Bible Strands
Luke 1:12
When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Zechariah stands at the altar of incense when an angel of the Lord appears at his right side, and the text records that Zechariah physically reacted upon seeing the messenger. The words — The Greek ἰδὼν (idōn) means "having seen," and ἐταράχθη (etarachthē) translates to "was troubled," describing Zechariah's immediate psychological and physical response to the vision. The thread — This reaction to divine appearance echoes earlier encounters where human witnesses recognized heavenly presence and responded with terror, as seen in Judges 6:22, Judges 13:22, and Luke 2:9. Why it lands — The text states that encountering the holy disrupts human composure, requiring the reader to acknowledge their own vulnerability before divine intervention.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
Cross-references
- Judges 6:22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
- Judges 13:22 “We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
- Luke 2:9 Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
- Acts 10:4 Cornelius stared at him in fear and asked, “What is it, Lord?” The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God.
- Revelation 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
- Daniel 10:7 Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but a great terror fell upon them, and they ran and hid themselves.
- Mark 16:5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
- Luke 1:29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
- Job 4:14 fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder.