Zechariah 2:4

KJV1611 – Modern English

And said to him, 'Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls because of the multitude of people and cattle in it.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וָאֹמַ֕ר מָ֛ה אֵ֥לֶּה בָאִ֖ים לַֽעֲשׂ֑וֹת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאמֹ֗ר אֵ֣לֶּה הַקְּרָנ֞וֹת אֲשֶׁר־זֵ֣רוּ אֶת־יְהוּדָ֗ה כְּפִי־אִישׁ֙ לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א רֹאשׁ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ אֵ֙לֶּה֙ לְהַחֲרִ֣יד אֹתָ֔ם לְיַדּ֞וֹת אֶת־קַרְנ֣וֹת הַגּוֹיִ֗ם הַנֹּשְׂאִ֥ים קֶ֛רֶן אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ יְהוּדָ֖ה לְזָרוֹתָֽהּ׃ ס

Transliteration

And wāʾōmar what ʾēlleh bāʾîm laʿăśôt and wayyōʾmer lēʾmōr ʾēlleh haqqərānôt which-zērû ʾet-yəhûdāh like-pî-ʾîš not-nāśāʾ rōʾšô and wayyābōʾû ʾēlleh ləhaḥărîd ʾōtām ləyaddôt ʾet-qarnôt haggôyim hannōśəʾîm qeren to-ʾereṣ yəhûdāh ləzārôtāh

Grammar Details

• *wāʾōmar*: 1st person singular imperfect consecutive (waw-conversive) of *ʾāmar* - I said
• *ʾēlleh*: demonstrative pronoun plural - these
• *bāʾîm*: participle masculine plural Qal of *bôʾ* - coming
• *laʿăśôt*: preposition + infinitive construct Qal of *ʿāśāh* - to do/make
• *wayyōʾmer*: 3rd person masculine singular imperfect consecutive (waw-conversive) of *ʾāmar* - he said
• *lēʾmōr*: preposition + infinitive construct Qal of *ʾāmar* - saying
• *haqqərānôt*: definite article + noun feminine plural - the horns
• *zērû*: 3rd person plural perfect Piel of *zārāh* - they scattered
• *pî*: noun masculine singular construct - mouth/speech of
• *ʾîš*: noun masculine singular - man/each one
• *nāśāʾ*: 3rd person masculine singular perfect Qal of *nāśāʾ* - he lifted up
• *rōʾšô*: noun masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his head
• *wayyābōʾû*: 3rd person masculine plural imperfect consecutive (waw-conversive) of *bôʾ* - they came
• *ləhaḥărîd*: preposition + infinitive construct Hiphil of *ḥārad* - to terrify/frighten
• *ʾōtām*: direct object marker + 3rd person masculine plural suffix - them
• *ləyaddôt*: preposition + infinitive construct Piel of *yādāh* - to cast down/throw
• *qarnôt*: noun feminine plural construct - horns of
• *haggôyim*: definite article + noun masculine plural - the nations
• *hannōśəʾîm*: definite article + participle masculine plural Qal of *nāśāʾ* - the ones lifting up
• *qeren*: noun feminine singular - horn
• *ʾereṣ*: noun feminine singular construct - land of
• *yəhûdāh*: proper noun - Judah
• *ləzārôtāh*: preposition + infinitive construct Qal of *zārāh* + 3rd person feminine singular suffix - to scatter it

Word Meanings

• *ləhaḥărîd*: to terrify/frighten/cause to tremble
• *ləyaddôt*: to cast down/throw down/cast away
• *qeren*: horn/power/strength

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  I asked, 'What are these coming to do?' And he answered, 'These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could lift his head. But these craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down the horns of the nations who lifted their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, by reason of the multitude of men and cattle therein.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  & sayde vnto him: Runne, speake to this yonge man, & saye: Ierusalem shal be inhabited without eny wal, for ye very multitude of people & catell, yt shal be therin.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And saide vnto him, Runne, speake to this yong man, and say, Ierusalem shalbe inhabited without walles, for the multitude of men and cattell therein.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And saide vnto him, Runne, speake to this young man, and say: Hierusalem shalbe inhabited without any wall for the very multitude of people and cattaile that shalbe therein.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited [as] towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  and said to him, "Run, speak to this young man, saying, 'Jerusalem will be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of men and cattle in it.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and he saith unto him, `Run, speak unto this young man, saying: Unwalled villages inhabit doth Jerusalem, From the abundance of man and beast in her midst.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, by reason of the multitude of men and cattle therein.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, by reason of the multitude of men and cattle therein.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Then I said, What have these come to do? And he said, These are the horns which sent Judah in flight, and kept him from lifting up his head: but these men have come to send fear on them and to put down the nations who are lifting up their horns against the land of Judah to send it in flight.

• World English Bible (2000)

  and said to him, "Run, speak to this young man, saying, 'Jerusalem will be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  and said to him,“Hurry, speak to this young man as follows:‘Jerusalem will no longer be enclosed by walls because of the multitude of people and animals there.

Referenced Verses

• Zech 1:17 : 17 Proclaim again, saying, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.
• Zech 8:4-5 : 4 Thus says the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, each with his staff in his hand because of great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.
• Zech 12:6 : 6 In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a hearth of fire among wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people around about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.
• Zech 14:10-11 : 10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. 11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
• Jer 31:27 : 27 Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast.
• Mic 7:11 : 11 In the day that your walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be removed far away.
• Isa 44:26 : 26 Who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; who says to Jerusalem, You shall be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, You shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:
• Isa 49:20 : 20 The children which you shall have, after you have lost the other, shall say again in your ears, The place is too narrow for me: give place to me that I may dwell.
• Jer 33:22 : 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the descendants of David my servant, and the Levites that minister to me.
• Ezek 36:10-11 : 10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be built: 11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and you shall know that I am the LORD.
• Ezek 38:11 : 11 And you shall say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
• Jer 30:18-19 : 18 Thus says the LORD; Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be rebuilt on its own ruins, and the palace shall remain as it used to be. 19 And out of them shall come thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.
• Jer 31:24 : 24 And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all its cities together, farmers, and those who go forth with flocks.
• Isa 33:20 : 20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that will not be taken down; not one of its stakes will ever be removed, nor will any of its cords be broken.
• Jer 31:38-40 : 38 Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananel to the corner gate. 39 And the measuring line shall again extend straight to the hill Gareb, and then shall turn toward Goath. 40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields to the brook of Kidron, to the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD; it shall not be uprooted, nor demolished anymore forever.
• Jer 33:10-13 : 10 Thus says the LORD: Again there shall be heard in this place, which you say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, 11 The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for His mercy endures forever: and of those who shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captivity of the land to return, as at the first, says the LORD. 12 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all its cities, there shall be a habitation for shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. 13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of him who counts them, says the LORD.
• 1 Tim 4:12 : 12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers, in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
• Jer 1:6 : 6 Then I said, Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
• Dan 1:17 : 17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.