Zechariah 10 · Verse 2

Zechariah 10:2

For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.
Zechariah 10:2, King James Version

Zechariah 10:2 in other translations

BSBFor idols speak deceit and diviners see illusions; they tell false dreams and offer empty comfort. Therefore the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a shepherd.
WEBFor the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore they go their way like sheep. They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd.
ASVFor the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams, they comfort in vain: therefore they go their way like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd.
YLTBecause the teraphim did speak iniquity, And the diviners have seen a falsehood, And dreams of the vanity they speak, With vanity they give comfort, Therefore they have journeyed as a flock, They are afflicted, for there is no shepherd.
DARBYFor the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams: they comfort in vain. Therefore they have gone away as a flock, they are in distress, because there is no shepherd.
BBEFor the images have said what is not true, and the readers of signs have seen deceit; they have given accounts of false dreams, they give comfort to no purpose: so they go out of the way like sheep, they are troubled because they have no keeper.
WebsterFor the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled because there was no shepherd.

What does Zechariah 10:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. idols--literally, "the teraphim," the household gods, consulted in divination (see on Ho 3:4). Derived by Gesenius from an Arabic root, "comfort," indicating them as the givers of comfort. Or an Ethiopian root, "relics." Herein Zechariah shows that the Jews by their own idolatry had stayed the grace of God heretofore, which otherwise would have given them all those blessings, temporal and spiritual, which they are now (Zec 10:1) urged to "ask" for. diviners--who gave responses to consulters of the teraphim: opposed to Jehovah and His true prophets. seen a lie--pretending to see what they saw not in giving responses. comfort in vain--literally, "give vapor for comfort"; that is, give comforting promises to consulters which are sure to come to naught (Job 13:4; 16:2; 21:34). therefore they went their way--that is, Israel and Judah were led away captive. as a flock ... no shepherd--As sheep wander and are a prey to every injury when without a shepherd, so the Jews had been while they were without Jehovah, the true shepherd; for the false prophets whom they trusted were no shepherds (Eze 34:5). So now they are scattered, while they know not Messiah their shepherd; typified in the state of the disciples, when they had forsaken Jesus and fled (Mt 26:56; compare Zec 13:7).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 The idols have spoken vanity - This is spoken of the Jews, and must refer to their idolatry practiced before the captivity, for there were no idols after. Therefore they went their way - They were like a flock that had no shepherd, shifting from place to place, and wandering about in the wilderness, seeking for pasture, wherever they might find it. Some think that the idols and diviners were those of the Seleucidae Greeks, who excited their masters with promises of success against the Maccabees. Others think that the Babylonish captivity is foretold; for a determined future event is frequently spoken of by the prophets as past.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zechariah 10:1-5

Spiritual blessings had been promised under figurative allusions to earthly plenty. Seasonable rain is a great mercy, which we may ask of God when there is most need of it, and we may look for it to come. We must in our prayers ask for mercies in their proper time. The Lord would make bright clouds, and give showers of rain. This may be an exhortation to seek the influences of the Holy Spirit, in faith and by…

Read the full comment on Zechariah 10:1-5 →

Zechariah 10:2 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.

כִּ֧יkiforH3588
הַתְּרָפִ֣יםha.te.ra.Fimthe teraphimH8655
דִּבְּרוּ\־di.be.ru-they speakH1696
אָ֗וֶן'A.venwickednessH205
וְהַקּֽוֹסְמִים֙ve.ha.kos.Mimand the divinersH7080
חָ֣זוּCha.zuthey seeH2372
שֶׁ֔קֶרShe.kerfalsehoodH8267
וַֽחֲלֹמוֹת֙va.cha.lo.mOtand [the] dreams ofH2472
הַשָּׁ֣ואha.Sha.v'<the> worthlessnessH7723
יְדַבֵּ֔רוּye.da.Be.ruthey speakH1696
הֶ֖בֶלHe.velfutilityH1892
יְנַֽחֵמ֑וּןye.na.che.Munthey comfort !H5162
עַל\־'al-there-H5921
כֵּן֙ken-foreH3651
נָסְע֣וּna.se.'Uthey have set outH5265
כְמוֹ\־khe.mov-likeH3644
צֹ֔אןTzonsheepH6629
יַעֲנ֖וּya.'a.Nuthey are afflictedH6031
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
אֵ֥ין'einthere notH369
רֹעֶֽה\׃\ \פro.'Eh[is] a shepherdH7462

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

Cross references for Zechariah 10:2

  • Matthew 9:36

    But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

  • Jeremiah 27:9

    Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

  • Genesis 31:19

    And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s.

  • Ezekiel 34:5

    And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

  • Ezekiel 34:8

    As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;

  • Habakkuk 2:18

    What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

  • Hosea 3:4

    For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:

  • Micah 2:12

    I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.

  • Jeremiah 14:13

    Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.

  • 1 Kings 22:17

    And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

  • Judges 18:14

    Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.

  • Jeremiah 29:8

    For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the idols. Heb. the teraphims.
Ge 31:19; Jud 18:14; Isa 44:9; 46:5; Jer 10:8; 14:22; Ho 3:4
Hab 2:18
the diviners.
Jer 23:25-27; 27:9; 29:8,21,22; La 2:14; Eze 13:6-16,22,23; 21:29
Mic 3:6-11
they comfort.
Job 13:4; 21:34; Jer 6:14; 8:11; 14:13; 23:17; 28:4-6,15; 37:19
therefore.
Jer 13:17-20; 50:17; 51:23; Mic 2:12
troubled, because there. or, answered that there.
Nu 27:17; 1Ki 22:17; Eze 34:5,8; Mt 9:36

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

Context

  • Zechariah 10:1

    Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

  • Zechariah 10:2

    For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.

  • Zechariah 10:3

    Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the Lord of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.

Read all of Zechariah 10

Zechariah 10:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Porque las imágenes han hablado vanidad, y los adivinos han visto mentira, y han hablado sueños vanos, en vano consuelan: por lo cual se fueron ellos como ovejas, fueron humillados porque no tuvieron pastor.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Car les théraphim ont dit des paroles de vanité, et les devins ont vu un mensonge, et ils ont prononcé des songes trompeurs; ils consolent en vain. C’est pourquoi ils sont partis comme le menu bétail; ils sont opprimés, parce qu’il n’y a point de berger.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Denn die Teraphim haben Nichtiges geredet, und die Wahrsager haben Lüge geschaut; und sie reden Träume des Truges, trösten mit Dunst. Darum sind sie fortgewandert wie eine Herde, werden bedrückt, weil kein Hirte da ist.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quia simulacra locuta sunt inutile, et divini viderunt mendacium: et somniatores locuti sunt frustra, vane consolabantur: idcirco abducti sunt quasi grex: affligentur, quia non est eis pastor.