Zechariah 2:4

Verse

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.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Bible in Basic English

Said to him, Go quickly and say to this young man, Jerusalem will be an unwalled town, because of the great number of men and cattle in her.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And he said to him: Run, speak to this young man, saying: Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls, by reason of the multitude of men, and of the beasts in the midst thereof.

Free Bible Version

and told him, “Run, and tell the young man that Jerusalem will have so many people and farm animals that it will be too big to have walls.”

Geneva Bible 1599

And saide vnto him, Runne, speake to this yong man, and say, Ierusalem shalbe inhabited without walles, for the multitude of men and cattell therein.

King James (Authorized) Version

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:

Translation for Translators

That other angel said to him, “Run and tell that young man that some day there will be very many people and livestock in Jerusalem, with the result that there will be too many to live inside the city walls; many will live outside the walls.

Unlocked Literal Bible

The second angel said to him, “Run and speak to that young man; say, 'Jerusalem will sit in the open country because of the multitudes of men and beasts within her.

Noah Webster Bible

And said to him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle in it.

World English Bible

and said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.

Young's Literal Translation

and he saith unto him, 'Run, speak unto this young man, saying: Unwalled villages inhabit doth Jerusalem, From the abundance of man and beast in her midst.

Context

The Vision of the Measuring Line

³Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and another angel came out to meet him⁴and 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.⁵For I will be a wall of fire around it, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory within it.’”

Sermons

(Through the Bible) Zechariah

Zac Poonen

524

Service and Sovereignty

T. Austin-Sparks

Summary

In Zechariah 2:4, the prophet sees a man with a measuring line in his hand, going to measure Jerusalem. This vision symbolizes God's intention to restore and protect Jerusalem, ensuring its safety and prosperity. The act of measuring signifies God's precise plan and care for His people, emphasizing His sovereignty and divine protection over them. It conveys the message that God's presence and favor will dwell in Jerusalem, bringing about a future of peace and abundance. Ultimately, this verse reflects God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises and establishing His kingdom on earth.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Run, speak to this young man - Nehemiah must have been a young man when he was sakee, or cup-bearer, to Artaxerxes. As towns without walls - It shall be so numerously inhabited as not to be contained within its ancient limits. Josephus, speaking of this time, says, Wars 5:4:2, "The city, overflowing with inhabitants, by degrees extended itself beyond its walls."

John Gill Bible Commentary

And said unto him,.... That is, the other angel said to the angel that had been talking with the prophet, Run, speak to this young man: meaning Zechariah, who was either young in years, as Samuel and Jeremiah were when they prophesied; or he was a servant of a prophet older than he, and therefore so called, as Joshua, Moses's minister, was, Num 11:28 as Kimchi observes: saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls; this shows that this is not to be understood of Jerusalem in a literal sense, for that was not inhabited as a town without a wall; its wall was built in Nehemiah's time, and remained until the city was destroyed by Vespasian; yea, it had a treble wall, as Josephus says (b); but of the church of Christ in Gospel times; and denotes both the safety and security of it; see Eze 38:11 and the populousness of it; and especially as it will be in the latter day, when both Jews and Gentiles are called, and brought into it; which sense is confirmed by what follows: for the multitude of men and cattle therein; the Jews being meant by "men"; see Eze 34:31 and the Gentiles by "cattle", to which they used to be compared by the former: this will be fulfilled when the nation of the Jews will be born at once, and all Israel will be saved, and the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in; for the number of the spiritual Israel, the sons of the living God, both Jews and Gentiles, shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured, Hos 1:10 and when there will be such a large increase of converts; and such flockings to Zion, to the spiritual Jerusalem, the church of God, that the place will be too small for them, Isa 49:19 whereas, when Jerusalem in a literal sense was rebuilt, after the Babylonian captivity, there was a want of persons to inhabit it, and lots were cast for one out of ten to dwell in it; and they were glad of others that offered themselves willingly to be inhabitants of it, Neh 11:1 for there was but a small number that returned from Babylon to repeople the city of Jerusalem, and the whole country of Judea; no more came from thence but forty two thousand, three hundred, and threescore, besides men and maid servants, which amounted to seven or eight thousand more, Ezr 2:64 Neh 7:66 which were but a few to fill such a country, and so many cities and towns that were in it, besides Jerusalem; and yet Josephus (c) affirms, that the number of those of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, that came up from thence, and were above twelve years of age, were four millions, six hundred, and twenty eight thousand; in which he is followed by Zonaras (d), and it is admitted and approved of by Sanctius on the place; which is not only contrary to the accounts of Ezra and Nehemiah, but is incredible; that such a number that went into captivity, which was not very large, should, under all the distresses and oppressions they laboured, in seventy years time so multiply, and that two tribes only, as to be almost eight times more than all the twelve tribes were at their coming out of Egypt; a number large enough to have overrun the Babylonian monarchy; and too many to be supported in so small a country as the land of Canaan: wherefore, upon the whole, it must be best to interpret this of spiritual and mystical Jerusalem, and of the populousness of the church of Christ in the latter day. (b) De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 2. (c) Antiqu. l. 11. c. 3. sect. 10. (d) Apud Hudson in ib.

Zechariah 2:4

The Vision of the Measuring Line

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

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.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Bible in Basic English

Said to him, Go quickly and say to this young man, Jerusalem will be an unwalled town, because of the great number of men and cattle in her.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And he said to him: Run, speak to this young man, saying: Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls, by reason of the multitude of men, and of the beasts in the midst thereof.

Free Bible Version

and told him, “Run, and tell the young man that Jerusalem will have so many people and farm animals that it will be too big to have walls.”

Geneva Bible 1599

And saide vnto him, Runne, speake to this yong man, and say, Ierusalem shalbe inhabited without walles, for the multitude of men and cattell therein.

King James (Authorized) Version

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:

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

The second angel said to him, “Run and speak to that young man; say, 'Jerusalem will sit in the open country because of the multitudes of men and beasts within her.

Noah Webster Bible

And said to him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle in it.

World English Bible

and said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.

Young's Literal Translation

and he saith unto him, 'Run, speak unto this young man, saying: Unwalled villages inhabit doth Jerusalem, From the abundance of man and beast in her midst.

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Zechariah 2:4

Verse

Context

The Vision of the Measuring Line

Sermons

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Zechariah 2:4

The Vision of the Measuring Line

(Through the Bible) Zechariah

Service and Sovereignty

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary