the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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THE MESSAGE
Zechariah 2:1
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BridgewayEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and, behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I lift vp mine eyes againe, and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand!
Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
Then I looked up and saw a man holding a line for measuring things.
And I looked up, and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I lift vp mine eyes againe and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.
Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there was a man with a measuring cord in his hand.
Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.
This time I saw someone holding a measuring line,
Then I looked up and saw four horns.
And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
Then I looked up and saw a man holding a rope for measuring things.
I LIFTED up my eyes again and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.
In another vision I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.
And I looked up and I saw, and look, a man, and in his hand was a measuring rope!
I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and, behold, A man, and a measuring line in his hand!
And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.
And lifting up my eyes, I saw a man with a measuring-line in his hand.
And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
I Lyft vp myne eyes agayne and loked: and beholde a man, with a measure lyne in his hande.
And I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a man, and in his hand a measuring line.
And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and, behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.
And Y reiside myn iyen, and siy, and lo! a man, and lo! in his hoond a litil coorde of meteris.
And I lifted up my eyes, and looked, and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I lifted up my eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I looked again, and there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.
When I looked again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.
Then I looked up and saw a man holding a string used to find the length of things.
I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.
Then lifted I up mine eyes and looked, and lo! a Man, - and, in his hand, a Measuring Line.
And I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold a man, with a measuring line in his hand.
And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand!
And I lift up mine eyes, and look, and lo, a man, and in his hand a measuring line.
I lift vp myne eyes agayne, & loked: and beholde, a man with a measure lyne in his honde.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
lifted: Zechariah 1:18
a man: Zechariah 1:16, Ezekiel 40:3, Ezekiel 40:5, Ezekiel 47:4, Revelation 11:1, Revelation 21:15
Reciprocal: Ezra 6:14 - through Job 38:5 - who hath stretched Jeremiah 31:39 - General Ezekiel 42:16 - the measuring reed Ezekiel 47:3 - the man Daniel 8:3 - I lifted Amos 7:7 - a wall Zechariah 9:8 - I will
Cross-References
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
At the time God made Earth and Heaven, before any grasses or shrubs had sprouted from the ground— God hadn't yet sent rain on Earth, nor was there anyone around to work the ground (the whole Earth was watered by underground springs)— God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!
Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil.
He wrote on, "Blessed be the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, and who gave King David a son so wise, so knowledgeable and shrewd, to build a temple for God and a palace for himself. I've sent you Huram-Abi—he's already on his way—he knows the construction business inside and out. His mother is from Dan and his father from Tyre. He knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, in purple, violet, linen, and crimson textiles; he is also an expert engraver and competent to work out designs with your artists and architects, and those of my master David, your father.
Then on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the People of Israel gathered for a fast, wearing burlap and faces smudged with dirt as signs of repentance. The Israelites broke off all relations with foreigners, stood up, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their parents. While they stood there in their places, they read from the Book of The Revelation of God , their God, for a quarter of the day. For another quarter of the day they confessed and worshiped their God . A group of Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani—stood on the platform and cried out to God , their God, in a loud voice. The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, "On your feet! Bless God , your God, for ever and ever!" Blessed be your glorious name, exalted above all blessing and praise! You're the one, God , you alone; You made the heavens, the heavens of heavens, and all angels; The earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them; You keep them all alive; heaven's angels worship you!
The skies were made by God 's command; he breathed the word and the stars popped out. He scooped Sea into his jug, put Ocean in his keg.
God 's Message, the God who created the cosmos, stretched out the skies, laid out the earth and all that grows from it, Who breathes life into earth's people, makes them alive with his own life: "I am God . I have called you to live right and well. I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe. I have set you among my people to bind them to me, and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations, To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light: opening blind eyes, releasing prisoners from dungeons, emptying the dark prisons. I am God . That's my name. I don't franchise my glory, don't endorse the no-god idols. Take note: The earlier predictions of judgment have been fulfilled. I'm announcing the new salvation work. Before it bursts on the scene, I'm telling you all about it."
God , Creator of the heavens— he is, remember, G od. Maker of earth— he put it on its foundations, built it from scratch. He didn't go to all that trouble to just leave it empty, nothing in it. He made it to be lived in. This God says: "I am God , the one and only. I don't just talk to myself or mumble under my breath. I never told Jacob, ‘Seek me in emptiness, in dark nothingness.' I am God . I work out in the open, saying what's right, setting things right. So gather around, come on in, all you refugees and castoffs. They don't seem to know much, do they— those who carry around their no-god blocks of wood, praying for help to a dead stick? So tell me what you think. Look at the evidence. Put your heads together. Make your case. Who told you, and a long time ago, what's going on here? Who made sense of things for you? Wasn't I the one? God ? It had to be me. I'm the only God there is— The only God who does things right and knows how to help. So turn to me and be helped—saved!— everyone, whoever and wherever you are. I am God , the only God there is, the one and only. I promise in my own name: Every word out of my mouth does what it says. I never take back what I say. Everyone is going to end up kneeling before me. Everyone is going to end up saying of me, ‘Yes! Salvation and strength are in God !'" All who have raged against him will be brought before him, disgraced by their unbelief. And all who are connected with Israel will have a robust, praising, good life in God !
"Pay close attention now: I'm creating new heavens and a new earth. All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past, to be forgotten. Look ahead with joy. Anticipate what I'm creating: I'll create Jerusalem as sheer joy, create my people as pure delight. I'll take joy in Jerusalem, take delight in my people: No more sounds of weeping in the city, no cries of anguish; No more babies dying in the cradle, or old people who don't enjoy a full lifetime; One-hundredth birthdays will be considered normal— anything less will seem like a cheat. They'll build houses and move in. They'll plant fields and eat what they grow. No more building a house that some outsider takes over, No more planting fields that some enemy confiscates, For my people will be as long-lived as trees, my chosen ones will have satisfaction in their work. They won't work and have nothing come of it, they won't have children snatched out from under them. For they themselves are plantings blessed by God , with their children and grandchildren likewise God -blessed. Before they call out, I'll answer. Before they've finished speaking, I'll have heard. Wolf and lamb will graze the same meadow, lion and ox eat straw from the same trough, but snakes—they'll get a diet of dirt! Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill anywhere on my Holy Mountain," says God .
But the Portion-of-Jacob is the real thing. He put the whole universe together And pays special attention to Israel. His name? God -of-the-Angel-Armies!
Gill's Notes on the Bible
I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked,.... And saw a third vision; which, as Kimchi owns, refers to the times of the Messiah; though it might be of use to the Jews then present, to encourage them to expect the rebuilding of Jerusalem, in a literal sense:
and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand: by whom is meant, not Nehemiah, nor Zerubbabel; see Zechariah 4:10 who were concerned in the building of Jerusalem; nor any mere man, nor even a created angel; for, though he may be the same with the other angel, that did not talk with the prophet, Zechariah 2:3 as Kimchi observes; seeing he seems to be superior to him that did; yet not a ministering spirit, but the Messiah, who in this book is often spoken of as a man;
Zechariah 2:3- : and by "the measuring line in his hand" may be meant eternal predestination, the Lamb's book of life, which is in his keeping; and is the measure and rule by which he proceeds in the calling, justification, and glorification of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven; or the Scriptures of truth, the measure and rule of doctrine, discipline, worship, and conversation; and according to which Christ forms, constitutes, and regulates Gospel churches; see Ezekiel 40:3.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
A man with a measuring line in his hand - Probably the Angel of the Lord, of whom Ezekiel has a like vision. Jerome: “He who before, when he lift up his eyes, had seen in the four horns things mournful, now again lifts up his eves to see a man, of whom it is written, “Behold a man whose name is the Branch” Zechariah 6:12; of whom we read above, “Behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees, which were in the bottom” Zechariah 1:8. Of whom too the Father saith; He builded My city, “whose builder and maker is God” Hebrews 11:10. He too is seen by Ezekiel in a description like this, “a man whose appearance was like the appearance of brass” Ezekiel 40:3, that is, “burnished and shining as fire, with a line of flax in his hand and a measuring reed” Ezekiel 1:7. The office also seems to be one of authority, not to measure the actual length and breadth of Jerusalem, but to lay down what it should be, (Cyril), “to mark it out broad and very long.”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER II
The vision with which this chapter opens, portended great
increase and prosperity to Jerusalem. Accordingly Josephus
tells us, (Wars v. iv. 2,) that "the city, overflowing with
inhabitants, extended beyond its walls," as predicted in the
fourth verse, and acquired much glory during the time of the
Maccabees; although these promises, and particularly the
sublime image in the fifth verse, has certainly a still more
pointed reference to the glory and prosperity of the Christian
Church in the latter days, 1-5. See Revelation 21:1-27; Revelation 22:1-21.
In consequence of these promises, the Jews, still inhabiting
Babylon and the regions round about, are called upon to hasten
home, that they might not be involved in the fate of their
enemies, who were destined to fall a prey to the nations which
they had formerly subdued; God's great love anti zeal for his
people moving him to glorify them by humbling all their
adversaries, 6-9.
The most gracious promises of God's presence with his Church,
and her consequent increase and prosperity, set forth in the
remaining verses, 10-13,
were to a certain extent fulfilled in the great number of
proselytes made to Judaism after the return from the captivity;
but shall be more fully accomplished after the restoration of
the Jews to the favour of God under the Gospel. "For if the
casting away of the natural Israel be the reconciling of the
world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the
dead?"
NOTES ON CHAP II
Verse Zechariah 2:1. A man with a measuring - line in his hand. — Probably a representation of Nehemiah, who got a commission from Artaxerxes Longimanus to build up the walls of Jerusalem; for hitherto it had remained without being enclosed.
