Then I raised my eyes 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.
- KJV I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, 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.
- ESV And I lifted my eyes and saw, 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 quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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 40:3He brought me there; 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 Yahweh says: “I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and a line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’
- Ezek 40:5Behold, a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits long, of a cubit and a hand width each: so he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.
- Ezek 47:4Again he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through waters that were to the waist.
- Rev 11:1A reed like a rod was given to me. Someone said, “Rise, and measure God’s temple, and the altar, and those who worship in it.
- Rev 21:15He who spoke with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and its walls.
- Zech 1:18I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, 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.