Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.
Parallel translations
- WEB I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.
- KJV I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
- NKJV Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.
- NASB Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
- NLT When I looked again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.
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's third vision: a man with a measuring line, set to measure Jerusalem. It signals the city's coming restoration and growth.
Overview
A measuring line is preparation for building and laying out a city, picturing God's intent to restore Jerusalem. The vision moves from judgment on enemies to the rebuilding of God's people. This anticipation of a measured, restored city ultimately points to the new Jerusalem, the dwelling of God with His people secured in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Ezek 40:3So He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze. He was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand.
- Zech 1:16Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there My house will be rebuilt, declares the LORD of Hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’
- Ezek 40:5And I saw a wall surrounding the temple area. Now the length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits (each measuring a cubit and a handbreadth), and he measured the wall to be one rod thick and one rod high.
- Ezek 47:4Then he measured off a thousand cubits and led me through knee-deep water. Again he measured a thousand cubits and led me through waist-deep water.
- Rev 11:1Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there.
- Rev 21:15The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.
- Zech 1:18Then I looked up and saw four horns.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 2:1 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.