Zechariah 4:10 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Zechariah 4:10
For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
to disrespect · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
day
לְי֣וֹםle.Yom
H3117
a day (as the warm hours) · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
things
קְטַנּוֹת֒ke.ta.nOt
H6996
abbreviated · adjective, feminine plural absolute
rejoice
וְשָׂמְח֗וּve.sa.me.Chu
H8055
probably to brighten up · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 3rd person common plural
see
וְרָא֞וּve.ra.'U
H7200
to see · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 3rd person common plural
plummet
הָאֶ֧בֶןha.'E.ven
H68
a stone · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
hand
בְּיַ֥דbe.Yad
H3027
a hand (the open one (indicating power · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct
Zerubbabel
זְרֻבָּבֶ֖לze.ru.ba.Vel
H2216
Zerubbabel · proper noun, a man's name
seven
שִׁבְעָהshiv.'ah-
H7651
seven (as the sacred full one) · noun, common both genders singular absolute
eyes
עֵינֵ֣י'ei.Nei
H5869
an eye (literally or figuratively) · noun, common feminine dual construct
LORD
יְהוָ֔הYah.weh
H3068
Jehovah · proper noun, a title
fro
מְשׁוֹטְטִ֖יםme.sho.Tim
H7751
properly · verb, piel active participle, masculine plural absolute
earth
הָאָֽרֶץha.'A.retz
H776
the earth (at large · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Job 8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
1 Corinthians 1:28-29 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that…
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towa…
Matthew 13:31-33 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his…
Haggai 2:3 Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothin…
Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Zechariah 3:9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith t…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Zechariah 4:1-10
Here is, I. The prophet prepared to receive the discovery that was to be made to him: The angel that talked with him came and waked him, Zac 4:1. It seems, though he was in conference with an angel, and about matters of great and public concern, yet he grew dull and fell asleep, as it should seem, while the angel was yet talking with him. Thus the disciples, when they saw Christ transfigured, were heavy with sleep, Luk 9:32. The prophet's spirit, no doubt, was willing to attend to that which was to be seen and heard, but the flesh was weak; his body could not keep pace with his soul in divine contemplations; the strangeness of the visions perhaps stupefied him, and so he was overcome with sl…
who . . . despised . . . small things--He reproves their ungrateful unbelief, which they felt because of the humble beginning, compared with the greatness of the undertaking; and encourages them with the assurance that their progress in the work, though small, was an earnest of great and final success, because Jehovah's eye is upon Zerubbabel and the work, to support Him with His favor. Contrast, "great is the day of Jezreel" (Hos 1:11) with "the day of small things" here.
they shall rejoice . . . with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord--rather, "they, even those seven eyes of the Lord (compare Zac 3:9), which . . . shall rejoice and see (that is, rejoicingly see) the plummet (lite…
Who hath despised the day of small things? - The poverty, weakness, and unbefriended state of the Jews. It was said, "What do these feeble Jews?" "Will they build," etc.? No. But God will build by them, and perfect his building too.
And shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel - He is master builder under God, the grand architect.
Those seven - are the eyes of the Lord - Either referring to his particular and especial providence; or to those ministering spirits, whom he has employed in behalf of the Jews, to dispense the blessings of that providence. See Ch2 16:9 (note); Pro 15:3 (note); Zac 3:9 (note).
