Zechariah 8

Zechariah · Chapter 8

Zechariah 8:4

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
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.This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of great age.Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

This is one of a string of promises God gives to Zion in Zechariah 8. Having said he has returned to dwell in Jerusalem (8:3), the LORD pictures the city so safe and settled that the very old sit in its open squares while children play there (8:5). Zechariah 8:3Zechariah 8:4Zechariah 8:5

SpeakingThe LORD of hosts speaks, and the word comes through the prophet Zechariah. Zechariah 8:1Zechariah 8:4Zechariah overview

ToThe people of Judah who had returned from exile in Babylon and were rebuilding the temple, called "the remnant of this people". Zechariah overviewZechariah 8:6Zechariah 8:9

Also involvedThe future inhabitants of Jerusalem, both the old (8:4) and the young (8:5), including God's people gathered from east and west (8:7-8). Zechariah 8:4Zechariah 8:5Zechariah 8:7Zechariah 8:8

God promises that Jerusalem will again hold old men and women living out long lives, so aged they lean on a staff. This reverses the days of judgment, when the city's people were slain and none escaped (Lamentations 2:20-22). Long life is a sign of God's blessing elsewhere too (Job 5:26; Isaiah 65:20). Zechariah 8:4Lamentations 2:20Lamentations 2:22Job 5:26Isaiah 65:20

Jerusalem, the city to which God says he has returned, and specifically its open squares or plazas. Zechariah 8:3Zechariah 8:4JerusalemStrong's H7339

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThe message belongs to the section of chapters 7-8, dated to the fourth year of Darius king of Persia, about 518 BC, while the temple was being rebuilt. Zechariah overviewZechariah 8:9

WrittenTraditional: written by Zechariah, 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 promise encourages a small, discouraged remnant to keep building: "Let your hands be strong" (8:9, 8:13). God answers their doubt by saying that what seems marvellous to them is not too marvellous for him (8:6). Zechariah 8:6Zechariah 8:9Zechariah 8:13Zechariah overview

In the whole of ScriptureGod was jealous for Zion (8:2) and now turns from punishing to doing good to Jerusalem (8:14-15). The city where the enemy once consumed young and old (Lamentations 2:20-22) will again be full of long lives, and in the end many nations will come to seek the LORD in Jerusalem (8:22). Zechariah 8:2Zechariah 8:14Zechariah 8:15Lamentations 2:20Lamentations 2:22Zechariah 8:22

For readersThe verse shows that God's restoring work reaches ordinary life: safe streets, long lives, and families across generations. It also comes with a call to live truthfully and in peace with one's neighbor (8:16-17). Zechariah 8:4Zechariah 8:5Zechariah 8:16Zechariah 8:17

  • yetעוֹד
    Hebrew · od · H5750

    The word means still, yet, or again. It marks this as a return to something lost: the city that was emptied by judgment will again be lived in. Strong's H5750Lamentations 2:22

  • dwellיָשַׁב
    Hebrew · ya.shav · H3427

    The word means to sit, remain, or dwell, and here it is rendered "they will sit." The picture is of elderly people sitting at rest in the city, not passing through in fear (compare 8:10). Strong's H3427Zechariah 8:10

  • streetsרְחוֹב
    Hebrew · re.chov · H7339

    The word means a broad or open place, a plaza. The old sit in the city's public squares, the same places where children play in 8:5. Strong's H7339Zechariah 8:5

  • very ageרֹב
    Hebrew · rov · H7230

    The word means abundance or multitude, so the phrase reads literally "from abundance of days." It echoes being "old and full of days" (Job 42:17). Strong's H7230Strong's H3117GJob 42:17

Takeaway

Zechariah 8:4 is God's promise that ruined Jerusalem would again be a safe home where people grow very old. It assures the returned exiles that God has turned from judgment to blessing, and calls them to take courage and build. Zechariah 8:4Zechariah 8:13Zechariah 8:15

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

Jerusalem: A large city with few people
Even in Nehemiah's day, "the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded." Compare Zechariah's promise that Jerusalem would be inhabited "as towns without walls for the multitude of men." Nehemiah 7:4Zechariah 2:4Zechariah 8:4-5

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
thusכֹּ֤הkohH3541
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 saysאָמַר֙'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 hostsצְבָא֔וֹתtze-va-'otH6635B
Hosts

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

againעֹ֤ד'odH5750
still

עוֹד (od) subst 1) a going round, continuance adv 2) still, yet, again, besides 2a) still, yet (of continuance or persistence) 2b) still, yet, more (of addition or repetition) 2c) again 2d) still, moreover, besides Aramaic equivalent: od (עוֹד "still" H5751)

they will sitיֵֽשְׁבוּ֙ye-she-VUH3427
to dwell

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

old [men]זְקֵנִ֣יםze-ke-NIMH2205H
old: elder

זָקֵן (za.qen) : elder/leader 1) old 1a) old (of humans) 1b) elder (of those having authority)

and old [women]וּזְקֵנ֔וֹתu-ze-ke-NOTH2205H
old: elder

זָקֵן (za.qen) : elder/leader 1) old 1a) old (of humans) 1b) elder (of those having authority)

in [the] open places ofבִּרְחֹב֖וֹתbir-cho-VOTH7339
street/plaza

רְחוֹב (re.chov) broad or open place or plaza

Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִָ֑םye-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 eachוְאִ֧ישׁve-'ISHH0376I
man

אִישׁ (ish) : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective)

staff hisמִשְׁעַנְתּ֛וֹmish-'an-TOH4938B
staff

מִשְׁעֶ֫נֶת (mish.e.net) staff

[will be] in hand hisבְּיָד֖וֹbe-ya-DOH3027G
hand

יָד (yad) : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists

from abundance ofמֵרֹ֥בme-ROH7230
abundance

רֹב (rov) 1) multitude, abundance, greatness 1a) multitude 1a1) abundance, abundantly 1a2) numerous 1b) greatness

daysיָמִֽים׃ya-MIMH3117G
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

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