Zechariah 8:19

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth [month], and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.

Thus saith {H559} the LORD {H3068} of hosts {H6635}; The fast {H6685} of the fourth {H7243} month, and the fast {H6685} of the fifth {H2549}, and the fast {H6685} of the seventh {H7637}, and the fast {H6685} of the tenth {H6224}, shall be to the house {H1004} of Judah {H3063} joy {H8342} and gladness {H8057}, and cheerful {H2896} feasts {H4150}; therefore love {H157} the truth {H571} and peace {H7965}.

"ADONAI-Tzva'ot says, 'The fast days of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months are to become times of joy, gladness and cheer for the house of Y'hudah. Therefore, love truth and peace.'

“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: The fasts of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will become times of joy and gladness, cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore you are to love both truth and peace.”

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace.

Zechariah 8:19 is a powerful prophecy of hope and restoration delivered through the prophet Zechariah to the Jewish people who had returned from Babylonian exile. It addresses their long-held traditions of fasting, promising a divine reversal of their sorrow.

Context

This verse comes within a section (Zechariah 7-8) where a delegation from Bethel asks Zechariah if they should continue observing the traditional fasts that commemorated tragic events related to the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple. God, through Zechariah, responds not by simply telling them to stop fasting, but by promising a future so glorious that these days of mourning would naturally transform into days of joy and celebration. The four fasts mentioned (fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months) recall significant dates of national disaster leading to and following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by Babylon.

  • Fast of the Fourth Month: Commemorated the breaching of Jerusalem's walls (Jeremiah 52:6-7).
  • Fast of the Fifth Month: Marked the destruction of the First Temple (often observed as Tisha B'Av, Jeremiah 52:12-13).
  • Fast of the Seventh Month: Recalled the assassination of Gedaliah, leading to the final dispersion of the Jewish remnant (Jeremiah 41:1-2).
  • Fast of the Tenth Month: Signified the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 52:4).

Key Themes

  • Divine Transformation: The central message is God's power to turn deep sorrow into profound joy. This speaks to God's redemptive nature, where past pain is not forgotten but is recontextualized within a future of blessing and peace. This echoes promises found elsewhere, such as Jeremiah 31:13 where God promises to turn their mourning into gladness.
  • Restoration and Blessing: The prophecy assures the returned exiles that God's favor is upon them, promising an era of prosperity and spiritual renewal for the "house of Judah." This is part of the broader theme of God's faithfulness to His covenant people, indicating a future of peace and prosperity for Jerusalem.
  • Ethical Living: The concluding exhortation, "therefore love the truth and peace," is crucial. It links the promised blessings to righteous conduct. God's restoration is not merely external but calls for an internal commitment to integrity (truth) and harmony (peace) within the community, as also commanded in Zechariah 8:16.

Linguistic Insights

  • "LORD of hosts" (KJV): This divine title, YHWH Sabaoth in Hebrew, emphasizes God's supreme power and authority over all creation, heavenly armies, and earthly affairs. It reinforces the certainty of His prophetic declarations.
  • "Truth" ('emeth): More than just factual accuracy, 'emeth denotes faithfulness, reliability, integrity, and adherence to God's covenant and righteous standards.
  • "Peace" (shalom): This rich Hebrew word signifies not merely the absence of conflict but a holistic state of well-being, completeness, prosperity, health, and harmony in all relationships—with God, with others, and within oneself.

Practical Application

Zechariah 8:19 offers timeless encouragement. It reminds us that even the most painful memories and seasons of lament can be transformed by God's grace into occasions for joy and celebration. For believers today, it underscores the principle that God can redeem past hurts and bring about a future filled with hope. However, this transformation is often accompanied by a call to righteous living. The command to "love the truth and peace" is a timeless principle for a flourishing community and individual life, reflecting the very character of God. It encourages us to actively pursue integrity and reconciliation, understanding that these virtues are foundational to experiencing God's full blessings, both personally and corporately. This verse serves as a powerful reminder of God's ultimate plan to bring about a kingdom of truth and peace through Christ.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Jeremiah 39:2

    [And] in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth [day] of the month, the city was broken up.

  • Zechariah 8:16

    These [are] the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

  • Zechariah 7:3

    [And] 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?

  • 2 Kings 25:25

    But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.

  • Jeremiah 52:4

    And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth [day] of the month, [that] Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.

  • Zechariah 7:5

    Speak 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?

  • 2 Kings 25:3

    And on the ninth [day] of the [fourth] month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

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