Zechariah 7:9
What does Zechariah 7:9 mean?
A plain-English look at Zechariah 7:9 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Zechariah 7:9 means
Zechariah 7:9 calls God’s people to righteous living, emphasizing justice, mercy, and compassion. "Execute true judgment" means to administer fair and impartial decisions, especially to the vulnerable. "Show kindness and compassion" speaks to a tenderhearted and benevolent attitude toward others, reflecting God's own character. The phrase "every man to his brother" highlights the communal aspect of these virtues, urging genuine care and equitable treatment within the community. This verse is a direct command from Yahweh, the Lord of Armies, underscoring the divine importance of these moral principles for His covenant people. It’s a call to practical righteousness over mere ritual.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Thus hath Jehovah of hosts spoken, saying, Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother;
KJV
King James Version · 1611Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Thus hath Jehovah of hosts spoken, saying, Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother;
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949This is what the Lord of armies has said: Let your judging be upright and done in good faith, let every man have mercy and pity for his brother:
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`Thus spake Jehovah of Hosts, saying: True judgment judge ye, And kindness and mercy do one with another.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Thus saith the Lord of hosts, saying: Judge ye true judgment, and shew ye mercy and compassion every man to his brother.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew loving-kindness and mercies one to another,
Context
Zechariah 7 opens with a delegation from Bethel inquiring about continued fasting practices, suggesting a concern for ritualistic observance. God, through Zechariah, pivots the focus from outward religious performance to inward moral conduct. This verse is part of God’s larger response, where He critiques their past failures to uphold justice and mercy (vv. 10-12). Immediately following this verse, God continues to explain the consequences of their disobedience, linking their past suffering to their neglect of these very commands. Thus, Zechariah 7:9 serves as God's core instruction, highlighting what He truly desires from His people in the midst of their ritualistic questions.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Deuteronomy 10:18
He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the sojourner, in giving him food and raiment.
- Jeremiah 7:5
For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbor;
- Leviticus 19:35
Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity.
- Matthew 23:23
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.
- Deuteronomy 16:18
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, according to thy tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
- Isaiah 58:6
Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
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