I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold 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.
- BSB Then I lifted up my eyes and saw 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 40:3And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.
- Zech 1:16Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
- Ezek 40:5And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.
- Ezek 47:4Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
- Rev 11:1And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
- Rev 21:15And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
- Zech 1:18Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 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.