The Church Fathers
(Verse 10) For who hath despised the day of small things? and they shall rejoice, and shall see the tin in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. LXX: For who has despised the day of small things? They will rejoice and see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel: these seven eyes of the Lord, which scan throughout the whole earth. For who despises small days? Who here is received as rare, according to that: Who do you think is a faithful and wise steward (Luke XII, 42)? And, Lord, who shall dwell in your tabernacle, and who shall ascend to your holy mountain (Psalm XIV, 1)? Therefore, rare is the one who despises the small days of this age, and thinks royal power is worth nothing. When we see the powerful of the age shining with gold, purple, and gleaming with gems, surrounded by an army, let us say within ourselves: who, do you think, despises small days? And so Jacob, understanding the brevity of human life, said: 'They are short and the worst days of my life' (Gen. XLVII, 9). Therefore, those who despise the short days (which refers to royal power, as a reminder to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people building the temple of God, not to fear their adversaries but to listen to the Lord encouraging them) will rejoice and see the help of the Savior, who is promised from the lineage of Zerubbabel, and is called the cornerstone and the stone of tin: For which it is written in Hebrew as Abdil (Al. Abdel), because it is the wall and strength and firmness of the believers. For just as tin protects other metals from fire, and although copper and iron are extremely hard by nature, if they do not have tin, they become consumed and burnt; so too, the strength of every angel and human, if they do not have the help of the Savior, is revealed as weak and fragile. But this stone, that is, the mass, which is called Abdil among the Hebrews, that is, tinstone, is etymologically derived from the word ἀποχωρίζων, that is separating and segregating, just as tin separates and dissociates mixed and adulterated metals through fire. Thus the true Lord, the assayer and refiner, separates good works as gold and silver from vices as lead, so that pure gold and silver may remain. In other words, ἀποχωρίζων is written as 'separating' in the Gospel: Whose winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out…
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Sheshbazzar — O sun-god, defend the lord! (Ezra 1:8, 11), probably another name for Zerubbabel (q.v.), Ezra 2:2; Hag. 1:12, 14; Zech. 4:6, 10.
Temple, the Second — After the return from captivity, under Zerubbabel (q.v.) and the high priest Jeshua, arrangements were almost immediately made to reorganize the long-desolated kingdom. The body of pilgrims, forming…
Tin — Heb. bedil (Num. 31:22; Ezek. 22:18, 20), a metal well known in ancient times. It is the general opinion that the Phoenicians of Tyre and Sidon obtained their supplies of tin from the British Isles.…
Temple, The Second · Its completion by Zerubbabel foretold, to encourage the Jews — Its completion by Zerubbabel foretold, to encourage the Jews
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Gill on Zechariah 4:10
For who hath despised the day of small things?.... This literally refers to the building of the second temple, which was contemptible to the enemies of Judah, Sanballat, and others; and little in the eyes of many of the Jews themselves, who had seen the former temple; yet not in the eyes of the Lord of hosts, Ezra 3:12 and so the Targum paraphrases the words,
"for who is he that despiseth this day, because the building is small?''
but in the spiritual sense, to the building up of the church by conversion: the first work of conversion may be called day "of small things" to men; it may be called a "day", because a time of light into themselves, their sin and danger, and the way from it; the…
Zechariah 4:10
10. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
10. Quia quis contempsit diem parvitatum (parvorum; sed hic acciptitur pro parvitate?) gaudabunt et videbunt (ad verbum) lapidem stanneum in manu Zerubbabel (sed ita resolvi debet oratio, certe gaudabunt ubi viderint lapidem in manu Zerubbabel:) septem hi, oculi Iehovae sunt, circumeuntes (vel, qui discurrunt) per totam terram.
Here the angel reproves the sloth and fear of the people, for the greater part were very faint-hearted; and he also blames the Jew…
A further and still clearer explanation of the angel's answer (Zac 4:6 and Zac 4:7) is given in the words of Jehovah which follow in Zac 4:8-10. Zac 4:8. "And the word of Jehovah came to me thus: Zac 4:9. The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it; and thou wilt know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me to you. Zac 4:10. For who despiseth the day of small things? and they joyfully behold the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, those seven: the eyes of Jehovah, they sweep through the whole earth." This word of God is not addressed to the prophet through the angelus interpres, but comes direct from Jehovah, though, as Zac 4:9 clearly shows when co…
A plumb line, a cord with a tin or lead weight attached to one end, is used in construction to ensure that a wall is vertical. • The seven lamps: Seven signifies completeness or perfection. God sees all that takes place on earth; he controls the fates of peoples and nations.
Rashi on Zechariah 4:10
For, whoever despised the day when the Temple was founded which was small in their eyes, as is stated in Ezra (3:12): “But many of priests, etc., who had seen, etc., upon its foundation, wept aloud when they beheld this temple;” and in Haggai (2:3): “Is it not as nothing in your eyes?” - will rejoice now when they see the plummet suspended from the plumb line in the hand of the architect, the head of the builders, with which he directs a line to the corner, and this will be in the hand of Zerubbabel.
these, sevenfold Seven times the first foundation in the days of Cyrus. So did Jonathan render: Seven rows of stones like these.
the eyes of the Lord are roving to and fro And it appeals to Hi…
