Zechariah 7 · Verse 5

Zechariah 7:5

Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
Zechariah 7:5, King James Version

Zechariah 7:5 in other translations

BSB“Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, was it really for Me that you fasted?
WEB“Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me?
ASVSpeak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even these seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
YLT‘Speak unto all the people of the land, and unto the priests, saying:
DARBYSpeak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye really fast unto me, even unto me?
BBESay to all the people of the land and to the priests, When you went without food and gave yourselves to grief in the fifth and the seventh months for these seventy years, did you ever do it because of me?
WebsterSpeak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast to me, even to me?

What does Zechariah 7:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. Speak unto all--The question had been asked in the name of the people in general by Sherezer and Regemmelech. The self-imposed fast they were tired of, not having observed it in the spirit of true religion. seventh month--This fast was in memory of the murder of Gedaliah and those with him at Mizpah, issuing in the dispersion of the Jews (2Ki 25:25, 26; Jr 41:1-3). did ye ... fast unto me?--No; it was to gratify yourselves in hypocritical will-worship. If it had been "unto Me," ye would have "separated yourselves" not only from food, but from your sins (Is 58:3-7). They falsely made the fast an end intrinsically meritorious in itself, not a means towards God's glory in their sanctification. The true principle of piety, reference to God, was wanting: hence the emphatic repetition of "unto Me." Before settling questions as to the outward forms of piety (however proper, as in this case), the great question was as to piety itself; that being once settled, all their outward observances become sanctified, being "unto the Lord" (Ro 14:6).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth - month - This they did in the remembrance of the burning of the temple, on the tenth day of that month; and on the seventh month, on the third of which month they observed a fast for the murder of Gedaliah, and the dispersion of the remnant of the people which were with him. See Jer 41:1, and 2Kgs 25:25.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zechariah 7:1-7

If we truly desire to know the will of God in doubtful matters, we must not only consult his word and ministers, but seek his direction by fervent prayer. Those who would know God's mind should consult God's ministers; and, in doubtful cases, ask advice of those whose special business it is to search the Scriptures. The Jews seemed to question whether they ought to continue their fasts, seeing that the city and…

Read the full comment on Zechariah 7:1-7 →

Zechariah 7:5 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.

אֱמֹר֙'e.MorsayH559
אֶל\־'el-toH413
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
עַ֣ם'am[the] people ofH5971
הָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
וְאֶל\־ve.'el-and toH413
הַכֹּהֲנִ֖יםha.ko.ha.Nimthe priestsH3548
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
צַמְתֶּ֨םtzam.Temyou fastedH6684
וְסָפ֜וֹדve.sa.Fodand you mournedH5594
בַּחֲמִישִׁ֣יba.cha.mi.Shiin the fifth [month]H2549
וּבַשְּׁבִיעִ֗יu.va.she.vi.'Iand in the seventh [month]H7637
וְזֶה֙ve.Zehand thisH2088
שִׁבְעִ֣יםshiv.'ImseventyH7657
שָׁנָ֔הsha.Nahyear[s]H8141
הֲצ֥וֹםha.Tzom¿ really <to fast>H6684
צַמְתֻּ֖נִיtzam.Tu.nidid you fast for meH6684
אָֽנִי\׃'A.nimeH589

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

Cross references for Zechariah 7:5

  • Zechariah 1:12

    Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

  • Isaiah 58:4-6

    Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

  • Matthew 5:16-18

    Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:31

    Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

  • Zechariah 7:6

    And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

  • Isaiah 1:11-12

    To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

  • Colossians 3:23

    And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

  • Zechariah 7:3

    And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

  • Romans 14:17-18

    For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

  • Matthew 6:5

    And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

  • Romans 14:6-9

    He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

  • Matthew 6:2

    Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
When.
Isa 58:5
seventh.
8:19; 2Ki 25:23; Jer 41:1-4
seventy.From the eleventh year of Zedekiah to the fourth of Darius Hystapses are just seventy years.
3; 1:12; Jer 25:11
did.
6; Isa 1:11,12; 58:4-6; Mt 5:16-18; 6:2,5,16; 23:5; Ro 14:6-9,17,18
1Co 10:31; 2Co 5:15; Col 3:23

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

Context

  • Zechariah 7:4

    Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying,

  • Zechariah 7:5

    Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?

  • Zechariah 7:6

    And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

Read all of Zechariah 7

Zechariah 7:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Habla á todo el pueblo del país, y á los sacerdotes, diciendo: Cuando ayunasteis y llorasteis en el quinto y en el séptimo mes estos setenta años, ¿habéis ayunado para mí?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Parle à tout le peuple du pays, et aux sacrificateurs, disant: Quand vous avez jeûné et que vous vous êtes lamentés au cinquième et au septième mois, et cela pendant 70 ans, est-ce réellement pour moi, pour moi, que vous avez jeûné?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Rede zu dem ganzen Volke des Landes und zu den Priestern und sprich: Wenn ihr im fünften und im siebten Monat gefastet und gewehklagt habt, und zwar schon siebzig Jahre, habt ihr irgendwie mir gefastet?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Loquere ad omnem populum terræ, et ad sacerdotes, dicens: Cum jejunaretis, et plangeretis in quinto et septimo per hos septuaginta annos, numquid jejunium jejunastis mihi?