Zechariah 10:2 Meaning and Explanation
“For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The idols and diviners gave empty comfort and false dreams, so the people wandered like sheep without a shepherd, troubled and lost.
What Does Zechariah 10:2 Mean?
The prophet names the reason the people had strayed. Instead of asking the LORD for rain, they had turned to household idols and fortune-tellers whose words were empty wind. The dreams these diviners reported were lies, and the comfort they offered melted away when trouble came.
Without a true shepherd the people scattered like a frightened flock. The image is tender and sorrowful: sheep are not made to fend for themselves, and a counterfeit guide leaves them more lost than before. The verse exposes every false hope that cannot save and prepares the heart to long for the Shepherd who will not deceive, who gathers His own and leads them home.
Zechariah 10:2 in the Original Language
teraphim (תְּרָפִים), 'idols' -- household images consulted for guidance, here shown to be powerless.
Frequently Asked Questions About Zechariah 10:2
What does Zechariah 10:2 mean?
The idols and diviners gave empty comfort and false dreams, so the people wandered like sheep without a shepherd, troubled and lost.