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Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024
the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Zechariah 12:1

The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord , which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Man;   Scofield Reference Index - Christ;   Day (of Jehovah);   Kingdom of Heaven;   Thompson Chain Reference - Burden of Prophecy;   The Topic Concordance - Creation;   Earth;   Gathering;   Heaven/the Heavens;   Israel/jews;   Jerusalem;   Man;   Nations;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jews, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Amos, Theology of;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Inspiration;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Oracles;   Zechariah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Antichrist;   Apocalyptic Literature;   Burden;   Micah, Book of;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Zechariah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Pre-Eminence ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Messi'ah;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Burden;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Burden;   Malachi;   Psychology;   Zechariah, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Didascalia;   Malachi, Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
This is a message from the Lord about Israel. The Lord is the one who made the earth and the sky, and he put the human spirit in people. And this is what the Lord said:
New American Standard Bible
The pronouncement of the word of the LORD concerning Israel: The LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of a person within him, declares:
New Century Version
This message is the word of the Lord to Israel. This is what the Lord says, who stretched out the skies, and laid the foundations of the earth, and put the human spirit within:
Update Bible Version
The burden of the word of Yahweh concerning Israel. [Thus] says Yahweh, who stretches forth the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man inside him:
Webster's Bible Translation
The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
Amplified Bible
The oracle (a burdensome message) of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him:
English Standard Version
The oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus declares the Lord , who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him:
World English Bible
An oracle. The word of Yahweh concerning Israel. Yahweh, who stretches out the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him says:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The birthun of the word of the Lord on Israel. And the Lord seide, stretchynge forth heuene, and founding erthe, and makynge the spirit of a man in hym, Lo!
English Revised Version
The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him:
Berean Standard Bible
An oracle of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth, who forms the spirit of man within him:
Contemporary English Version
This is a message from the Lord about Israel: I am the Lord ! I stretched out the heavens; I put the earth on its foundations and gave breath to humans.
American Standard Version
The burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. Thus saith Jehovah, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him:
Bible in Basic English
The word of the Lord about Israel. The Lord by whom the heavens are stretched out and the bases of the earth put in place, and the spirit of man formed inside him, has said:
Complete Jewish Bible
A prophecy, the word of Adonai concerning Isra'el — here is the message from Adonai , who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundation of the earth and formed the spirit inside human beings:
Darby Translation
The burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. [Thus] saith Jehovah, who stretcheth out the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The saying of the LORD, who stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him:
King James Version (1611)
The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth foorth the Heauens, and laith the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
New Living Translation
This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the Lord : "This message is from the Lord , who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit.
New Life Bible
The Word of the Lord about Israel: The Lord, Who spread out the heavens, who put the earth in its place, and made the spirit of man within him says this about Israel:
New Revised Standard
An Oracle. The word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus says the Lord , who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the human spirit within:
Geneva Bible (1587)
The burden of the worde of the Lorde vpon Israel, sayth the Lorde, which spred the heauens, and layed the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirite of man within him.
George Lamsa Translation
THE vision of the words of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth and created the spirit of man within him:
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The oracle of the word of Yahweh, on Israel, - Declareth Yahweh - Stretching out the heavens, and founding the earth, and fashioning the spirit of man within him:
Douay-Rheims Bible
The burden of the word of the Lord upon Israel. Thus saith the Lord, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundations of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man in him:
Revised Standard Version
An Oracle The word of the LORD concerning Israel: Thus says the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The heauy burthen which the Lorde hath deuised for Israel. Thus saith the Lorde which spread the heauens abrode, layde the foundatio of the earth, and gaue man the breath of lyfe,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel; saith the Lord, that stretches out the sky, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.
Good News Translation
This is a message about Israel from the Lord , the Lord who spread out the skies, created the earth, and gave life to man. He says,
Christian Standard Bible®
A pronouncement:
Hebrew Names Version
An oracle. The word of the LORD concerning Yisra'el. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, and lays the foundation of the eretz, and forms the spirit of man within him says:
Lexham English Bible
An oracle. The word of Yahweh concerning Israel. "Thus declares Yahweh, who stretches out the heavens, founds the earth, and forms the spirit of humankind in its midst:
Literal Translation
The burden of the Word of Jehovah for Israel, says Jehovah, who stretches forth the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man in his midst.
Young's Literal Translation
The burden of a word of Jehovah on Israel. An affirmation of Jehovah, Stretching out heaven, and founding earth, And forming the spirit of man in his midst.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The heuy burthen which ye LORDE hath deuysed for Israel. Thus saieth the LORDE, which spred the heaues abrode, layde the foundacion of the earth, and geueth man ye breath of life:
THE MESSAGE
War Bulletin: God 's Message concerning Israel, God 's Decree—the very God who threw the skies into space, set earth on a firm foundation, and breathed his own life into men and women: "Watch for this: I'm about to turn Jerusalem into a cup of strong drink that will have the people who have set siege to Judah and Jerusalem staggering in a drunken stupor.
New English Translation
The revelation of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: The Lord —he who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth, who forms the human spirit within a person—says,
New King James Version
The burden [fn] of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him,
Legacy Standard Bible
The oracle of the word of Yahweh concerning Israel. Thus declares Yahweh who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him,

