Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. New Living Translation “What do you see now?” he asked. I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks. English Standard Version And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. Berean Standard Bible “What do you see?” he asked. “I see a solid gold lampstand,” I replied, “with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven spouts to the lamps. King James Bible And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: New King James Version And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. New American Standard Bible And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; NASB 1995 He said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; NASB 1977 And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; Legacy Standard Bible And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it, Amplified Bible He said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl [for oil] on the top of it and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it. Christian Standard Bible He asked me, “What do you see? ” I replied, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top. The lampstand also has seven lamps at the top with seven spouts for each of the lamps. Holman Christian Standard Bible He asked me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a solid gold lampstand there with a bowl on its top. It has seven lamps on it and seven channels for each of the lamps on its top. American Standard Version And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have seen, and, behold, a candlestick all of gold, with its bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are upon the top thereof; Contemporary English Version Then he asked, "What do you see?" "A solid gold lampstand with an oil container above it," I answered. "On the stand are seven lamps, each with seven flames. English Revised Version And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have seen, and behold, a candlestick all of gold, with its bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are upon the top thereof: GOD'S WORD® Translation He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lamp stand with a bowl on top and seven lamps on it. There are seven spouts for each lamp that is on top of it. Good News Translation "What do you see?" he asked. "A lampstand made of gold," I answered. "At the top is a bowl for the oil. On the lampstand are seven lamps, each one with places for seven wicks. International Standard Version Then he asked me, "What do you see?" So I said, "I have been watching—and look!—there is a menorah made completely of gold with a bowl on top of it. And there are seven lights on it, along with seven feeder channels to the lamps, which are also on top of it. Majority Standard Bible ?What do you see?? he asked. ?I see a solid gold lampstand,? I replied, ?with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven spouts to the lamps. NET Bible He asked me, "What do you see?" I replied, "I see a menorah of pure gold with a receptacle at the top and seven lamps, with fourteen pipes going to the lamps. New Heart English Bible He said to me, "What do you see?" I said, "I have seen, and look, a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are on the top of it; Webster's Bible Translation And said to me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick: all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which were upon the top of it. World English Bible He said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I have seen, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand he says to me, “What are you seeing?” And I say, “I have looked, and behold, a lampstand of gold—all of it, and its bowl [is] on its top, and its seven lamps [are] on it, and twice seven pipes [are] to the lights that [are] on its top, Young's Literal Translation and he saith unto me, 'What art thou seeing?' And I say, 'I have looked, and lo, a candlestick of gold -- all of it, and its bowl is on its top, and its seven lamps are upon it, and twice seven pipes are to the lights that are on its top, Smith's Literal Translation And he will say to me, What seest thou? And saying, I saw, and behold, a candlestick of gold, all of it, and a bowl upon its head, and its seven lights upon it, and seven tubes to the seven lights which were upon its head: Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd he said to me: What seest thou? And I said: I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, and its lamp upon the top of it: and the seven lights thereof upon it: and seven funnels for the lights that were upon the top thereof. Catholic Public Domain Version And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I looked, and behold, a candlestick entirely in gold, and its lamp was at its top, and seven oil lamps of it were upon it, and there were seven funnels for the oil lamps that were at its top. New American Bible He said to me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on top of it. There are seven lamps on it, with seven spouts on each of the lamps that are on top of it. New Revised Standard Version He said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it; there are seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd he said to me, What do you see? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, and seven mouths to the seven lamps which are on the top of it; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And he said to me: ”What have you seen?” And I said: ”A lamp stand of gold and a bowl on its top and seven lamps upon it, and seven mouths each for the lamps that are on its top OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And he said unto me: 'What seest thou?' And I said: 'I have seen, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes, yea, seven, to the lamps, which are upon the top thereof; Brenton Septuagint Translation And he said to me, What seest thou? And I said, I have seen, and behold a candlestick all of gold, and its bowl upon it, and seven lamps upon it, and seven oil funnels to the lamps upon it: Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Vision of the Lampstand and Olive Trees1Then the angel who was speaking with me returned and woke me, as a man is awakened from his sleep. 