Zechariah 1:20
New International Version
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

New Living Translation
Then the LORD showed me four blacksmiths.

English Standard Version
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

King James Bible
And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.

New King James Version
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

NASB 1995
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

NASB 1977
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh showed me four craftsmen.

Amplified Bible
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

Christian Standard Bible
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

American Standard Version
And Jehovah showed me four smiths.

English Revised Version
And the LORD shewed me four smiths.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

Good News Translation
Then the LORD showed me four workers with hammers.

International Standard Version
Then the LORD showed me four artisans.

Majority Standard Bible
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

NET Bible
Next the LORD showed me four blacksmiths.

New Heart English Bible
The LORD showed me four craftsmen.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD showed me four carpenters.

World English Bible
Yahweh showed me four craftsmen.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And YHWH shows me four artisans.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah doth shew me four artisans.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah caused me to see four artificers.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord shewed me four smiths.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Lord showed me four workmen.

New American Bible
Then the LORD showed me four workmen.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the LORD showed me four blacksmiths.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the LORD showed me four carpenters.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH showed me four Carpenters
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Lord shewed me four artificers.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Vision of the Horns
19So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he told me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 20Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. 21“What are these coming to do?” I asked. And He replied, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head; but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations that have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.”…

Cross References
Zechariah 1:18-19
Then I looked up and saw four horns. / So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he told me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

Zechariah 1:21
“What are these coming to do?” I asked. And He replied, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head; but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations that have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.”

Daniel 7:2-3
Daniel declared: “In my vision in the night I looked, and suddenly the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea. / Then four great beasts came up out of the sea, each one different from the others:

Daniel 7:17
‘These four great beasts are four kings who will arise from the earth.

Revelation 7:1
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back its four winds so that no wind would blow on land or sea or on any tree.

Revelation 17:12
The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings along with the beast.

Revelation 17:16
And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

Jeremiah 49:36
I will bring the four winds against Elam from the four corners of the heavens, and I will scatter them to all these winds. There will not be a nation to which Elam’s exiles will not go.

Ezekiel 37:9
Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and tell the breath that this is what the Lord GOD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, so that they may live!”

Isaiah 11:12
He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Isaiah 41:16
You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 54:16
Behold, I have created the craftsman who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its task; and I have created the destroyer to wreak havoc.

Jeremiah 50:23
How the hammer of the whole earth lies broken and shattered! What a horror Babylon has become among the nations!

Jeremiah 51:20
“You are My war club, My weapon for battle. With you I shatter nations; with you I bring kingdoms to ruin.

Daniel 2:34-35
As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. / Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.


Treasury of Scripture

And the LORD showed me four carpenters.

four.

Zechariah 9:12-16
Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee; …

Zechariah 10:3-5
Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle…

Zechariah 12:2-6
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…

Jump to Previous
Carpenters Craftsmen Four Metal-Workers Shew Shewed Showed Smiths Vision
Jump to Next
Carpenters Craftsmen Four Metal-Workers Shew Shewed Showed Smiths Vision
Zechariah 1
1. Zechariah exhorts to repentance.
7. The vision of the horses.
12. At the prayer of the angel comfortable promises are made to Jerusalem.
18. The vision of the four horns and the four carpenters.














Then the LORD
This phrase indicates divine revelation and intervention. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "YHWH," the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. In the context of Zechariah, this revelation comes after a vision of judgment, suggesting a shift towards restoration and hope. The LORD's involvement underscores His sovereignty and active role in the affairs of His people, a comforting reminder of His faithfulness and omnipotence.

showed me
The verb "showed" is derived from the Hebrew root "ra'ah," meaning to see or perceive. This implies a vision or divine insight given to Zechariah, a prophet chosen to convey God's messages. The act of showing indicates that God is revealing something significant, not just to Zechariah, but to all of Israel through him. It highlights the importance of prophetic vision in understanding God's plans and purposes.

four craftsmen
The term "craftsmen" comes from the Hebrew word "charash," which can refer to artisans or skilled workers. Historically, craftsmen were essential in building and restoring structures, symbolizing construction and creation. In the context of Zechariah, these craftsmen are seen as agents of God's restoration, countering the destructive forces represented by the four horns in the preceding verses. The number four often symbolizes completeness or universality in biblical literature, suggesting that these craftsmen are equipped to address the totality of the challenges faced by Israel. This imagery inspires hope, as it signifies God's provision of the necessary means to rebuild and restore His people.

Verse 20. - Four carpenters; craftsmen; Revised Version, smiths, in which case "the horns" would be made of iron. The word is applied to workers in wood, stone, and metal; therefore an ambiguous rendering seems most suitable here. LXX., τέκτονας; Vulgate, fabros. They represent the human agencies employed by God to overthrow the powers hostile to the Church. Their number is the same as that of the "horns," thus showing their adequacy for the work which they have to execute. It is quite unnecessary to attempt to identify the four "craftsmen." Some take them to be Zerubbabel, Joshua, Ezra, and Nehemiah; or Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Cambyses, and Alexander the Great; or the four evangelists; or generally, angels. We shall be safer if we look upon them merely as God's instruments and servants without further identification.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

showed
וַיַּרְאֵ֣נִי (way·yar·’ê·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

me four
אַרְבָּעָ֖ה (’ar·bā·‘āh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 702: Four

craftsmen.
חָרָשִֽׁים׃ (ḥā·rā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2796: A fabricator, any material


Links
Zechariah 1:20 NIV
Zechariah 1:20 NLT
Zechariah 1:20 ESV
Zechariah 1:20 NASB
Zechariah 1:20 KJV

Zechariah 1:20 BibleApps.com
Zechariah 1:20 Biblia Paralela
Zechariah 1:20 Chinese Bible
Zechariah 1:20 French Bible
Zechariah 1:20 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Zechariah 1:20 Yahweh showed me four craftsmen (Zech. Zec Zc)
Zechariah 1:19
Top of Page
Top of Page