Zechariah 1:14
“So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The angel commissions Zechariah to proclaim that God is jealous for Jerusalem and Zion with great jealousy.
What Does Zechariah 1:14 Mean?
The interpreting angel now sends the prophet to proclaim aloud the comfort God has spoken. The message is that the LORD is jealous for Jerusalem and Zion with a great jealousy. This is not petty envy but the fierce, protective love of a husband for his bride, a love that will not let the beloved go.
God's jealousy here is good news, the passion of a love that refuses to abandon. The same intensity that once stood against the people's sin now burns on their behalf. To be loved this way is to be safe, for such love will move heaven and earth to restore what it cherishes. The city that felt forsaken is in truth the object of God's most ardent devotion.
In the Original Language
qana (קָנָא), 'jealous' -- zealous, protective love that fiercely guards what rightly belongs to it.