Zechariah 6

Zechariah · Chapter 6

Zechariah 6:14

1And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.2In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;3And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.4Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?5And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the LORD of all the earth.6The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.7And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.8Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.9And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,10Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;11Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;12And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:13Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.14And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD.15And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
14And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD.The crown will reside in the temple of the LORD as a memorial to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and the gracious son of Zephaniah.And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

The LORD told Zechariah to take silver and gold from returned exiles, make crowns, and set them on Joshua the high priest as a sign of the man called The BRANCH. This verse says what happens to the crowns afterward: they are kept in the temple of the LORD as a memorial. The memorial is tied to the names of the men who brought the gift from Babylon. Zechariah 6:10Zechariah 6:11Zechariah 6:12Zechariah 6:13Zechariah 6:14

SpeakingThe LORD of hosts speaks through the prophet Zechariah, to whom "the word of the LORD came." Zechariah 6:9Zechariah 6:12Zechariah overview

ToThe command is given to Zechariah. The message is for the people of Judah back from exile, including Joshua the high priest. Zechariah 6:9Zechariah 6:11Zechariah overview

Also involvedFour men are named: Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen son of Zephaniah. They are the same men as in 6:10. Helem is another name for Heldai, and Hen is another name for Josiah son of Zephaniah. Zechariah 6:10Strong's H2494Strong's H2581Strong's H2900JStrong's H3048J

The crowns made for Joshua's crowning are not kept by him. They are placed in the temple of the LORD as a lasting reminder, linked to the names of the men whose silver and gold paid for them. Zechariah 6:11Zechariah 6:14Strong's H5850Strong's H2146

Jerusalem. Zechariah was sent to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah to meet the men from Babylon. The crowns were to be kept in the temple of the LORD. Zechariah 6:10Zechariah 6:14Zechariah overview

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThis happened after the eight night visions, while the temple was being rebuilt in the reign of Darius king of Persia. The temple was finished in Darius's sixth year. Zechariah overview

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

HereThe crowns were kept as a memorial, a record before the LORD. Elsewhere Aaron bore Israel's names "for a memorial before the LORD continually" (Exodus 28:29), and the censers of Korah's company became "a memorial unto the children of Israel" (Numbers 16:40). Zechariah 6:14Strong's H2146Exodus 28:29Numbers 16:40

In the whole of ScriptureThe crowns stood for the promise of the BRANCH who would build the temple and be a priest on his throne. Kept in the temple, they would keep that promise in view. The next verse adds that those far off would come and build, and that this would come to pass if the people obeyed the LORD. Zechariah 6:12Zechariah 6:13Zechariah 6:15Zechariah overview

For readersGod keeps a memorial of what his people give, as he said of Cornelius: "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God" (Acts 10:4). The crowns also call readers to remember God's promise and to obey his voice. Zechariah 6:14Zechariah 6:15Acts 10:4

  • memorialדִּכְרוֹן
    Hebrew · dikh.ron · H2146

    The word means a record or memorandum. The crowns were to serve as a reminder, much as the day of Passover was "for a memorial" (Exodus 12:14) and Israel's names on Aaron's breastplate were "for a memorial before the LORD" (Exodus 28:29). Strong's H2146Exodus 12:14Exodus 28:29

  • crownsעֲטָרָה
    Hebrew · a.ta.rah · H5850

    The word means crown or wreath. These are the same crowns of silver and gold that were set on Joshua's head in 6:11. Strong's H5850Zechariah 6:11

  • Helemחֵ֫לֶם
    Hebrew · che.lem · H2494

    The lexicon gives Helem as another name for Heldai. This shows the verse names the same men who came from Babylon in 6:10. Strong's H2494Zechariah 6:10

  • Henחֵן
    Hebrew · chen · H2581

    Hen, meaning "favour," is given as another name for Josiah son of Zephaniah. He was the man whose house Zechariah entered in 6:10. Strong's H2581Strong's H6846IZechariah 6:10

Takeaway

The crowns that marked Joshua as a sign of the BRANCH were kept in the LORD's temple. They honored the exiles who gave them and kept God's promise in view. Zechariah 6:11Zechariah 6:12Zechariah 6:14Strong's H2146

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 the crownsוְהָעֲטָרֹ֗תve-ha-'a-ta-ROTH5850
crown

עֲטָרָה (a.ta.rah) crown, wreath

it will beתִּֽהְיֶה֙tih-YEHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

to Helemלְחֵ֙לֶם֙le-CHE-lemH2494
Helem

חֵ֫לֶם (che.lem) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Zec.6.10; also called Helem at Zec.6.14; Another name of chel.day (חֶלְדַּי "Heldai" H2469G) § Helem = "strength" or "dream" a returned exile in the time of Zechariah; also spelled 'Heldai'

and to Tobiahוּלְטוֹבִיָּ֣הu-le-toi-YAHH2900J
Tobijah

טוֹבִיָּ֫הוּ (to.viy.yah) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Zec.6.10 § Tobiah = "Jehovah is good" 1) head of a family who returned from exile with Zerubbabel but who were unable to prove their connection with Israel 2) the Ammonite who with Sanballat opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem 3) a Levite in the reign of Jehoshaphat 4) a chief of the returning exiles

and to Jedaiahוְלִידַֽעְיָ֔הve-li-da'-YAHH3048J
Jedaiah

יְדַעְיָה (ye.da.yah) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Zec.6.10 § Jedaiah = "Jehovah has known" 1) a priest in Jerusalem 2) a man who returned with Zerubbabel 3) a ruler of the priests in the days of Jeshua 4) a post exilic priest 5) one honoured by Jehovah, perhaps one of the above

and to Henוּלְחֵ֖ןu-le-CHENH2581
Hen

חֵן (chen) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Zec.6.10; son of: Zephaniah (H6846I); also called Hen at Zec.6.14; Another name of yo.shiy.yah (יֹאשִׁיָּ֫הוּ "Josiah" H2977H) § Hen = "favour" a contemporary of Zerubbabel

[the] son ofבֶּן־ben-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Zephaniahצְפַנְיָ֑הtze-fan-YAHH6846I
Zephaniah

צְפַנְיָהוּ (tse.phan.yah) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Zec.6.10; father of: Josiah (H2977H) § Zephaniah = "Jehovah has treasured" 1) the 9th in order of the 12 minor prophets; descendant of king Hezekiah of Judah and prophet in the time of king Josiah of Judah 2) son of Maaseiah and second priest in the reign of king Zedekiah of Judah; succeeded Jehoiada and an officer of the temple; slain at Riblah on the capture of Jerusalem 3) father of Josiah and Hen in the time of the prophet Zechariah 4) a Levite

to a memorialלְזִכָּר֖וֹןle-zi-ka-RONH2146
record

דִּכְרוֹן (dikh.ron) record, memorandum Aramaic of zikh.ron (זִכָּרוֹן "memorial" H2146)

in [the] temple ofבְּהֵיכַ֥לbe-hei-KHALH1964G
temple

הֵיכָל (he.khal) : temple 1) palace, temple, nave, sanctuary 1a) palace 1b) temple (palace of God as king) 1c) hall, nave (of Ezekiel's temple) 1d) temple (of heavenly temple)

Yahwehיְהוָֽה׃YAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (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)

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