Zechariah 1:21 Meaning and Explanation
“Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The angel explains the craftsmen have come to terrify and cast down the horns that scattered Judah.
What Does Zechariah 1:21 Mean?
The prophet asks what the carpenters have come to do, and the answer completes the vision's comfort. The horns had so crushed Judah that no one could lift up his head, but now the craftsmen come to terrify those powers and cast them down. The very forces that lifted themselves over the land will themselves be brought low.
Here is the reversal at the heart of God's justice: the proud are humbled, and the bowed-down are lifted up. Those who could not raise their heads under oppression will see their oppressors thrown off. This is the pattern fulfilled in Christ, who casts down every power that scatters and gathers His scattered people into one. The chapter that began with a call to turn ends with the promise that God Himself will overthrow all that stands against His own.
Zechariah 1:21 in the Original Language
charad (חָרַד), 'fray' -- to make tremble with terror, to throw into fearful dismay.
Frequently Asked Questions About Zechariah 1:21
What does Zechariah 1:21 mean?
The angel explains the craftsmen have come to terrify and cast down the horns that scattered Judah.