“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her.’
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh of Armies says: “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.”
- KJV Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.
- BSB This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great zeal; I am jealous for her with great fervor.”
- NASB “The Lord of armies says this: ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’
- NLT “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem!
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
God declares His intense jealousy for Zion. His passionate, covenant love drives Him to act for His people's restoration.
Overview
The Lord's 'great jealousy' is the zealous, exclusive love of a husband for his bride, here directed toward Zion. The same fervor that brought wrath against her sin now moves Him to her deliverance and against her enemies. This jealous love is the engine of redemption, ultimately displayed in Christ, who loves and gives Himself for His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:25-27).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Joel 2:18Then Yahweh was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people.
- Ps 78:58–59For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.
- Zech 1:14–16So the angel who talked with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
- Nah 1:2Yahweh is a jealous God and avenges. Yahweh avenges and is full of wrath. Yahweh takes vengeance on his adversaries, and he maintains wrath against his enemies.
- Isa 42:13–14Yahweh will go out like a mighty man. He will stir up zeal like a man of war. He will raise a war cry. Yes, he will shout aloud. He will triumph over his enemies.
- Isa 59:17He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head. He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.
- Ezek 36:5–6therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, that have appointed my land to themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey.
- Nah 1:6Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the fierceness of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken apart by him.
- Isa 63:15Look down from heaven, and see from the habitation of your holiness and of your glory. Where are your zeal and your mighty acts? The yearning of your heart and your compassion is restrained toward me.
- Isa 63:4–6For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come.
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 8:2 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
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