Zechariah 3:7

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

“The LORD of Heaven’s Armies says,‘If you follow my ways and keep my requirements, you will be able to preside over my temple and attend to my courtyards, and I will allow you to come and go among these others who are standing by you.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת אִם־בִּדְרָכַ֤י תֵּלֵךְ֙ וְאִ֣ם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י תִשְׁמֹ֔ר וְגַם־אַתָּה֙ תָּדִ֣ין אֶת־בֵּיתִ֔י וְגַ֖ם תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר אֶת־חֲצֵרָ֑י וְנָתַתִּ֤י לְךָ֙ מַהְלְכִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָעֹמְדִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

Transliteration

Thus kōh-ʾāmar YHWH ṣəḇāʾôt, If in my dərāḵay you tēlēḵ and if ʾet-my mišmartî you tišmōr, and also you tādîn ʾet-my bêtî, and also tišmōr ʾet-my ḥăṣērāy; and I will nātattî to you mahləḵîm between the ʿōmdîm the ʾēlleh.

Grammar Details

• *kōh*: Adverb - thus/so
• *ʾāmar*: Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular - said
• *YHWH*: Divine name, tetragrammaton
• *ṣəḇāʾôt*: Noun, feminine plural construct - of hosts/armies
• *dərāḵay*: Noun, feminine plural construct with 1st person singular suffix - my ways
• *tēlēḵ*: Qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular - you will walk
• *mišmartî*: Noun, feminine singular construct with 1st person singular suffix - my charge/duty
• *tišmōr*: Qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular - you will keep
• *tādîn*: Qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular - you will judge
• *bêtî*: Noun, masculine singular construct with 1st person singular suffix - my house
• *ḥăṣērāy*: Noun, feminine plural construct with 1st person singular suffix - my courts
• *nātattî*: Qal perfect, 1st person singular - I will give
• *mahləḵîm*: Noun, masculine plural - places to walk/access
• *ʿōmdîm*: Qal active participle, masculine plural with definite article - the ones standing
• *ʾēlleh*: Demonstrative pronoun, plural with definite article - these

Word Meanings

• *dərāḵay*: my ways/my paths/my manner
• *tēlēḵ*: walk/go/follow
• *mišmartî*: my charge/my duty/my service/my ordinance
• *tišmōr*: keep/guard/observe
• *tādîn*: judge/govern/rule
• *bêtî*: my house/my temple/my household
• *ḥăṣērāy*: my courts/my courtyards
• *mahləḵîm*: places to walk/access/movement/right of entry
• *ʿōmdîm*: ones standing/attendants/those present

Referenced Verses

• Gen 26:5 : 5 All this will come to pass because Abraham obeyed me and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
• Lev 8:35 : 35 You must reside at the entrance of the Meeting Tent day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the LORD so that you will not die, for this is what I have been commanded.”
• Ezek 44:15-16 : 15 The Levitical Priests“‘But the Levitical priests, the descendants of Zadok who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, will approach me to minister to me; they will stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the Sovereign LORD. 16 They will enter my sanctuary, and approach my table to minister to me; they will keep my charge.
• Heb 12:22-23 : 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly 23 and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect,
• Rev 3:4-5 : 4 But you have a few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.
• Rev 3:21 : 21 I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
• Rev 5:9-9 : 9 They were singing a new song:“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were killed, and at the cost of your own blood you have purchased for God persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation. 10 You have appointed them as a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand– thousands times thousands– 12 all of whom were singing in a loud voice:“Worthy is the lamb who was killed to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise!” 13 Then I heard every creature– in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them– singing:“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures were saying“Amen,” and the elders threw themselves to the ground and worshiped.
• Ezek 48:11 : 11 This will be for the priests who are set apart from the descendants of Zadok who kept my charge and did not go astray when the people of Israel strayed off, like the Levites did.
• Zech 1:8-9 : 8 The Content of the First Vision I was attentive that night and saw a man seated on a red horse that stood among some myrtle trees in the ravine. Behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. 9 The Interpretation of the First Vision Then I asked one nearby,“What are these, sir?” The angelic messenger who replied to me said,“I will show you what these are.” 10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke up and said,“These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk about on the earth.” 11 The riders then agreed with the angel of the LORD, who was standing among the myrtle trees,“We have been walking about on the earth, and now everything is at rest and quiet.”
• Zech 4:14 : 14 So he said,“These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
• Zech 6:5 : 5 The messenger replied,“These are the four spirits of heaven going out after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth.
• Mal 2:5-7 : 5 “My covenant with him was designed to bring life and peace. I gave its statutes to him to fill him with awe, and he indeed revered me and stood in awe before me. 6 He taught what was true; sinful words were not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity, and he turned many people away from sin. 7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge of sacred things, and people should seek instruction from him because he is the messenger of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
• Matt 19:28 : 28 Jesus said to them,“I tell you the truth: In the age when all things are renewed, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Luke 20:35-36 : 35 But those who are regarded as worthy to share in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 In fact, they can no longer die, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection.
• Luke 22:30 : 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
• John 14:2 : 2 There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you.
• 1 Cor 6:2-3 : 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters!
• 1 Tim 6:13-14 : 13 I charge you before God who gives life to all things and Christ Jesus who made his good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 to obey this command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ
• 2 Tim 4:1-2 : 1 Charge to Timothy Repeated I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction.
• Lev 10:3 : 3 Moses then said to Aaron,“This is what the LORD spoke:‘Among the ones close to me I will show myself holy, and in the presence of all the people I will be honored.’” So Aaron kept silent.
• Deut 17:8-9 : 8 Appeal to a Higher Court If a matter is too difficult for you to judge– bloodshed, legal claim, or assault– matters of controversy in your villages– you must leave there and go up to the place the LORD your God chooses. 9 You will go to the Levitical priests and the judge in office in those days and seek a solution; they will render a verdict. 10 You must then do as they have determined at that place the LORD chooses. Be careful to do just as you are taught. 11 You must do what you are instructed, and the verdict they pronounce to you, without fail. Do not deviate right or left from what they tell you. 12 The person who pays no attention to the priest currently serving the LORD your God there, or to the judge– that person must die, so that you may purge evil from Israel. 13 Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and not be so presumptuous again.
• 1 Sam 2:28-30 : 28 I chose your ancestor from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites. 29 Why are you scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’ 30 Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says,‘I really did say that your house and your ancestor’s house would serve me forever.’ But now the LORD says,‘May it never be! For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed!
• 1 Kgs 2:3 : 3 Do the job the LORD your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish,
• 1 Chr 23:32 : 32 They were in charge of the meeting tent and the holy place, and helped their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, in the service of the LORD’s temple.
• Jer 15:19-21 : 19 Because of this, the LORD said,“You must repent of such words and thoughts! If you do, I will restore you to the privilege of serving me. If you say what is worthwhile instead of what is worthless, I will again allow you to be my spokesman. They must become as you have been. You must not become like them. 20 I will make you as strong as a wall to these people, a fortified wall of bronze. They will attack you, but they will not be able to overcome you. For I will be with you to rescue you and deliver you,” says the LORD. 21 “I will deliver you from the power of the wicked. I will free you from the clutches of violent people.”
• Ezek 44:8 : 8 You have not kept charge of my holy things, but you have assigned foreigners to keep charge of my sanctuary for you.