“It shall come to pass in that day That I will answer,” says the Lord; “I will answer the heavens, And they shall answer the earth.
Parallel translations
- WEB It will happen in that day, I will respond,” says Yahweh, “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth;
- KJV And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;
- BSB “On that day I will respond—” declares the LORD—“I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth.
- NASB ¶“And it will come about on that day that I will respond,” declares the Lord. “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,
- NLT “In that day, I will answer,” says the Lord. “I will answer the sky as it pleads for clouds. And the sky will answer the earth with rain.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God describes a harmonious chain of provision in which the heavens respond to His word and the earth in turn is blessed. Restored fellowship brings restored fruitfulness.
Overview
This poetic sequence pictures all creation cooperating to supply Israel's needs once she is reconciled to God. Where earlier God withdrew grain and wine, now He commands the heavens and earth to yield abundance again. The verse shows that blessing flows from a right relationship with the Creator, and it hints at the renewal of all things that accompanies God's saving work.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Zech 8:12“For the seed of peace and the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.
- Isa 65:24It will happen that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
- Rom 8:32He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?
- Matt 6:33But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
- Isa 55:10For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it grow and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
- 1 Cor 3:21–23Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,
- Zech 13:9I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will test them like gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, ‘It is my people;’ and they will say, ‘Yahweh is my God.’”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's relentless love for an unfaithful bride dramatizes the gospel: 'Out of Egypt I called my son' is fulfilled in Jesus, who redeems an adulterous people at his own cost.
How Hosea 2:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.