Zechariah 8

Zechariah · Chapter 8

Zechariah 8:22

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
22Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.And many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead before the LORD.”Yea, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of Jehovah.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Zechariah 8:22 closes a promise (8:20-23) that people from many cities and strong nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD and pray before him. It ends God's answer to a question about fasting. In that answer he says he has returned to Zion and will turn Judah's fasts into feasts. Zechariah 8:20Zechariah 8:21Zechariah 8:22Zechariah 8:23Zechariah 8:3Zechariah 8:19Zechariah overview

SpeakingThe LORD of hosts is speaking through the prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah. Zechariah 8:18Zechariah 8:20Zechariah overview

ToThe people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon and were rebuilding the temple. Zechariah overviewZechariah 8:9

Also involvedMany peoples and strong nations from outside Israel. Verse 23 describes them as men "out of all languages of the nations" who take hold of a Jew's garment, saying "we have heard that God is with you." Zechariah 8:22Zechariah 8:23Strong's H1471A

God promises that the nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD of hosts and to entreat him. The people of one city will urge another, "Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD." Zechariah 8:21Zechariah 8:22Strong's H1245Strong's H2470B

Jerusalem, the city where God says he will dwell and which will be called "a city of truth." Zechariah 8:22Zechariah 8:3Jerusalem

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThe promise looks ahead: "It shall yet come to pass" and "in those days." The text gives no date for its fulfillment. Zechariah 8:20Zechariah 8:23

WrittenTraditional: Zechariah gave this message about the fourth year of Darius king of Persia, around 518 BC. Scholarly: most scholars also place chapters 1-8 with Zechariah in 520-518 BC. Zechariah overviewZechariah 8:1

HereThe promise encouraged the remnant who had returned and were rebuilding the temple after hard times. Judah had been "a curse among the heathen," but God would save them and make them a blessing, and the nations would come to seek their God. Zechariah 8:6Zechariah 8:9Zechariah 8:10Zechariah 8:13Zechariah overview

In the whole of ScriptureOther Scripture shares this hope. Micah 4:3 speaks of the LORD judging among "many people" and rebuking "strong nations," and Isaiah 60:3 says "the Gentiles shall come to thy light." Galatians 3:8 ties the blessing of the nations to God's promise to Abraham, "In thee shall all nations be blessed." Micah 4:3Isaiah 60:3Galatians 3:8Revelation 15:4

For readersGod's purpose reaches beyond one people: "all nations shall come and worship before thee" (Revelation 15:4). In this same chapter he calls his people to speak the truth and to "love the truth and peace" (8:16, 8:19). In verse 23 the nations come because they have heard that God is with his people. Revelation 15:4Zechariah 8:16Zechariah 8:19Zechariah 8:23

Christians read this differently

The verse plainly says nations will come to seek the LORD in Jerusalem, and no cited Scripture says exactly how this is fulfilled. Some expect a future gathering of nations to the earthly Jerusalem. Others see it fulfilled as the Gentiles come to God through faith (Galatians 3:8), and still others see it completed when the nations walk in the light of the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:24). Zechariah 8:22Galatians 3:8Revelation 21:24Isaiah 60:3

  • seekבָּקַשׁ
    Hebrew · ba.qash · H1245

    The word means to seek to find, to desire, or "to seek the face." The nations come seeking the LORD himself, as verse 21 also says. Strong's H1245Zechariah 8:21

  • prayחָלָה
    Hebrew · cha.lah · H2470B

    Its definition is "to mollify, entreat, pray, beg." Joined with "face" (H6440L), it pictures people entreating the LORD in his presence. Strong's H2470BStrong's H6440L

  • nationsגּוֹי
    Hebrew · goy · H1471A

    This word is usually used of non-Hebrew peoples. It shows that those coming to seek Israel's God are outsiders, as verse 23 confirms. Strong's H1471AZechariah 8:23

  • strongעָצוּם
    Hebrew · a.tsum · H6099

    It means mighty, vast, or numerous, even countless. These are great and many nations; Micah 4:3 also speaks of "strong nations" under the LORD's judgment. Strong's H6099Micah 4:3

Takeaway

A remnant rebuilding Jerusalem was promised that many strong nations would one day come to seek its God. Scripture carries this hope from the promise to Abraham to the day when all nations worship before the Lord. Zechariah 8:22Zechariah 8:6Galatians 3:8Revelation 15:4

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.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and they will comeוּבָ֨אוּu-VA-'uH0935G
to come (in): come

בּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put

peoplesעַמִּ֤ים'a-MIMH5971A
people

עַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

manyרַבִּים֙ra-BIMH7227A
many

רַב (rav) adj 1) much, many, great 1a) much 1b) many 1c) abounding in 1d) more numerous than 1e) abundant, enough 1f) great 1g) strong 1h) greater than adv 1i) much, exceedingly

and nationsוְגוֹיִ֣םve-go-YIMH1471A
nation

גּוֹי (goy) 1) nation, people 1a) nation, people 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people 1a2) of descendants of Abraham 1a3) of Israel 1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)

mightyעֲצוּמִ֔ים'a-tzu-MIMH6099
mighty

עָצוּם (a.tsum) 1) mighty, vast, numerous 1a) mighty, strong (in number) 1b) numerous, countless

to seekלְבַקֵּ֛שׁle-va-KESHH1245
to seek

בָּקַשׁ (ba.qash) 1) to seek, require, desire, exact, request 1a) (Piel) 1a1) to seek to find 1a2) to seek to secure 1a3) to seek the face 1a4) to desire, demand 1a5) to require, exact 1a6) to ask, request 1b) (Pual) to be sought

Yahwehיְהוָ֥הYAH-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 hostsצְבָא֖וֹתtze-va-'otH6635B
Hosts

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

in Jerusalemבִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑םbi-ru-sha-LIMH3389
Ariel

אֲרִיאֵל (a.ri.el) Ariel = "lion of God" or "lioness of God" Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

and to entreatוּלְחַלּ֖וֹתu-le-cha-LOTH2470B
to beg

חָלָה (cha.lah) 1) (Piel) 1a) (CLBL) to mollify, entreat, pray, beg

[the] face ofפְּנֵ֥יpe-NEIH6440L
face: before

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

Yahwehיְהוָֽה׃ סYAH-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.