechariah · Chapter 4

Zechariah 4:3

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
3And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left.”and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

In one of his night visions Zechariah sees a golden lampstand with seven lamps, and beside its bowl stand two olive trees, one on each side. Their branches empty golden oil through golden pipes, and the angel later says the trees are "the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth." The vision carries the message to Zerubbabel: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit." Zechariah overviewZechariah 4:2Zechariah 4:3Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 4:12Zechariah 4:14

SpeakingZechariah the prophet reports what he saw. The angel who talked with him had woken him and asked what he saw. Zechariah 4:1Zechariah 4:2Zechariah overview

ToThe people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon, with Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest. Zechariah overview

Also involvedThe two trees stand for "two anointed ones" who stand by the LORD. The verse itself does not name them. The chapter's message is addressed to Zerubbabel, who is to finish the temple. Zechariah 4:14Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 4:9

Zechariah describes two olive trees standing beside the lampstand's bowl, one on the right and one on the left. Later in the chapter he asks about them twice. He learns that their branches pour golden oil out of themselves through golden pipes, and that they are the two anointed ones. Zechariah 4:3Zechariah 4:11Zechariah 4:12Zechariah 4:14

Zechariah prophesied in Jerusalem, among the people who had returned from exile. The text does not give a place for the vision itself. Zechariah overview

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThe vision belongs to the eight night visions given while the temple was being rebuilt. Zechariah's dated messages begin in the second year of Darius king of Persia, about 520 BC. Zechariah overview

WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote the book, with dated messages from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: most scholars agree chapters 1-8, including this verse, come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC. Zechariah overview

HereThe trees picture oil flowing to the lamp out of the trees themselves. This fits the vision's message that the temple will be finished by God's Spirit, not by human might or power. Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 4:9Zechariah 4:12

In the whole of ScriptureThe book calls a returned people to rebuild God's house and turn to Him. Zerubbabel laid the foundation and will finish it, so no one should despise "the day of small things." Zechariah overviewZechariah 4:9Zechariah 4:10

For readersGod's work goes forward by His Spirit, even when the work looks small. It is not carried by human might or power. Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 4:10Zechariah overview

Christians read this differently

Scripture names the trees "the two anointed ones" (4:14) but does not say who they are. Many read them as Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest, the two leaders addressed in these visions. Others link them with Revelation 11:4, which speaks of "the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth," and read the figures in that light. Zechariah 4:14Zechariah overviewZechariah 4:6Revelation 11:4

  • olive treesזַ֫יִת
    Hebrew · za.yit · H2132H

    The word means olive or olive tree. In 4:12 these trees empty golden oil into the lamp, and in 4:14 they are called "anointed ones." Judges 9:9 also speaks of the olive tree's fatness, with which God and man are honoured. Strong's H2132HZechariah 4:12Zechariah 4:14Judges 9:9

Takeaway

The two olive trees keep God's lamp supplied with oil that flows out of themselves. The point is the one the angel gives: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 4:3Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 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 twoוּשְׁנַ֥יִםu-she-NA-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)

olive treesזֵיתִ֖יםzei-TIMH2132H
olive

זַ֫יִת (za.yit) 1) olive, olive tree 1a) olive tree 1b) olives 2) mountain facing Jerusalem on the east side

[were] at itעָלֶ֑יהָ'a-LEI-haH5921A
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) …

oneאֶחָד֙'e-CHADH0259
one

אֶחָד (e.chad) 1) one (number) 1a) one (number) 1b) each, every 1c) a certain 1d) an (indefinite article) 1e) only, once, once for all 1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one 1g) first 1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

from [the] right [side] ofמִימִ֣יןmi-MINH3225G
right

יָמִין (ya.min) 1) right, right hand, right side 1a) right hand 1b) right (of direction) 1c) south (the direction of the right hand when facing East) Also means: ya.min (יָמִין ": south" H3225H)

the bowlהַגֻּלָּ֔הha-gu-LAHH1543
bowl

גֹּל (gol) 1) bowl, basin 1a) basin 1b) bowl 1b1) of a lamp 1b2) of bowl shaped portion of capitals of the two pillars in the temple

and oneוְאֶחָ֖דve-'e-CHADH0259
one

אֶחָד (e.chad) 1) one (number) 1a) one (number) 1b) each, every 1c) a certain 1d) an (indefinite article) 1e) only, once, once for all 1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one 1g) first 1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

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) …

left [side] itsשְׂמֹאלָֽהּ׃se-mo-LAHH8040G
left

שְׂמֹאל (se.mo.l) 1) the left, the left hand, the left side 1a) left 1b) left hand 1c) north (as one faces east)

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