The big picture
Zechariah 7 opens in verse 1 with “And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 7 with “Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when…”, and closes in verse 14 with “But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, hosts, hear, cried, land. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Zechariah · King James Version · 14Zechariah 7:1-7
1–7: It came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the…
Zechariah 7:1–7 opens with “And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto…” and reaches “Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Zechariah 7 develops its own movement around LORD, hosts, hear, cried, land, with particular weight carried by LORD, month, drink.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 4 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
“When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to pray before the LORD ,” Naming Regem keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Zechariah 7:1-7
King James Version1And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;
2When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to pray before the LORD ,
3And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
4Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,
5Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
6And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
7Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?
Zechariah 7:8-14
8–14: The word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,
Zechariah 7:8–14 opens with “And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,” and reaches “But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Zechariah 7 develops its own movement around LORD, hosts, hear, cried, land, with particular weight carried by LORD, hear, hosts.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,” Naming Zechariah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his…” Naming Execute keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against…” The line’s distinctive content terms include brother, evil, fatherless. Its relationship to verses 9 and 11 shows what work it does in this passage.
Zechariah 7:8-14
King James Version8And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,
9Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
10And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.
11But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
12Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
13Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:
14But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Zechariah 7:1 begins with “And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;”
Where the chapter turns
Zechariah 7:7 forms a natural hinge: “Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round…”
The final note
Zechariah 7:14 leaves the reader with “But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, hosts, hear, cried, land, month help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What links this event with creation?
Waters overwhelm the inhabited world, reversing the separations that made life possible.
What details show continuity rather than total abandonment?
The named household and preserved kinds of living creatures survive within the ark.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- hath
- has
- lest
- so that something does not happen
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.