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Good News Translation

Zechariah 1:9

I asked him, "Sir, what do these horses mean?" He answered, "I will show you what they mean.

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.
Easy-to-Read Version
I said, "Sir, what are these horses for?" Then the angel speaking to me said, "I will show you what these horses are for."
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.
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 In the second year that Darius was emperor, on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat), the Lord gave me a message in a vision at night. 8 I saw someone riding a red horse. He had stopped among some myrtle trees in a valley, and behind him were other horses—red, dappled, and white. 9 I asked him, "Sir, what do these horses mean?" He answered, "I will show you what they mean. 10 The Lord sent them to go and inspect the earth." 11 They reported to the angel: "We have been all over the world and have found that the whole world lies helpless and subdued." 12 Then the angel said, "Almighty Lord , you have been angry with Jerusalem and the cities of Judah for seventy years now. How much longer will it be before you show them mercy?" 13 The Lord answered the angel with comforting words, 14 and the angel told me to proclaim what the Lord Almighty had said: "I have a deep love and concern for Jerusalem, my holy city, 15 and I am very angry with the nations that enjoy quiet and peace. For while I was holding back my anger against my people, those nations made the sufferings of my people worse. 16 So I have come back to Jerusalem to show mercy to the city. My Temple will be restored, and the city will be rebuilt."

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
In the beginning, when God created the universe,
Genesis 1:2
the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water.
Genesis 1:5
and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came—that was the first day.
Genesis 1:6
Then God commanded, "Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places"—and it was done. So God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it.
Genesis 1:8
He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came—that was the second day.
Genesis 1:9
Then God commanded, "Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear"—and it was done.
Genesis 1:11
Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit"—and it was done.
Genesis 1:28
blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals.
Genesis 1:29
I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat;
Job 26:7
God stretched out the northern sky and hung the earth in empty space.

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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