2“What do you see?” he asked. “I see a solid gold lampstand,” I replied, “with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven spouts to the lamps. 3There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left.”… Cross References Revelation 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, Revelation 4:5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire. These are the seven spirits of God. Exodus 25:31-40 Then you are to make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. It shall be made of one piece, including its base and shaft, its cups, and its buds and petals. / Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. / There are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the first branch, each with buds and petals, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches that extend from the lampstand. ... Revelation 11:4 These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. / Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. / In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 1 Kings 7:49 the lampstands of pure gold in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right side and five on the left; the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs; Hebrews 9:2 A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place. Exodus 37:17-24 Then he made the lampstand out of pure hammered gold, all of one piece: its base and shaft, its cups, and its buds and petals. / Six branches extended from the sides, three on one side and three on the other. / There were three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the first branch, each with buds and petals, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches that extended from the lampstand. ... John 8:12 Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” 2 Chronicles 4:20 the lampstands of pure gold and their lamps, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary as prescribed; Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Isaiah 42:6 “I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, John 1:4-5 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. / The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. Luke 12:35 Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. Treasury of Scripture And said to me, What see you? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are on the top thereof: What. Zechariah 5:2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. Jeremiah 1:11-13 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree… a candlestick. Exodus 25:31-38 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same… Exodus 37:17-24 And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same: … Exodus 40:24,25 And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward… a bowl. 1 Kings 7:50 And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple. seven. Exodus 25:37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. Revelation 4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. seven pipes to the seven camps. Zechariah 4:12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? Jump to Previous Belonging Bowl Candlestick Cup Gold Lampstand Light-Support Pipes Seest Seven Solid Spouts Thereof Thereon Top TwiceJump to Next Belonging Bowl Candlestick Cup Gold Lampstand Light-Support Pipes Seest Seven Solid Spouts Thereof Thereon Top TwiceZechariah 4 1. By the golden candlestick is foreshown the good success of Zerubbabel's foundation;11. by the two olive trees the two anointed ones. “What do you see?” he asked. This question is posed by the angel to Zechariah, emphasizing the importance of spiritual vision and understanding. In biblical context, visions are often used by God to convey messages to His prophets. This question invites Zechariah to engage with the divine revelation actively, similar to how God often asks His prophets to articulate their visions, as seen with Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:11-13). “I see a solid gold lampstand,” I replied, “with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven spouts to the lamps. Persons / Places / Events 1. ZechariahA prophet of the post-exilic period, Zechariah is the recipient of this vision. His role is to encourage the Israelites in rebuilding the temple and to convey God's messages. 2. Angel The angel serves as a divine messenger, guiding Zechariah through the vision and providing explanations. 3. Lampstand A central object in the vision, the lampstand represents God's presence and the light of His truth. It is reminiscent of the menorah in the tabernacle and temple. 4. Seven Lamps These symbolize completeness and perfection, often associated with God's Spirit and His work. 5. Bowl and Spouts The bowl holds oil, which is essential for the lamps to burn, symbolizing the Holy Spirit's provision and empowerment. Teaching Points God's Provision and EmpowermentThe vision of the lampstand with a continuous supply of oil signifies that God provides the necessary resources for His work. Believers are reminded to rely on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance. The Light of God's Presence The lampstand symbolizes God's presence among His people. Christians are called to be vessels of His light, reflecting His truth and love in a dark world. Completeness in God's Plan The number seven represents completeness. God's plans are perfect and complete, and He invites us to trust in His sovereign design for our lives and His kingdom. Encouragement in Rebuilding Just as Zechariah's vision encouraged the Israelites to rebuild the temple, believers are encouraged to participate in building God's kingdom, knowing that He is with them. Symbolism of the Holy Spirit The oil in the vision represents the Holy Spirit. Believers are reminded of the importance of being filled with the Spirit to effectively carry out God's work.Verse 