The Meaning of Zechariah 1:16 Explained

Zechariah 1:16

KJV: Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

YLT: Therefore, thus said Jehovah: I have turned to Jerusalem with mercies, My house is built in it, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And a line is stretched over Jerusalem.

Darby: Therefore thus saith Jehovah: I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith Jehovah of hosts, and the line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

ASV: Therefore thus saith Jehovah: I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; my house shall be built in it, saith Jehovah of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore thus saith  the LORD;  I am returned  to Jerusalem  with mercies:  my house  shall be built  in it, saith  the LORD  of hosts,  and a line  shall be stretched forth  upon Jerusalem. 

What does Zechariah 1:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Because the people of Jerusalem had experienced so much hostility the Lord promised to return to them and show them compassion. The sovereign Lord promised that the temple would be rebuilt there, and the city again would become a viable entity. The Jews finished the temple in515 B.C, but the city walls were not complete until444 B.C. ( Nehemiah 7:4; Nehemiah 11:1). Measuring the city pictures its expanded restoration (cf. Jeremiah 31:38-40), the measuring line being a construction tool. [1]

Context Summary

Zechariah 1:1-17 - A Vision Of Pardon And Restoration
Zechariah does not slur over the sins of the past, but lays stress on the divine forgiveness. His only fear is lest God should call in vain, and the people refuse as their fathers did. Notice the repetition of God's title, Lord of Hosts, five times in the first six verses. The enemy's armies were vast, but the protecting hosts, vaster. A glimpse of these hosts is given in the following vision. A green valley, filled with myrtles, the emblem of humility, where the prophet may have been wont to meditate, seemed alive with mysterious figures, who had been patrolling the earth, and announced that it was peace, for these were the days of Cyrus' illustrious reign. Notice the frequent reference to his celestial friend, Zechariah 1:9; Zechariah 1:14; Zechariah 1:19; Zechariah 4:1; Zechariah 4:4-5; Zechariah 5:5; Zechariah 5:10; Zechariah 6:4. The future was bright with promise, Zechariah 1:16-17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 1

1  Zechariah exhorts to repentance
7  The vision of the horses
12  At the prayer of the angel comfortable promises are made to Jerusalem
18  The vision of the four horns and the four carpenters

What do the individual words in Zechariah 1:16 mean?

Therefore thus says Yahweh I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy My house shall be built in it says Yahweh of hosts - and a [surveyor's] line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem
לָכֵ֞ן כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה שַׁ֤בְתִּי לִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ בְּֽרַחֲמִ֔ים בֵּיתִי֙ יִבָּ֣נֶה בָּ֔הּ נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת [וקוה] (וְקָ֥ו) יִנָּטֶ֖ה עַל־ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם

כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
שַׁ֤בְתִּי  I  am  returning 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙  to  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
בְּֽרַחֲמִ֔ים  with  mercy 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: רַחַם 
Sense: womb.
בֵּיתִי֙  My  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִבָּ֣נֶה  shall  be  built 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
בָּ֔הּ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
נְאֻ֖ם  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֑וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
[וקוה]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
(וְקָ֥ו)  and  a  [surveyor's]  line 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָוֶה  
Sense: line.
יִנָּטֶ֖ה  shall  be  stretched  out 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.