Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then the angel who talked with me answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”
- BSB “Do you not know what they are?” replied the angel. “No, my lord,” I answered.
- NKJV Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”
- NASB So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”
- NLT “Don’t you know?” the angel asked. “No, my lord,” I 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
The angel asks if Zechariah knows, and he admits he does not. Honest acknowledgment of ignorance precedes true understanding.
Overview
Zechariah's plain 'No, my lord' shows a teachable spirit willing to confess what he does not know. God meets such humility with revelation. The exchange prepares for the central declaration of the vision, reminding believers that God reveals His truth to the humble who depend on Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Zech 4:13And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
- Mark 4:13And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
- 1 Cor 2:12–15Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
- Gen 41:16And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
- Dan 2:30But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
- Ps 139:6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
- Zech 1:9Then 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.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 4:5 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.