Zechariah 1 · Verse 3

Zechariah 1:3

Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.
Zechariah 1:3, King James Version

Zechariah 1:3 in other translations

BSBSo tell the people that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Return to Me, declares the LORD of Hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Hosts.’
WEBTherefore tell them, the LORD of Armies says: ‘Return to me,’ says the LORD of Armies, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD of Armies.
ASVTherefore say thou unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts.
YLTAnd thou hast said unto them, Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, turn back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And I turn back unto you, said Jehovah of Hosts.
DARBYAnd thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts.
BBEAnd you are to say to them, These are the words of the Lord of armies: Come back to me, says the Lord of armies, and I will come back to you.
WebsterTherefore say thou to them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye to me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn to you, saith the LORD of hosts.

What does Zechariah 1:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. saith the Lord of hosts--a phrase frequent in Haggai and Zechariah, implying God's boundless resources and universal power, so as to inspire the Jews with confidence to work. Turn ye unto me ... and I will turn--that is, and then, as the sure consequence, "I will turn unto you" (Mal 3:7; Jas 4:8; compare also Jr 3:12; Eze 18:30; Mi 7:19). Though God hath brought you back from captivity, yet this state will not last long unless ye are really converted. God has heavier scourges ready, and has begun to give symptoms of displeasure [Calvin]. (Hag 1:6).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Turn ye unto me - This shows that they had power to return, if they would but use it. And I will turn unto you - I will show you mercy and grant you salvation, if you will use the grace I have already given you. Men are lost, because they turn not unto God; but no man is lost because he had not power to return. God gives this, and he will require it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zechariah 1:1-6

God's almighty power and sovereign dominion, should engage and encourage sinners to repent and turn to Him. It is very desirable to have the Lord of hosts for our friend, and very dreadful to have him for our enemy. Review what is past, and observe the message God sent by his servants, the prophets, to your fathers. Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings. Be persuaded to leave your sins, as the…

Read the full comment on Zechariah 1:1-6 →

Zechariah 1:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ve.'a.mar.Taand you will sayH559
אֲלֵהֶ֗ם'a.le.Hemto themH413
כֹּ֤הkohthusH3541
אָמַר֙'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָא֔וֹתtze.va.'otof hostsH6635
שׁ֣וּבוּShu.vureturnH7725
אֵלַ֔י'e.Laito meH413
נְאֻ֖םne.'Um[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָא֑וֹתtze.va.'otof hostsH6635
וְאָשׁ֣וּבve.'a.Shuvso I may returnH7725
אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם'a.lei.Khemto youH413
אָמַ֖ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָאֽוֹת\׃tze.va.'otof hostsH6635

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Zechariah 1:3

  • Jeremiah 3:22

    Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.

  • Malachi 3:7

    Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

  • Joel 2:12

    Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

  • Deuteronomy 30:2-10

    And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. …

  • Jeremiah 4:1

    If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.

  • Jeremiah 12:15

    And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.

  • Hosea 6:1

    Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

  • Isaiah 31:6

    Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

  • Luke 15:18-22

    I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. …

  • James 4:8-10

    Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

  • Hosea 14:4

    I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

  • Jeremiah 35:15

    I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Turn.
De 4:30,31; 30:2-10; 1Ki 8:47,48; 2Ch 15:4; 30:6-9; Ne 9:28
Isa 31:6; 55:6,7; Jer 3:12-14,22; 4:1; 25:5; 35:15; La 3:39-41
Eze 33:11; Ho 6:1; 14:1; Joe 2:12; Mal 3:7; Lu 15:18-20; Jas 4:8-10
and
Jer 12:15; 29:12-14; 31:18-20; Ho 14:4; Mic 7:19,20; Lu 15:21,22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Zechariah 1:2

    The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

  • Zechariah 1:3

    Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Zechariah 1:4

    Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.

Read all of Zechariah 1

Zechariah 1:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Les dirás pues: Así ha dicho Jehová de los ejércitos: Volveos á mí, dice Jehová de los ejércitos, y yo me volveré á vosotros, ha dicho Jehová de los ejércitos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et tu leur diras: Ainsi dit l’ Éternel des armées: Revenez à moi, dit l’ Éternel des armées, et je reviendrai à vous, dit l’ Éternel des armées.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sprich zu ihnen: So spricht Jehova der Heerscharen: Kehret zu mir um, spricht Jehova der Heerscharen, und ich werde zu euch umkehren, spricht Jehova der Heerscharen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et dices ad eos: Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Convertimini ad me, ait Dominus exercituum, et convertar ad vos, dicit Dominus exercituum.