Contextual Overview

1 The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord , which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. 4 In that day, saith the Lord , I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God. 6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. 7 The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. 8 In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cir, am 3504, bc 500

burden: Zechariah 9:1, Lamentations 2:14, Malachi 1:1

for: Isaiah 51:22, Isaiah 51:23, Jeremiah 30:10, Jeremiah 30:16, Jeremiah 50:34, Ezekiel 36:5-7, Joel 3:19, Joel 3:21, Obadiah 1:16, Obadiah 1:17

which: Job 26:7, Psalms 102:25, Psalms 102:26, Psalms 104:2, Psalms 136:5, Psalms 136:6, Isaiah 40:12, Isaiah 40:22, Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah 44:24, Isaiah 45:12, Isaiah 45:18, Isaiah 48:13, Isaiah 51:13, Jeremiah 10:12, Jeremiah 51:15, Hebrews 1:10-12

formeth: Genesis 2:7, Numbers 16:22, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Isaiah 57:16, Jeremiah 38:16, Ezekiel 18:4, Hebrews 12:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 1:1 - God Genesis 1:6 - Let there Genesis 2:1 - Thus Job 9:8 - Which Job 38:6 - Whereupon Isaiah 11:11 - set his hand Isaiah 13:1 - burden Jeremiah 32:17 - thou Amos 4:13 - he that Luke 11:40 - did Acts 14:15 - which Acts 17:24 - that made Acts 17:25 - seeing

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Genesis 12:3
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 12:6
And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
Genesis 12:10
And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
Genesis 12:11
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
Genesis 15:7
And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
Nehemiah 9:7
Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;
Isaiah 41:9
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Isaiah 51:2
Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
Ezekiel 33:24
Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel,.... And against their enemies; for the good of the church of God, for its joy, comfort, and salvation; or, "concerning Israel" x; what shall befall them in the latter day, as the destruction of antichrist, prophesied of in the preceding chapter Zechariah 11:1; and what is hereafter said may be believed that it shall be accomplished. The Lord is described in the greatness of his power, speaking as follows:

saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens: as a curtain,

Psalms 104:2 the expanse or firmament of heaven, which is stretched out as a canopy over all the earth around:

and layeth the foundation of the earth; firm and sure, though upon the seas and floods, yea, upon nothing, Psalms 24:2:

and formeth the spirit of man within him; the soul of man, with all its powers and faculties, gifts and endowments; which is of his immediate creation, and which he continues daily to form, and infuse into the bodies of men, and holds in life there; hence he is called the Father of spirits, Hebrews 12:9.

x על "de", Piscator, Drusius; "super Israele", Cocceius, Burkius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The burden of the word of the Lord for - Rather, “upon (see at Nahum 1:1, p. 129) Israel.” If this prophecy is a continuation of the last, notwithstanding its fresh title, then “Israel” must be the Christian Church, formed of the true Israel which believed, and the Gentiles who were grafted into them. So Cyril; “Having spoken sufficiently of the Good Shepherd Christ, and of the foolish, most cruel shepherd who butchered the sheep, that is, antichrist, he seasonably makes mention of the persecutions which would from time to time arise against Israel; not the Israel according to the flesh, but the spiritual, that Jerusalem which is indeed holy, “the Church of the Living God” 1 Timothy 3:15. For as we say, that “he” is spiritually a Jew, who hath the “circumcision in the heart,” Romans 2:29, that through the Spirit, “and not” in the flesh “through the letter;” so also may “Israel” be conceived, not that of the blood of Israel, but rather that, which has a mind beholding God. But such are all who are called to sanctification through the faith in Christ, and who in Him and by Him, know of God the Father. For this is the one true elected way of beholding God.”

Since the Good Shepherd was rejected by all, except the “poor of the flock,” the “little flock” which believed in Him, and thereupon the “band” of “brotherhood” was dissolved between Israel and Judah, “Israel” in those times could not be Israel after the flesh, which then too was the deadly antagonist of the true israel, and thus early also chose antichrist, such as was Bar-Cochba, with whom so many hundreds of thousands perished. There was no war then against Jerusalem, since it had ceased to be (see the notes on Micah 3:12).

But Zechariah does not say that this prophecy, to which he has annexed a separate title, follows, in time, upon the last; rather, since he has so separated it by its title, he has marked it as a distinct prophecy from the preceding. It may be, that he began again from the time of the Maccabees and took God’s deliverances of the people Israel then, as the foreground of the deliverances to the end ).

Yet in the times of Antiochus, it was one people only which was against the Jews, and Zechariah himself speaks only of the Greeks; Zechariah 9:13; here he repeatedly emphasizes that they were “all nations” (Zechariah 12:2-3, Zechariah 12:6, Zechariah 12:9). It may then rather be, that the future, the successive efforts of the world to crush the people of God, and its victory amid suffering, and its conversions of the world through the penitent looking to Jesus, are exhibited in one great perspective, according to the manner of prophecy, which mostly exhibits the prominent events, not their order or sequence. : “The penitential act of contrite sinners, especially of Jews, looking at Him “whom they pierced,” dates from the Day of Pentecost, and continues to the latter days, when it will be greatly intensified and will produce blessed results, and is here concentrated into one focus. The rising up of God’s enemies against Christ’s Church, which commenced at the same time, and has been continued in successive persecutions from Jews, Gentiles, and other unbelievers in every age, and which will reach its climax in the great antichristian outbreak of the last times, and be confounded by the Coming of Christ to judgment, is here summed up in one panoramic picture, exhibited at once to the eye.”

Which stretcheth forth the heavens - God’s creative power is an ever-present working, as our Lord says, “My Father worketh hitherto and I work” John 5:17. His preservation of the things which He has created is a continual re-creation. All “forces” are supported by Him, who alone hath life in Himself. He doth not the less “uphold all things by the word of His power,” because, until the successive generations, with or without their will, with or against His Will for them, shall have completed His Sovereign Will, He upholds them uniformly in being by His Unchanging Will. Man is ever forgetting this, and because, “since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as from the beginning of the creation” 2 Peter 3:4, they relegate the Creator and His creating as far as they can to some time, as far back as they can imagine, enough to fill their imaginations, and forget Him who made them, in whose bands is their eternity, who will be their Judge. So the prophets remind them and us of His continual working, which people forget in the sight of His works; “Thus saith the Lord; He that createth the heavens, and stetcheth them out; He that spreadeth forth the earth and its produce, who giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein” Isaiah 42:5; and, “I am the Lord who maketh all things, who stretcheth out the heavens alone, who spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself” Isaiah 44:24; speaking at once of that, past in its beginning yet present to us in its continuance, but to Him ever-present present; and of things actually present to us, “that frustrateth the tokens of the liars” Isaiah 44:25; and of things to those of that day still future, “that confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers” Isaiah 44:26 : the beginning of which was not to be till the taking of Babylon. And the Psalmist unites past and present in one, “Donning light as a garment, stretching out the heavens as a curtain; who layeth the beams of His chambers on the waters, who maketh the clouds His chariot; who walketh on the wings of the wind; who maketh His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire; He founded the earth upon its base.” Psalms 104:2-5. And Amos, “He that formeth the mountains and createth the winds, and declareth unto man his thoughts” (Amos 4:13, add Amos 5:8); adding whatever lieth nearest to each of us.

And formeth the spirit of man, within him - Both by the unceasing creation of souls, at every moment in some spot in our globe, or by the re-creation, for which David prays, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” Psalms 51:10. He who formed the hearts of people can overrule them as He wills. Cyril: “But the spirit of man is formed by God in him, not by being called to the beginnings of being, although it was made by Him, but, as it were, transformed from weakness to strength, from unmanliness to endurance, altogether being transelemented from things shameful to better things.”

Cyril: “It is the custom of the holy prophets, when about to declare beforehand things of no slight moment, to endeavor to show beforehand the Almightiness of God, that their word may obtain credence, though they should declare what was beyond all hope, and (to speak of our conceptions) above all reason and credibility.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XII

The first part of this chapter, with several passages in

chap xiv., relates to an invasion that shall be made on the

inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem in the latter ages of the

world, some time after the restoration and settlement of the

Jews in their own land. It also describes, in very magnificent

terms, the signal interposition of God in their favour. From

this the prophet proceeds in the latter part of the chapter,

10-14, to describe the spiritual mercies of God to converting

his people; and gives a very pathetic and affecting account of

the deep sorrow of that people, when brought to a sense of

their great sin in crucifying the Messiah, comparing it to the

sorrow of a parent for his first-born and only son, or to the

lamentations made for Josiah in the valley of Megiddon,

2 Chronicles 35:24-25.

A deep, retired sorrow, which will render the mourners for a

season insensible to all the comforts and enjoyments of the

most endearing society.

NOTES ON CHAP. XII

Verse Zechariah 12:1. The burden of the word of the Lord — This is a new prophecy. It is directed both to Israel and Judah, though Israel alone is mentioned in this verse.

Which stretcheth forth the heavens — See on Isaiah 42:5.

Formeth the spirit of man within him. — Then it is not the same substance with his body. It is a SPIRIT within HIM.


 
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