Bible Strands
Zechariah 1:6
But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Zechariah addresses the post-exilic community in the second year of Darius (520 BC), pressing them to account for the fate of their fathers and the prophets who spoke to them.
The words — צִוִּיתִי (tsiviti), "I commanded," is first-person divine speech, making God the direct issuer of the words and statutes rather than a distant source. עֲבָדַי (avdai), "my servants," identifies the prophets as God's own agents, not independent voices.
The thread — The principle that God's spoken word carries binding force and will be fulfilled appears in Ezekiel 12:25 and Lamentations 2:17, while Deuteronomy 28:15 grounds the pairing of "commandments and statutes" as the standard of covenant obligation.
Why it lands — It removes any option of treating prophetic speech as mere human opinion; the words are God's, they overtook the fathers, and the only recorded response is repentance.
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 Hebrew words
King James Version
But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
Cross-references
- Lamentations 2:17 The LORD has done what He planned; He has accomplished His decree, which He ordained in days of old; He has overthrown you without pity. He has let the enemy gloat over you and exalted the horn of your foes.
- Ezekiel 12:25 because I, the LORD, will speak whatever word I speak, and it will be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak a message and bring it to pass, declares the Lord GOD.’”
- Deuteronomy 28:15 If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
- Jeremiah 23:20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has fully accomplished the purposes of His heart. In the days to come you will understand this clearly.
- Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
- Jeremiah 44:28 Those who escape the sword will return from Egypt to Judah, few in number, and the whole remnant of Judah who went to dwell in the land of Egypt will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs!
- Daniel 9:11 All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey Your voice; so the oath and the curse written in the Law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You.
- Amos 9:10 All the sinners among My people will die by the sword—all those who say, ‘Disaster will never draw near or confront us.’”
- Numbers 32:23 But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.