Zechariah 2:4
And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited [as] towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:
And said {H559} unto him, Run {H7323}, speak {H1696} to this {H1975} young man {H5288}, saying {H559}, Jerusalem {H3389} shall be inhabited {H3427} as towns without walls {H6519} for the multitude {H7230} of men {H120} and cattle {H929} therein {H8432}:
and said to him, "Run and tell this young man, 'Yerushalayim will be inhabited without walls, because there will be so many people and animals;
and said to him, “Run and tell that young man: ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the multitude of men and livestock within it.
and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, by reason of the multitude of men and cattle therein.
Cross-References
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Zechariah 1:17 (6 votes)
Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. -
Ezekiel 38:11 (4 votes)
And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, -
Jeremiah 33:22 (4 votes)
As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. -
Micah 7:11 (4 votes)
[In] the day that thy walls are to be built, [in] that day shall the decree be far removed. -
Jeremiah 31:27 (3 votes)
¶ Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast. -
Ezekiel 36:10 (3 votes)
And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, [even] all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: -
Ezekiel 36:11 (3 votes)
And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better [unto you] than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.
Commentary
Zechariah 2:4 presents a vivid prophetic vision of Jerusalem's future, delivered to the prophet Zechariah during the post-exilic period. This verse is part of a series of night visions granted to Zechariah, aiming to encourage the Jewish exiles who had returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple and the city. The context is one of rebuilding and hope after devastation.
Context
The prophet Zechariah ministered alongside Haggai, urging the returned exiles to complete the rebuilding of the Second Temple. In the preceding verses of Zechariah 2, a man with a measuring line appears, seemingly intending to measure and wall off Jerusalem. However, the angel's message in verse 4 supersedes this, revealing a divine plan far grander than any human construction could contain. This vision follows those of the four horns and four carpenters (Zechariah 1:18-21), which symbolized God's judgment against the nations that scattered Judah.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew word for "without walls" is prazot (פְּרָזוֹת), which literally means "open country," "unwalled places," or "villages." It conveys the idea of a city that has grown so large that it has spilled out into the surrounding countryside, becoming too vast to be contained by conventional defenses. This highlights not a lack of security, but a superabundance of inhabitants and divine security that renders physical walls unnecessary.
Practical Application
Zechariah 2:4 offers enduring lessons for believers today:
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