2. - What seest thou? The angel does not show the vision to the prophet, but makes him describe it, and then explains its import. This vision of the candlestick, with its seven lamps fed by two olive trees, signifies that the work of rebuilding the temple, and preparing the way for the Church of the true Israel, was to be accomplished by relying, not on human resources, but on Divine aid. Thus were Zerubbabel and his people roused to perseverance and energy in their good work, of which the final sucess is assured. I have looked; ἑώρακα (Septuagint), "I have seen." A candlestick all of gold. The candelabrum as described differs in some particulars from that in the tabernacle, though the same word, menorath, is used in both cases (Exodus 25:31; Exodus 37:17, etc.). In Solomon's temple there were ten candelabra (1 Kings 7:49), which were carried away to Babylon when Jerusalem was taken (Jeremiah 52:19). The single candelabrum of Zerubbabel's temple is mentioned in 1 Macc. 1:21 1 Macc. 4:49, 50. The one sculptured on the arch of Titus may be a truthful representation of that in Herod's temple, but probably is not the same as that in the second edifice (comp. Josephus, 'Ant.,' 14:04, 4). The candelabrum in the vision differed from the original one in three particulars: it had a central reservoir; it had also seven pipes; and it was supplied with oil by two olive trees. With a (its) howl upon the top of it. The "bowl" (gullah) is a reservoir for oil placed at the top of the candelabrum; and from it tubes led the oil for the supply of the lamps. In the tabernacle each lamp was separate, and trimmed and filled by the ministering priests; the mystic lamps needed no human agency to keep them supplied. They were fed by the "bowl." The word is translated in the Septuagint, λαμπάδιον: in the Vulgate, lampas; hence some have supposed that, besides the seven lamps, there was another large light in the centre; but the Greek and Latin rendering is mistaken, the word meaning "a fountain" (Joshua 15:19), or "a ball" (1 Kings 7:41), or "a round bowl" (Ecclesiastes 12:6). And seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof. The Hebrew is, literally rendered, seven and seven pipes to the lamps which are upon its top. The LXX. translates, Καὶ ἑπτὰ ἐπαρυστρίδες τοῖς λύχνοις τοῖς ἐπάνω αὐτῆς, "And seven vessels for the lamps which are upon it;" so the Vulgate, Septem infusoria lucernis, quae erant super caput ejus. These versions imply that there was one supply pipe to each of the lamps, which seems most natural. In this case, the first "seven" in the text must be an interpolation. Commentators who regard the present reading as correct have taken various ways in explaining it. Some multiply the number into itself, and make the pipes forty-nine; but this is unwarranted by Hebrew usage (Henderson). Others add the numbers together, making fourteen; but here again the copulative vau, which implies diversity, is an objection. The Revised Version has, "There are seven pipes to each of the lamps, taking the words distributively; but the number of tubes seems here to be unnecessarily large. Dr. Wright considers that there were two pipes to each lamp, one set connecting each to the central bowl, and one connecting the several lamps together. One, however, does not see of what particular use the second set is. Dr. Wright, p. 84, gives a drawing of the candelabrum with its appurtenances, according to his notion of the vision. The Authorized Version seems to give the correct idea of the passage, whether we arrive at it by rejecting the first "seven," or by considering that it is repeated for emphasis' sake, as Cornelius Lapide and Pressel think: "Seven are the lamps upon it - seven, I say, and seven the pipes." Take it as we may, the point is that the oil is well and copiously supplied to the several lights. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew “Whatמָ֥ה (māh) Interrogative Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what do you אַתָּ֖ה (’at·tāh) Pronoun - second person masculine singular Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you see?” רֹאֶ֑ה (rō·’eh) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 7200: To see he asked. וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “I see רָאִ֣יתִי ׀ (rā·’î·ṯî) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 7200: To see a solid gold זָהָ֨ב (zā·hāḇ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky lampstand,” מְנוֹרַת֩ (mə·nō·w·raṯ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 4501: A chandelier I replied, וָאֹמַ֡ר (wā·’ō·mar) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “with וְהִנֵּ֣ה (wə·hin·nêh) Conjunctive waw | Interjection Strong's 2009: Lo! behold! a bowl וְגֻלָּ֣הּ (wə·ḡul·lāh) Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 1543: A fountain, bowl, globe at עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against the top רֹאשָׁ֗הּ (rō·šāh) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Strong's 7218: The head and seven וְשִׁבְעָ֤ה (wə·šiḇ·‘āh) Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number lamps נֵרֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ (nê·rō·ṯe·hā) Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular Strong's 5216: A lamp, light on it, עָלֶ֔יהָ (‘ā·le·hā) Preposition | third person feminine singular Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against with seven וְשִׁבְעָה֙ (wə·šiḇ·‘āh) Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number spouts מֽוּצָק֔וֹת (mū·ṣā·qō·wṯ) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 4166: Something poured out, a casting, a tube to each of the lamps. לַנֵּר֖וֹת (lan·nê·rō·wṯ) Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 5216: A lamp, light Links Zechariah 4:2 NIVZechariah 4:2 NLT Zechariah 4:2 ESV Zechariah 4:2 NASB Zechariah 4:2 KJV Zechariah 4:2 BibleApps.com Zechariah 4:2 Biblia Paralela Zechariah 4:2 Chinese Bible Zechariah 4:2 French Bible Zechariah 4:2 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Zechariah 4:2 He said to me What do you (Zech. 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