Lexical Summary metsullah: Depths, deep waters, abyss Original Word: מְצֻלָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bottom From tsalal; shade -- bottom. see HEBREW tsalal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as tsulah Definition a basin or hollow NASB Translation ravine (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מְצֻלָה noun feminine dubious word: Zechariah 1:8 the myrtles which are ׳בַּמּ, apparently some locality about Jerusalem, called the basin, hollow; GASm glen or valley-bottom; possibly is מְצֻלָּה, < מְצִלָּה, shadow (III. צלל). Topical Lexicon Range of Meaningמְצֻלָּה portrays a space that sinks below its surroundings—a hollow, ravine, or depth. The idea is not merely geographical but evocative: a place recessed from ordinary view, quiet and shaded, yet fully known to the Lord who “searches every recess” (Proverbs 20:27). Occurrence and Immediate Context Zechariah 1:8 supplies the sole biblical appearance: “During the night I had a vision, and I saw a man riding a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the hollow, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.” The prophet’s first night-vision opens in this secluded hollow. Myrtle trees—evergreen, fragrant, symbolic of peace after exile—grow there. Within that low place stands the Angel of the Lord (verse 11), attended by horses ready to patrol the earth. The scene binds heaven’s oversight to Israel’s humbled condition: God meets His people in their low estate and sends forth messengers from that very point. Theological Significance 1. Divine Presence in Low Places Ancient readers would expect divine manifestations on mountains (Exodus 19) or in lofty temples (Isaiah 6). Zechariah deliberately reverses the expectation: the Angel appears “in the hollow.” The Lord is not limited to high places; He reveals Himself where His people feel hidden or insignificant (Psalm 139:9–10). 2. Watchfulness and Universal Sovereignty The riders emerge from the hollow to traverse the earth (Zechariah 1:10–11). Global reconnaissance begins in a local ravine, underscoring that God’s universal reign is exercised with intimate knowledge of every valley and every nation. 3. Prophetic Comfort after Exile The returned community was small, surrounded by ruins, and economically depressed. The hollow mirrors their situation. Yet from that place comes assurance: “The LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem” (Zechariah 1:17). מְצֻלָּה becomes a metaphor of restoration—out of depth to renewal. Symbolism in the Broader Canon Though the exact form מְצֻלָּה appears only once, Scripture repeatedly uses valleys or depths to depict: • Humility before exaltation (Psalm 23:4; Isaiah 40:4). By echo, the Zechariah hollow participates in this theological pattern: God acts redemptively in the low place to display His glory. Historical Notes Second-temple Jerusalem lay amid debris from Babylonian destruction. Rebuilding efforts stalled under Persian pressure until the prophetic ministries of Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5). Zechariah’s opening vision, set in מְצֻלָּה, would have reminded listeners of their literal surroundings—rubble-filled depressions around the city—yet lifted their gaze to angelic activity on their behalf. Lessons for Ministry and Worship • Expect God’s work where circumstances appear sunken. Congregations in decline or believers in personal valleys can take courage: the Lord chooses hollows as stages for His purposes. Key Reference Forms and Transliterations בַּמְּצֻלָ֑ה במצלה bam·mə·ṣu·lāh bamməṣulāh bammetzuLahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Zechariah 1:8 HEB: הַהֲדַסִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמְּצֻלָ֑ה וְאַחֲרָיו֙ סוּסִ֣ים NAS: which were in the ravine, with red, KJV: among the myrtle trees that [were] in the bottom; and behind INT: the myrtle which the ravine behind horses 1 Occurrence |
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