Zechariah 2:1 Meaning and Explanation
“I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →In the third of his night visions Zechariah sees a man holding a measuring line, the tool of a builder preparing to lay out a city.
What Does Zechariah 2:1 Mean?
Zechariah is one of the prophets who stirred the returned exiles to rebuild after their long captivity. Here he lifts his eyes a third time and watches a figure step forward carrying a measuring line, the cord a surveyor stretches to mark out walls and streets. The image promises construction, not ruin.
A measuring line in a prophet's vision is a sign of intention and care. God does not glance at Jerusalem from a distance; He sends someone to take its measure, the way a builder counts every cubit before laying a stone. For a discouraged people sitting among rubble, the simple sight of that cord is hope: the One who measures means to build.
Zechariah 2:1 in the Original Language
qav (קָו), 'measuring line' -- the cord stretched out to lay out a building, a sign of purposed construction.
Frequently Asked Questions About Zechariah 2:1
What does Zechariah 2:1 mean?
In the third of his night visions Zechariah sees a man holding a measuring line, the tool of a builder preparing to lay out a city.