The Meaning of Zechariah 7:14 Explained

Zechariah 7:14

KJV: But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.

YLT: And I toss them on all the nations, That they have not known, The land hath been desolate behind them, Of any passing by and turning back, And they set a desirable land for a desolation!

Darby: and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not, and the land was desolate after them, so that no one passed through nor returned; and they laid the pleasant land desolate.

ASV: but I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But I scattered them with a whirlwind  among all the nations  whom they knew  not. Thus the land  was desolate  after  them, that no man passed through  nor returned:  for they laid  the pleasant  land  desolate. 

What does Zechariah 7:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Zechariah 7:1-14 - The Penalty Of Injustice And Cruelty
During their captivity the Jews observed four feasts. That of the 10th month recalled the first enclosure of Jerusalem by the enemies' lines; of the 4th the capture of the city; of the 5th the destruction by fire of the Temple; of the 7th the murder of Gedaliah. The national life was depressed by this constant memory of disaster. It seemed incongruous to act thus, when the Holy City was rising from the dust. Surely the lamentations which were befitting in Babylon, were out of place now. A deputation was therefore sent to inquire the views of the leaders. Zechariah gave four separate answers to the request. In Zechariah 7:4-7 he suggests that as these fasts had been set up by themselves, they were at liberty to discontinue them, and the main question was whether they were pondering the teachings and warnings of the older prophets. In Zechariah 7:8-14 he implored them not to yield to the obtuseness and disobedience of their fathers, in order that no second catastrophe should cast them back to the disasters they had suffered. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 7

1  The captives enquire concerning the set fasts
4  Zechariah reproves the hypocrisy of their fasting
8  Sin the cause of their captivity

What do the individual words in Zechariah 7:14 mean?

but I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which not They had known thus the land became desolate After them so that no one passed through or returned for they made the land pleasant desolate -
וְאֵ֣סָעֲרֵ֗ם עַ֤ל כָּל־ הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־ יְדָע֔וּם וְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙ נָשַׁ֣מָּה אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם מֵֽעֹבֵ֖ר וּמִשָּׁ֑ב וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ אֶֽרֶץ־ חֶמְדָּ֖ה לְשַׁמָּֽה פ

וְאֵ֣סָעֲרֵ֗ם  but  I  scattered  them  with  a  whirlwind 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: סָעַר  
Sense: to storm, rage.
הַגּוֹיִם֙  the  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
יְדָע֔וּם  They  had  known 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
וְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙  thus  the  land 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נָשַׁ֣מָּה  became  desolate 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שַׁמָּה  
Sense: waste, horror, appalment.
אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם  After  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
מֵֽעֹבֵ֖ר  so  that  no  one  passed  through 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
וּמִשָּׁ֑ב  or  returned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ  for  they  made 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
אֶֽרֶץ־  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
חֶמְדָּ֖ה  pleasant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶמְדָּה  
Sense: desire, that which is desirable adj.
לְשַׁמָּֽה  desolate 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁמֵם  
Sense: to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation