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.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then I asked, ‘My lord, what are these?’” The angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.”
- BSB “What are these, my lord?” I asked. And the angel who was speaking with me replied, “I will show you what they are.”
- NKJV 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.”
- NASB 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.”
- NLT I asked the angel who was talking with me, “My lord, what do these horses mean?” “I will show you,” the angel replied.
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
Zechariah asks the meaning of the vision, and an interpreting angel offers to explain. The prophet models humble dependence on God's revelation.
Overview
Throughout these visions an angel guides Zechariah, showing that spiritual realities must be interpreted by God, not guessed at by human insight. Zechariah's question, 'My lord, what are these?', expresses teachable humility. This pattern reminds believers that understanding God's purposes comes through His gracious self-disclosure, fully given in the revelation of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Zech 4:4–5So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
- Rev 7:13–14And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
- Zech 2:3And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,
- Zech 5:5Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
- Dan 9:22–23And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
- Zech 1:19And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
- Gen 31:11And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
- Dan 10:11–14And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
- Dan 8:15–16And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
- Rev 19:9–10And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
- Zech 6:4–5Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?
- Dan 7:16I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
- Zech 4:11Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
- Rev 17:1–7And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
- Rev 22:8–16And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Branch who is both priest and king, the shepherd struck and the flock scattered, the king coming humble on a donkey, the one they pierced, the fountain opened for sin — Zechariah is dense with Christ.
How Zechariah 1:9 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.