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Easy-to-Read Version

Zechariah 1:9

I said, "Sir, what are these horses for?" Then the angel speaking to me said, "I will show you what these horses are for."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Angel (a Spirit);   Prophets;   Vision;   Thompson Chain Reference - Angels;   Appearances;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Angels;   Apocalyptic literature;   Zechariah, book of;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Apocalyptic;   Prophet, Prophetess, Prophecy;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Angel;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Zechariah, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Flowers;   Zechariah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Angel;   Angel of the Lord (Jahweh);   Apocalyptic Literature;   Zechariah, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Zechariah, Prophecy of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Myrtle;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Zechariah, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Angelology;   Myrtle;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I asked, “What are these, my lord?”
Hebrew Names Version
Then I asked, 'My lord, what are these?'" The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
King James Version (1611)
Then said I, O my Lord, what are these? And the Angel that talked with me, said vnto me, I wil shew thee what these be.
King James Version
Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
English Standard Version
Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?' The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.'
New American Standard Bible
Then I said, "What are these, my lord?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
New Century Version
I asked, "What are these, sir?" The angel who was talking with me answered, "I'll show you what they are."
Amplified Bible
Then I said, "O my lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said, "I will show you what these are."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then sayd I, O my Lorde, what are these? And the Angel that talked with me, sayde vnto me, I wil shew thee what these be.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Legacy Standard Bible
Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Berean Standard Bible
"What are these, my lord?" I asked. And the angel who was speaking with me replied, "I will show you what they are."
Contemporary English Version
An angel was there to explain things to me, and I asked, "Sir, who are these riders?" "I'll tell you," the angel answered.
Complete Jewish Bible
I asked, "What are these, my Lord?" The angel speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Darby Translation
And I said, My lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these are.
George Lamsa Translation
Then I said, O my LORD, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said to me, I will show you what they are.
Good News Translation
I asked him, "Sir, what do these horses mean?" He answered, "I will show you what they mean.
Lexham English Bible
And I asked, "What are these, my lord?" And the angel who was talking with me said, "I will show you what these are."
Literal Translation
Then I said, My lord, what are these? And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, I will show you what these are .
American Standard Version
Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are.
Bible in Basic English
Then I said, O my lord, what are these? And the angel who was talking to me said to me, I will make clear to you what they are.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said I: 'O my lord, what are these?' And the angel that spoke with me said unto me: 'I will show thee what these are.'
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayde I, O my Lorde, what are these? And the angel that talked with me, sayde vnto me: I will shewe thee what these be.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I said, What are these, my lord? And the angel spoke with me said to me, I will shew thee what these things are.
English Revised Version
Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
World English Bible
Then I asked, 'My lord, what are these?'" The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y seide, My lord, who ben these? And an aungel of the Lord seide to me, that spak in me, Y schal schewe to thee what these ben.
Update Bible Version
Then I said, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said to me, I will show you what these are.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then said I, O my lord, what [are these]? And the angel that talked with me said to me, I will show thee what these [are].
New English Translation
Then I asked one nearby, "What are these, sir?" The angelic messenger who replied to me said, "I will show you what these are."
New King James Version
Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" So the angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what they are."
New Living Translation
I asked the angel who was talking with me, "My lord, what do these horses mean?" "I will show you," the angel replied.
New Life Bible
I asked, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said, "I will show you what these are."
New Revised Standard
Then I said, "What are these, my lord?" The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what they are."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said I, What are these, my lord? And the messenger who was speaking with me, said unto me, I, will shew thee what these, are.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I said: What are these, my lord? and the angel that spoke in me, said to me: I will shew thee what these are:
Revised Standard Version
Then I said, 'What are these, my lord?' The angel who talked with me said to me, 'I will show you what they are.'
Young's Literal Translation
And I say, `What [are] these, my lord?' And the messenger who is speaking with me saith unto me, `I -- I do shew thee what these [are].'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde I: O my LORDE, what are these? And the angel that talked with me, sayed vnto me: I will shewe the what these be.
THE MESSAGE
I said, "Sir, what are these horses doing here? What's the meaning of this?" The Angel-Messenger said, "Let me show you."

Contextual Overview

7 On the 24th day of the eleventh month (Shebat) of the second year that Darius was king of Persia, Zechariah received another message from the Lord . (This was Zechariah son of Berekiah, son of Iddo.) This is the message: 8 At night I saw a man riding a red horse. He was standing among some myrtle bushes in the valley. Behind him, there were red, brown, and white horses. 9 I said, "Sir, what are these horses for?" Then the angel speaking to me said, "I will show you what these horses are for." 10 Then the man standing among the myrtle bushes said, "The Lord sent these horses to go here and there on earth." 11 Then the horses spoke to the Lord 's angel standing among the myrtle bushes and said, "We have walked here and there on the earth, and everything is calm and quiet." 12 Then the Lord 's angel said, " Lord All-Powerful, how long before you comfort Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have shown your anger at these cities for 70 years now." 13 Then the Lord answered the angel who was talking with me. He spoke good, comforting words. 14 Then the angel told me to tell the people this: The Lord All-Powerful says: "I have a strong love for Jerusalem and Zion. 15 And I am very angry at the nations that feel so safe. I was only a little angry, and I used them to punish my people. But they caused too much damage." 16 So the Lord says, "I will come back to Jerusalem and comfort her." The Lord All-Powerful says, "Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and my house will be built there."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

what: Zechariah 1:19, Zechariah 4:4, Zechariah 4:11, Zechariah 6:4, Daniel 7:16, Daniel 8:15, Revelation 7:13, Revelation 7:14

the angel: Zechariah 2:3, Zechariah 4:5, Zechariah 5:5, Zechariah 6:4, Zechariah 6:5, Genesis 31:11, Daniel 8:16, Daniel 9:22, Daniel 9:23, Daniel 10:11-14, Revelation 17:1-7, Revelation 19:9, Revelation 19:10, Revelation 22:8-16

Reciprocal: Daniel 8:13 - one saint Zechariah 1:14 - the angel Zechariah 3:1 - he

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
God created the sky and the earth. At first,
Genesis 1:2
the earth was completely empty. There was nothing on the earth. Darkness covered the ocean, and God's Spirit moved over the water.
Genesis 1:5
God named the light "day," and he named the darkness "night." There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the first day.
Genesis 1:6
Then God said, "Let there be a space to separate the water into two parts!"
Genesis 1:8
God named that space "sky." There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the second day.
Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered together so that the dry land will appear." And it happened.
Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let the earth grow grass, plants that make grain, and fruit trees. The fruit trees will make fruit with seeds in it. And each plant will make its own kind of seed. Let these plants grow on the earth." And it happened.
Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Genesis 1:29
God said, "I am giving you all the grain bearing plants and all the fruit trees. These trees make fruit with seeds in it. This grain and fruit will be your food.
Job 26:7
God stretched the northern sky over empty space. He hung the earth on nothing.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said I, O my Lord,.... These are the words of the Prophet Zechariah to the angel that showed him this vision:

what are these? what is the meaning of this vision? particularly who are meant by the horses, red, speckled, and white, and those upon them?

And the angel that talked with me; who seems to be different from the Angel of the Lord, the man among the myrtle trees, Zechariah 1:8 he was one of the ministering spirits; see

Revelation 17:1:

said unto me, I will show thee what these [be]; that is, give an interpretation of the vision, and point out the persons intended by the horses.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What are these? - He asks, not who, but what they import.

The angel that talked with me - Literally, “spake in me.” The very rare expression seems meant to convey the thought of an inward speaking, whereby the words should be borne directly into the soul, without the intervention of the ordinary outward organs. God says to Moses, “If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make Myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak (literally) in him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so - In him will I speak mouth to mouth Numbers 12:6-9;” and Habakkuk says of the like inward teaching, “I will watch to see, what He will speak in me” . It is the characteristic title of one attendant-angel, who was God’s expositor of the visions to Zechariah (Zechariah 1:13-14, Zechariah 1:19, (Zechariah 2:2 Hebrew) Zechariah 2:3; (7) Zechariah 4:1, Zechariah 4:4-5; Zechariah 5:5, Zechariah 5:10; Zechariah 6:4). Dionysius: “By his ministry God showed me things to come, in that that angel formed in the spirit and imaginative power of Zechariah phantasms or images of things which were foreshown him, and gave him to understand what those images signified.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zechariah 1:9. O my lord, what are these — The angel here mentioned was distinct from those mentioned in the eighth verse; he who talked with the prophet, Zechariah 1:13.


 
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