Zechariah 7

Zechariah · Chapter 7

Zechariah 7:1

1And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;2When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,3And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?4Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,5Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?6And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?7Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?8And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,9Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:10And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.11But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.12Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.13Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:14But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev.And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chislev.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

This verse dates a new message from God to Zechariah: the fourth day of the ninth month, Chisleu, in the fourth year of King Darius. It opens the section where men come to ask whether they should keep weeping and fasting in the fifth month, as they had done for years. God answers by asking whether their fasts were really for him, and calls them to justice and mercy. Zechariah 7:1Zechariah 7:2Zechariah 7:3Zechariah 7:5Zechariah 7:9Zechariah overview

SpeakingThe book reports that "the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah." Zechariah was the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo. Zechariah 7:1Zechariah 1:1Zechariah overview

ToThe message is for the people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. God tells Zechariah to speak to "all the people of the land, and to the priests." Zechariah overviewZechariah 7:5

Also involvedA group sent to the house of God, Sherezer and Regemmelech and their men, who came to pray and to ask the priests and prophets about the fast in the fifth month. Zechariah 7:2Zechariah 7:3

The verse gives the date and the setting. It marks the moment God's word came to Zechariah, and the reply to the question about fasting follows. That reply looks back to the warnings of the former prophets and the exile that followed when the people would not listen. Zechariah 7:1Zechariah 7:3Zechariah 7:7Zechariah 7:11Zechariah 7:12Zechariah 7:14

Jerusalem, among the returned exiles. The delegation came to "the house of God," the temple that was then being rebuilt. Zechariah overviewZechariah 7:2Zechariah 7:3

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThe fourth year of Darius king of Persia, about 518 BC, in the ninth month, Chisleu (November to December). This is about two years after Zechariah's first dated message in Darius's second year. It is also about two years before the temple was finished in Darius's sixth year. Zechariah 7:1Strong's H3691Zechariah overviewZechariah 1:1Ezra 6:15

WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote the book, and the dated messages run from 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: most agree chapters 1-8, including this verse, come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC; many assign the undated chapters 9-14 to later writers, while others hold Zechariah wrote it all. Zechariah overview

HereThe date ties God's answer about fasting to a real moment in history. That moment was during the rebuilding of the temple, which Haggai and Zechariah urged on by their prophesying. Zechariah 7:1Zechariah overviewEzra 6:14

In the whole of ScriptureThis verse begins the book's last dated section, 7:1-8:23, a question about fasting followed by God's promises to Zion. Like Zechariah 1:1 and Haggai 2:10, it carefully records when the LORD spoke to his prophets in the days of Darius. Zechariah overviewZechariah 1:1Haggai 2:10

For readersGod spoke to real people at a set time and place. The answer that follows asks whether religious habits like fasting were truly done for God. It also calls for true judgment, mercy, and care for the widow, the fatherless, the stranger, and the poor. Zechariah 7:1Zechariah 7:5Zechariah 7:6Zechariah 7:9Zechariah 7:10

  • Dariusדָּֽרְיָ֫וֶשׁ
    Hebrew · dar.ya.vesh · H1867H

    The lexicon lists more than one king named Darius, including Darius the son of Hystaspes (521 BC). The book's setting and Ezra show this is Darius king of Persia, under whom the temple was rebuilt and finished. Strong's H1867HZechariah overviewEzra 6:14Ezra 6:15

  • Chisleuכִּסְלֵו
    Hebrew · kis.lev · H3691

    Chisleu is the ninth month of the calendar, about November to December. The same month name appears in Nehemiah 1:1. Strong's H3691Nehemiah 1:1

Takeaway

Zechariah 7:1 is a dated heading that places God's word in Chisleu, about November to December, in Darius's fourth year, about 518 BC. That was while the temple was being rebuilt, before it was finished in Darius's sixth year. It introduces God's searching question about empty fasting and his call to justice and mercy. Zechariah 7:1Strong's H3691Zechariah overviewEzra 6:15Zechariah 7:5Zechariah 7:9

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

Darius I, king of persia
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

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 it wasוַֽיְהִי֙vay-HIH1961
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) …

in yearבִּשְׁנַ֣תbish-NATH8141
year

שְׁנָה (she.nah) year Aramaic of sha.neh (שָׁנָה "year" H8141)

fourאַרְבַּ֔ע'ar-BA'H0702
four

אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) four

of Dariusלְדָרְיָ֖וֶשׁle-da-re-YA-veshH1867H
Darius

דָּֽרְיָ֫וֶשׁ (dar.ya.vesh) A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.4.5 Also named: dar.ya.vesh (דָּֽרְיָ֫וֶשׁ "Darius" H1868) § Darius = "lord" 1) Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, king of the Chaldeans, who succeeded to the Babylonian kingdom on the death of Belshazzar; probably the same as "Astyages" the last king of the Medes (538 BC) 2) Darius, the son of Hystaspes, the founder of the Perso-Arian dynasty (521 BC) 3) Darius II or Darius III …

the kingהַמֶּ֑לֶךְha-ME-lekhH4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

it cameהָיָ֨הha-YAHH1961
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) …

[the] word ofדְבַר־de-var-H1697G
word

דָּבָר (da.var) : word/speech/command 1) speech, word, speaking, thing 1a) speech 1b) saying, utterance 1c) word, words 1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

Yahwehיְהוָ֜הYAH-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)

toאֶל־'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)

Zechariahזְכַרְיָ֗הze-khar-YAHH2148v
Zechariah

זְכַרְיָהוּ (ze.khar.yah) A prophet living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.5.1; son of: Berechiah (H1296L) Aramaic of ze.khar.yah (זְכַרְיָה "Zechariah" H2148v) § Zechariah = "Jehovah remembers" 11th in order of the minor prophets; a priest, son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo, who, along with Haggai, directed the rebuilding of the temple in the days of Zerubbabel

on [day] fourבְּאַרְבָּעָ֛הbe-'ar-ba-'AHH0702
four

אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) four

of the monthלַחֹ֥דֶשׁla-CHO-deshH2320G
month

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) : month 1) the new moon, month, monthly 1a) the first day of the month 1b) the lunar month

the ninthהַתְּשִׁעִ֖יha-te-shi-'IH8671
ninth

תְּשִׁיעִי (te.shi.i) ninth (as ordinal number)

in Kislevבְּכִסְלֵֽו׃be-khis-LEVH3691
Chislev

כִּסְלֵו (kis.lev) § Chisleu = "his confidence" the 9th month of the calendar corresponding to Nov-Dec

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