Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?
Parallel translations
- WEB Then I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
- BSB So I inquired of the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”
- NKJV Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
- NASB So I responded and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”
- NLT “And what are these, my lord?” I asked the angel who was talking with me.
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 interpreting angel what the chariots mean. His question models humble dependence on God for understanding revelation.
Overview
As throughout the night visions, the prophet does not presume to interpret the symbols himself but seeks the explanation from the angel who speaks with him. This pattern teaches that the meaning of God's word comes from God, not human ingenuity. The deferential 'my lord' shows reverence toward the heavenly messenger while reserving worship for the Lord alone.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 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.
- Zech 5:10Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
- Zech 5:5–6Then 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.
- Zech 1:19–21And 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.
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 6:4 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.