Zechariah 4:6

KJV1611 – Modern English

Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיַּ֜עַן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶ֚ה דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֤א בְחַ֙יִל֙ וְלֹ֣א בְכֹ֔חַ כִּ֣י אִם־בְּרוּחִ֔י אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃

Transliteration

wayyaʿan wayyōʾmer to-me lēʾmōr this dĕbar-YHWH to-Zĕrubbābel lēʾmōr not by-ḥayil and-not by-kōaḥ but if-by-rûḥî says YHWH ṣĕbāʾôt

Grammar Details

• *wayyaʿan*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he answered
• *wayyōʾmer*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *lēʾmōr*: preposition + qal infinitive construct - to say/saying
• *dĕbar-YHWH*: construct chain: noun, masculine singular construct + divine name - word of YHWH
• *Zĕrubbābel*: proper noun - Zerubbabel
• *ḥayil*: noun, masculine singular - might/power/army
• *kōaḥ*: noun, masculine singular - strength/power
• *rûḥî*: noun, feminine singular with 1st singular suffix - my spirit
• *YHWH ṣĕbāʾôt*: divine name + noun, feminine plural construct - YHWH of hosts/armies

Word Meanings

• *wayyaʿan*: and he answered/responded/replied
• *wayyōʾmer*: and he said/spoke
• *lēʾmōr*: saying/to say
• *dĕbar*: word/message/command
• *ḥayil*: might/power/army/wealth/strength
• *kōaḥ*: strength/power/might/ability
• *rûḥî*: my spirit/breath/wind
• *ṣĕbāʾôt*: hosts/armies/multitudes

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  He said to me, 'This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Then he answered{H6030} and spake{H559} unto me, saying,{H559} This is the word{H1697} of Jehovah{H3068} unto Zerubbabel,{H2216} saying,{H559} Not by might,{H2428} nor by power,{H3581} but by my Spirit,{H7307} saith{H559} Jehovah{H3068} of hosts.{H6635}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Then he answered{H6030}{(H8799)} and spake{H559}{(H8799)} unto me, saying{H559}{(H8800)}, This is the word{H1697} of the LORD{H3068} unto Zerubbabel{H2216}, saying{H559}{(H8800)}, Not by might{H2428}, nor by power{H3581}, but by my spirit{H7307}, saith{H559}{(H8804)} the LORD{H3068} of hosts{H6635}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  He answered, & sayde vnto me: This is the worde of the LORDE vnto Zorobabel, sayenge: Nether thorow an hoost of men, ner thorow stregth, but thorow my sprete, saieth ye LORDE of hoostes.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Then he answered and spake vnto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord vnto Zerubbabel, saying, Neither by an armie nor strength, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hostes.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  He aunswered and saide vnto me: This is the worde of the Lorde vnto Zorobabel, saying, Neither through an hoast of men, nor through strength: but through my spirite, saith the Lorde of hoastes.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, "This is the word of Yahweh to Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says Yahweh of Hosts.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And he answereth and speaketh unto me, saying: `This `is' a word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying: Not by a force, nor by power, But -- by My Spirit, said Jehovah of Hosts.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by force or by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of armies.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, "This is the word of Yahweh to Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says Yahweh of Armies.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Therefore he told me,“This is the LORD’s message to Zerubbabel:‘Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”

Referenced Verses

• 2 Chr 32:7-8 : 7 Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude with him, for there are more with us than with him: 8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
• Isa 11:2-4 : 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge by what his eyes see, nor reprove by what his ears hear: 4 But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
• Hos 1:7 : 7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
• Ps 33:16 : 16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
• 2 Cor 10:4-5 : 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds; 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
• Ps 33:20-21 : 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
• Ps 20:6-8 : 6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
• Isa 30:1 : 1 Woe to the rebellious children, says the LORD, that seek counsel, but not from me; and that make a covering, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin:
• 2 Chr 14:11 : 11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, 'LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many, or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.'
• 1 Cor 2:4-5 : 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
• Isa 32:15 : 15 Until the spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is considered a forest.
• Ezek 37:11-14 : 11 Then he said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off. 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall you know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, says the LORD.
• Ps 44:3-7 : 3 For they did not gain the land in possession by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them: but Your right hand, and Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You had favor unto them. 4 You are my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. 5 Through You will we push down our enemies: through Your name will we tread them under who rise up against us. 6 For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me. 7 But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put them to shame that hated us.
• Ezra 5:2 : 2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, arose and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.
• 1 Pet 1:12 : 12 To them it was revealed that not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which have now been reported to you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.
• Hag 2:2-5 : 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 3 Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes as nothing compared to it? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, says the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land, says the LORD, and work: for I am with you, says the LORD of hosts. 5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you: do not fear.
• Num 27:16 : 16 Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
• Isa 63:10-14 : 10 But they rebelled, and grieved his Holy Spirit: therefore he turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. 11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who put his Holy Spirit within him? 12 Who led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name? 13 Who led them through the deep, like a horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble? 14 As a beast goes down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so you led your people, to make yourself a glorious name.
• Zech 9:13-15 : 13 For I have bent Judah for myself, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made you like the sword of a mighty man. 14 The LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth like lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. 15 The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink and make noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar.