The Meaning of Zechariah 1:8 Explained

Zechariah 1:8

KJV: I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.

YLT: I have seen by night, and lo, one riding on a red horse, and he is standing between the myrtles that are in the shade, and behind him are horses, red, bay, and white.

Darby: I saw by night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the low valley; and behind him were red, bay, and white horses.

ASV: I saw in the night, and, behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom; and behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I saw  by night,  and behold a man  riding  upon a red  horse,  and he stood  among the myrtle trees  that [were] in the bottom;  and behind  him [were there] red  horses,  speckled,  and white. 

What does Zechariah 1:8 Mean?

Study Notes

I saw
The "man" ( Zechariah 1:8 ) is the "my lord," "the angel that talked with me" ( Zechariah 1:9 ), and "the angel of the Lord" ( Zechariah 1:10 ; Zechariah 1:11 ). The "man" "stood among the myrtle trees" ( Zechariah 1:8 ). The prophet addresses him as "my lord" (cf) Genesis 19:2 but when the "man" answers he perceives that he has addressed an angel--"the angel that talked with me" ( Zechariah 1:9 ). In Zechariah 1:10 the being of the vision is again "the man that stood among the myrtle trees." In Zechariah 1:11 he is called "the angel of the Lord," and to him the (riders on the) "red horses, speckled with white" say: "We have walked to and fro," etc. Then ( Zechariah 1:12 ) "the angel of the Lord" (i.e. the "man," "my lord," "the angel that talked with me") intercedes for the land against a world at ease. The date of the intercession was at the end of the 70 years' captivity of Judah. Zechariah 1:9-12 .
Taken as a whole Zechariah 1:8-17 Zechariah's first vision reveals Judah in dispersion; Jerusalem under adverse possession; and the Gentile nations at rest about it. This condition still continues, and Jehovah's answer to the intercession of the angel sweeps on to the end-time of Gentile domination, when "the Lord shall yet comfort Zion," etc. ( Zechariah 1:16 ; Zechariah 1:17 ).
Isaiah 40:1-5 . See "Kingdom (O.T.)" See Scofield " Zechariah 12:8 ".
red horse Cf. Revelation 6:4 . The whole Gentile period is characterized by the red horse, i.e. "sword."; Daniel 9:26 ; Matthew 24:6 ; Matthew 24:7 .
make man in our image
Man. Genesis 1:26 ; Genesis 1:27 gives the general, Genesis 2:7 ; Genesis 2:21-23 the particular account of the creation of man. The revealed facts are:
(1) Man was created not evolved. This is
(a) expressly declared, and the declaration is confirmed by Christ Matthew 19:14 ; Mark 10:6 ,
(b) "an enormous gulf, a divergence practically infinite" (Huxley) between the lowest man and the highest beast, confirms it;
(c) the highest beast has no trace of God-consciousness--the religious nature;
(d) science and discovery have done nothing to bridge that "gulf."
(2) That man was made in the "image and likeness" of God. This image is found chiefly in man's tri-unity, and in his moral nature. Man is "spirit and soul and body" 1 Thessalonians 5:23 .
"Spirit" is that part of man which "knows" 1 Corinthians 2:11 and which allies him to the spiritual creation and gives him God-consciousness. "Soul" in itself implies self-consciousness life, as distinguished from plants, which have unconscious life. In that sense animals also have "soul" Genesis 1:24 . But the "soul" of man has a vaster content than "soul" as applied to beast life. It is the seat of emotions, desires, affections Psalms 42:1-6 . The "heart" is, in Scripture usage, nearly synonymous with "soul." Because the natural man is, characteristically, the soulual or physical man, "soul" is often used as synonymous with the individual, e.g. Genesis 12:5 . The body, separable from spirit and soul, and susceptible to death, is nevertheless an integral part of man, as the resurrection shows; John 5:28 ; John 5:29 ; 1 Corinthians 15:47-50 ; Revelation 20:11-13 . It is the seat of the senses (the means by which the spirit and soul have world-consciousness) and of the fallen Adamic nature. Romans 7:23 ; Romans 7:24 .
us , Genesis 11:7

Verse Meaning

The prophet saw a vision, and in his vision it was night. He saw a man sitting on a red (bay, reddish-brown) horse among myrtle trees in a ravine. He also saw red, sorrel (Heb. seruqim, mixed color), and white horses behind the man on the red horse. There were riders on these horses too ( Zechariah 1:11).
To Zechariah , who knew the Old Testament and who lived in a particular culture (Persian as well as Hebrew), the meaning of these symbols would have been more readily apparent than they are to the modern reader.
"Viewed from the perspective of a literary type, symbolism has a unique force, impressing itself on the mind and touching the emotions with greater facility and power than prosaic literary types." [1]
Night had connotations of gloom, obscurity, and foreboding. The present was such a period for the Israelites. The light of joy, clear sight, and security was yet to break for them. The riders evidently represent some of the Lord"s angelic army (host) that serve as His scouts and report world conditions to Him ( Zechariah 1:10). Horses were instruments of war and prestigious possessions ( Zechariah 10:3; 1 Kings 10:26), and the colors of these horses apparently represent their mission. The colors doubtless implied something to Zechariah , possibly bloodshed, a mixed mission (of judgment and blessing), and victory (cf. Zechariah 6:2; Isaiah 63:1-6; Revelation 6:4). If their color was very significant, the angel probably would have commented on it. Some scholars believed the colors of the horses has no significance. [2] But if Song of Solomon , why did Zechariah mention their different colors?
"Compare Revelation 6:4. The whole period of Gentile world power is characterized by the red horse, i.e. by the sword. Cp. also Daniel 9:26; Matthew 24:6-7." [3]
Myrtle trees were evergreens used in the feast of Tabernacles to picture future endless messianic blessings that would come to Israel ( Nehemiah 8:15; Isaiah 41:19; Isaiah 55:13). [1] Here they represent Israel. The ravine may hint at Israel"s present depressed position in Zechariah"s day. One amillennialist took the myrtle trees as typifying "the Jewish Church." [5] Others take them as representing the church or God"s people of all ages.

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 1:8 mean?

I saw by night and behold a man riding on a horse red and it stood among the myrtle trees that [were] in the hollow and behind him [were] horses red sorrel and white
רָאִ֣יתִי ׀ הַלַּ֗יְלָה וְהִנֵּה־ אִישׁ֙ רֹכֵב֙ עַל־ ס֣וּס אָדֹ֔ם וְה֣וּא עֹמֵ֔ד בֵּ֥ין הַהֲדַסִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמְּצֻלָ֑ה וְאַחֲרָיו֙ סוּסִ֣ים אֲדֻמִּ֔ים שְׂרֻקִּ֖ים וּלְבָנִֽים

רָאִ֣יתִי ׀  I  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הַלַּ֗יְלָה  by  night 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
וְהִנֵּה־  and  behold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
אִישׁ֙  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
רֹכֵב֙  riding 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָכַב  
Sense: to mount and ride, ride.
ס֣וּס  a  horse 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
אָדֹ֔ם  red 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אָדֹם  
Sense: red, ruddy (of man, horse, heifer, garment, water, lentils).
וְה֣וּא  and  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
עֹמֵ֔ד  stood 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
הַהֲדַסִּ֖ים  the  myrtle  trees 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: הֲדַס  
Sense: myrtle (tree).
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בַּמְּצֻלָ֑ה  in  the  hollow 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְצֹולָה  
Sense: ravine, basin, hollow.
וְאַחֲרָיו֙  and  behind  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
סוּסִ֣ים  [were]  horses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
אֲדֻמִּ֔ים  red 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אָדֹם  
Sense: red, ruddy (of man, horse, heifer, garment, water, lentils).
שְׂרֻקִּ֖ים  sorrel 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: שָׂרֹק  
Sense: sorrel, reddish, tawny, bay.
וּלְבָנִֽים  and  white 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: לָבָן  
Sense: white.