Bible Strands
Zechariah 1:9
“What are these, my lord?” I asked. And the angel who was speaking with me replied, “I will show you what they are.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Zechariah addresses the angel who has been speaking with him during a nocturnal vision of horses standing among myrtle trees. The prophet poses a clarifying question while the angel prepares to explain the scene.
The words — The Hebrew phrase מָה־אֵלֶּה (mah-'elleh) literally renders "what [are] these," capturing the prophet’s direct request for identification. The angel’s reply uses וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי (va.yomer 'eli), meaning "and he said to me," marking a transition from observation to instruction.
The thread — This exact questioning formula reappears in Zechariah 4:4, and a parallel inquiry about visionary figures occurs in Revelation 7:13, while Genesis 31:11 establishes the broader convention of direct prophetic dialogue with an angel.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to accept that divine revelation often unfolds through sequential inquiry rather than immediate disclosure. It demands attentive engagement, recognizing that comprehension follows the willingness to ask for clarification.
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
Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
Cross-references
- Zechariah 4:4 “What are these, my lord?” I asked the angel who was speaking with me.
- Revelation 7:13 Then one of the elders addressed me: “These in white robes,” he asked, “who are they, and where have they come from?”
- Genesis 31:11 In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’
- Daniel 9:22 He instructed me and spoke with me, saying: “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.
- Zechariah 1:19 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he told me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
- Zechariah 2:3 Then the angel who was speaking with me went forth, and another angel came forward to meet him
- Zechariah 5:5 Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and told me, “Now lift up your eyes and see what is approaching.”
- Daniel 7:16 I approached one of those who were standing there, and I asked him the true meaning of all this. So he told me the interpretation of these things:
- Daniel 8:15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.
- Daniel 10:11 He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man who is highly precious. Consider carefully the words that I am about to say to you. Stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had said this to me, I stood up trembling.