Zechariah 8

Zechariah · Chapter 8

Zechariah 8:19

1Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,2Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.3Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.4Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.5And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.6Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.7Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;8And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.9Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.10For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.11But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.12For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.13And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.14For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:15So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.16These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:17And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.18And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,19Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.20Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:21And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.22Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.23Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
19Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: The fasts of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will become times of joy and gladness, cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore you are to love both truth and peace.”Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

This verse answers the question from 7:3 about whether the people should keep weeping and fasting in the fifth month. God says the fasts that mourned Jerusalem's fall will become joyful feasts for Judah. The closing charge, "love the truth and peace," repeats the duties just given in 8:16-17. Zechariah 8:19Zechariah 7:3Zechariah 8:16Zechariah 8:17Jeremiah 52:4Jeremiah 52:6Jeremiah 52:12Jeremiah 41:1

SpeakingThe LORD of hosts speaks through the prophet Zechariah, to whom "the word of the LORD of hosts came." Zechariah 8:18Zechariah 8:19Zechariah overview

ToThe people of Judah who had returned from exile in Babylon, together with the priests who were asked about fasting. Zechariah overviewZechariah 7:3Zechariah 7:5

Also involvedThe "house of Judah" is named as the one whose fasts will turn to joy. Zechariah 8:19

Judah had kept fasts in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months to mourn the disasters of Jerusalem's fall. The fourth month recalls the city being broken up, the seventh the murder of Gedaliah, and the tenth the start of Babylon's siege. The cited sources do not say what event the fifth-month fast marked, only that the people wept then. God promises these sad days will become times of joy, gladness and good appointed feasts. Zechariah 8:19Jeremiah 39:22 Kings 25:32 Kings 25:42 Kings 25:25Jeremiah 52:4Zechariah 7:3Zechariah 7:5

Given in Jerusalem among the returned exiles, about fasts mourning what happened to Jerusalem and Judah. Zechariah overviewZechariah 8:3

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThe question about fasting came in the fourth year of Darius king of Persia, about 518 BC, while the temple was being rebuilt. The fasts had been kept through "those seventy years" of exile. Zechariah overviewZechariah 7:5Zechariah 8:9

WrittenTraditional: written by Zechariah around 518 BC. Scholarly: most scholars agree chapters 1-8 come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC. Zechariah overview

HereGod answers the fasting question by showing that his plan is to turn mourning into joy, since he has returned to Zion to do good to Jerusalem. He ties that joy to the people loving truth and peace. Zechariah 8:19Zechariah 8:3Zechariah 8:15Zechariah 8:16

In the whole of ScriptureIn chapter 8 God promises to dwell in Jerusalem, bring his people home, and make them a blessing. The chapter ends with many nations coming to seek the LORD in Jerusalem. Zechariah 8:3Zechariah 8:8Zechariah 8:13Zechariah 8:22Zechariah 8:23

For readersGod asked whether their fasting was truly "unto me" (7:5), and here he points them to love of truth and peace. What he asks for is honest speech, fair judgment and goodwill toward neighbours, more than the keeping of sad days. Zechariah 7:5Zechariah 8:19Zechariah 8:16Zechariah 8:17

  • fastצוֹם
    Hebrew · tsom · H6685

    The word simply means "fast, fasting." Here it names days of mourning tied to Jerusalem's disasters, as 7:3 and 7:5 show with weeping and mourning. Strong's H6685Zechariah 7:3Zechariah 7:5Jeremiah 52:4Jeremiah 52:12

  • Hebrew · mo.ed · H4150H

    The word means an appointed time, including a "sacred season, set feast." The fast days are to become set, sacred feast times, paired with the word "good" (H2896A). Strong's H4150HStrong's H2896A

  • truthאֱמֶת
    Hebrew · e.met · H0571H

    Its meanings include firmness, faithfulness, reliability and truth as spoken and in judgment. That matches 8:16, which asks for truthful speech and "the judgment of truth" in the gates. Strong's H0571HZechariah 8:16

  • peaceשָׁלוֹם
    Hebrew · sha.lom · H7965G

    This is shalom. It covers completeness, welfare and peace in human relationships and with God. It is not only an absence of war, which fits the charge not to plot evil against a neighbour. Strong's H7965GZechariah 8:17

  • loveאָהֵב
    Hebrew · a.hav · H0157G

    The word is used for human love for another and human love for God, and for God's love toward righteousness. Set beside 8:17, where the people are told to "love no false oath," the charge is to love truth and peace instead of falsehood. Strong's H0157GZechariah 8:17

Takeaway

God promised that Judah's days of mourning would become days of joy, because he had returned to do Jerusalem good. The fitting response was to love truth and peace in everyday dealings. Zechariah 8:19Zechariah 8:15Zechariah 8:16

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

The fasts of mourning
The people asked whether to keep fasting. Their fasts remembered the fall of Jerusalem: the siege began in the tenth month, the wall was broken in the fourth, the temple burned in the fifth, and Gedaliah was murdered in the seventh. Zechariah 7:3-5Zechariah 8:192 Kings 25:1-92 Kings 25:25Jeremiah 39:2Jeremiah 41:1-2

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
thusכֹּֽה־koh-H3541
thus

כֹּה (koh) 1) thus, here, in this manner 1a) thus, so 1b) here, here and there 1c) until now, until now...until then, meanwhile Aramaic equivalent: kah (כָּה "thus" H3542)

he saysאָמַ֞ר'a-MARH0559
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)

Yahwehיְהוָ֣הYAH-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)

of hostsצְבָא֗וֹתtze-va-'otH6635B
Hosts

צָבָא (tsa.va) The Hosts (of the Lord) Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

[the] fast ofצ֣וֹםTzomH6685
fast

צוֹם (tsom) fast, fasting

the fourth [month]הָרְבִיעִ֡יha-re-vi-'IH7243
fourth

רְבִיעִי (re.vi.i) 1) fourth 1a) fourth 1b) four square 1c) fourth part Aramaic equivalent: re.vi.ay (רְבִיעִי "fourth" H7244)

and [the] fast ofוְצ֣וֹםve-TZOMH6685
fast

צוֹם (tsom) fast, fasting

the fifth [month]הַחֲמִישִׁי֩ha-cha-mi-SHIH2549
fifth

חֲמִישִׁי (cha.mi.shi) ordinal number, 5th

and [the] fast ofוְצ֨וֹםve-TZOMH6685
fast

צוֹם (tsom) fast, fasting

the seventh [month]הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜יha-she-vi-'IH7637
seventh

שְׁבִיעִי (she.vi.i) 1) seventh 1a) ordinal number

and [the] fast ofוְצ֣וֹםve-TZOMH6685
fast

צוֹם (tsom) fast, fasting

the tenth [month]הָעֲשִׂירִ֗יha-'a-si-RIH6224
tenth

עֲשִׂירִי (a.si.ri) 1) ordinal number 1a) a tenth

it will becomeיִהְיֶ֤הyih-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) …

for [the] house ofלְבֵית־le-veit-H1004MNo entry
Judahיְהוּדָה֙ye-hu-DAHH3063G
Judah

יְהוּד (ye.hud) A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.35; son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812); brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783); half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); married to Bath-shua (H1323I) and Tamar (H8559); father of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209), Shelah (H7956), Perez (H6557) and Zerah (H2226I) Aramaic of ye.hu.dah (יְהוּדָה "Judah" H3063) Judah-the territory of the tribe of Judah

into joyלְשָׂשׂ֣וֹןle-sa-SONH8342
rejoicing

שָׂשׂוֹן (sa.s.von) 1) gladness, joy, exultation, rejoicing 1a) exultation, joy

and into gladnessוּלְשִׂמְחָ֔הu-le-sim-CHAHH8057
joy

שִׂמְחָה (sim.chah) 1) joy, mirth, gladness 1a) mirth, gladness, joy, gaiety, pleasure 1b) joy (of God) 1c) glad result, happy issue

and into appointed feastsוּֽלְמֹעֲדִ֖יםu-le-mo-'a-DIMH4150H
meeting: time appointed

מוֹעֵד (mo.ed) : time_appointed 1) appointed place, appointed time, meeting 1a) appointed time 1a1) appointed time (general) 1a2) sacred season, set feast, appointed season 1b) appointed meeting 1c) appointed place 1d) appointed sign or signal 1e) tent of meeting

goodטוֹבִ֑יםto-VIMH2896A
fine

טָב (tav) good Aramaic of tov (טוֹב "pleasant" H2896A)

and the truthוְהָאֱמֶ֥תve-ha-'e-METH0571H
truth: faithful

אֱמֶת (e.met) : faithful 1) firmness, faithfulness, truth 1a) sureness, reliability 1b) stability, continuance 1c) faithfulness, reliableness 1d) truth 1d1) as spoken 1d2) of testimony and judgment 1d3) of divine instruction 1d4) truth as a body of ethical or religious knowledge 1d5) true doctrine adv 2) in truth, truly

and the peaceוְהַשָּׁל֖וֹםve-ha-sha-LOMH7965G
peace

שָׁלוֹם (sha.lom) : peace 1) completeness, soundness, welfare, peace 1a) completeness (in number) 1b) safety, soundness (in body) 1c) welfare, health, prosperity 1d) peace, quiet, tranquillity, contentment 1e) peace, friendship 1e1) of human relationships 1e2) with God especially in covenant relationship 1f) peace (from war) 1g) peace (as adjective)

loveאֱהָֽבוּ׃ פ'e-HA-vuH0157G
to love: lover

אָהֵב (a.hav) : lover 1) to love 1a) (Qal) 1a1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual 1a2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom 1a3) human love for or to God 1a4) act of being a friend 1a4a) lover (participle) 1a4b) friend (participle) 1a5) God's love toward man 1a5a) to individual men 1a5b) to people Israel 1a5c) to righteousness 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) lovely (participle) 1b2) loveable (participle) 1c) (Piel) 1c1) friends 1c2) lovers (fig. of adulterers) 2) to like Also means: a.hav (אָהֵב ": friend" H0157H)

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