The angel wakes the prophet as a man wakened out of sleep: a candlestick all of gold, its seven lamps, and two olive-trees by it — 'This is the word of Hashem to Zerubbabel, saying: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, says Hashem of hosts'; the hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, his hands shall also finish it; 'for who has despised the day of small things?'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And the angel that spoke with me returned, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.
verse value 2907
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "with·me" (בִּ֑י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·he·woke·me" (וַיְעִירֵ֕נִי, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·he·woke·me" (וַיְעִירֵ֕נִי), "as·man" (כְּאִ֖ישׁ), "that·is·wakened" (אֲשֶׁר־יֵע֥וֹר). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·is·wakened" (root אשר, 44x in Zechariah); "who·spoke" (root דבר, 25x in Zechariah); "as·man" (root איש, 21x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיָּ֕שׇׁב [and·he·returned] (318) + הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ [messenger] (96) + הַדֹּבֵ֣ר [who·spoke] (211) + בִּ֑י [with·me] (12) + וַיְעִירֵ֕נִי [and·he·woke·me] (356) + כְּאִ֖ישׁ [as·man] (331) + אֲשֶׁר־יֵע֥וֹר [that·is·wakened] (787) + מִשְּׁנָתֽוֹ [from·his·sleep] (796) = 2907.
Radak
“And he sat, and he awakened me.” In the other visions, it says “I lifted up my eyes,” because he saw on his own accord; but in this vision, the angel awakened him to see it.
“He awakes from his sleep.” It is in the nifal conjugation, and its meaning is: “He awakened me, and I awoke,” like a person who awakens from his sleep.
Metzudat David
And he sat, etc. Because in the preceding vision the speaking angel had not spoken with him, therefore it says: And the angel sat, etc.
And He awakened me. This means that He stirred me to rouse me, and I awoke like a person who awakens from his sleep.
Metzudat Zion
And he awakened me. The word is from the root meaning "awakening" and "stirring up":
Malbim
And the angel returned: The prophet did not understand the previous vision, and he did not know the meaning of what was said, “that He would open seven eyes.” Therefore, he fell into sleep and deep slumber, for this would occur at the time when the matter of God would be concealed from him. Hence, the angel came a second time and awakened him from his sleep, and showed him another vision, which was the explanation of the first vision.
And he said to me: ‘What do you see?’ And I said: ‘I have seen, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes, indeed, seven, to the lamps, which are upon the top thereof;
verse value 7919
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 98 letters. The shortest word is "what" (מָ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·its·top" (עַל־רֹאשָׁ֗הּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 606: upon·its·top, upon·its·top. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "lampstand·of" (מְנוֹרַת֩), "her·them" (כֻּלָּ֜הּ), "and·a·bowl" (וְגֻלָּ֣הּ). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "which" (root אשר, 44x in Zechariah); "to·me" (root אל, 36x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root זהב ("gold") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root כל ("her·them") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'seeing', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 18 words.
Rashi
“And a bowl upon its top.” Like (Joshua 16) “Gulot Illit,” an expression of a spring, like a large round cup.
“And its seven lamps.” They were like small vessels into which the oil and the wick were placed.
“Seven and seven pipes.” For each lamp there come seven small tubes, through which the oil flows from the reservoir via those pipes to each and every lamp.
Radak
"And He said." It is written as "And He said" (vayomer), which is the narrator's account of the words of the text, but it is read as "And he said" (ve'amar), and the reading refers to the words of Zechariah.
And it was revealed. In the *mafpik* [form], and it is not [used] for a feminine [subject]; it is hidden, and similar to it are: “The first-fruits, before the summer” (Isaiah 28:4), and “And hidden things shall bring forth light” (Job 28:11); it did not rain on the day of wrath.
“And seven lamps thereof upon it.” Like the menorah of the Torah. And the central one is an allusion to the matter of the Divine, which unites opposites. And likewise, the seven doubles are opposites and the guides to the world, which is entirely composed of opposites: the seven wandering stars, and the world [having] six sides and three straight lines, and the possessor of the sides is the seventh, and it is the point. And likewise, the substance of every thing. However, the author of Sefer Yetzirah mentioned in the world six sides corresponding to the six directions, and the Holy Temple is aligned in the center. He mentioned the most honorable thing among all created things.
"Alayha" – upon the menorah and the golah above them. And He showed him this vision to inform him that the Holy One, blessed be He, will illuminate Israel in contrast to their previous state of darkness.
Seven and seven pipes for the lamps. It had seven pipes — for each lamp, one pipe. And Rashi, of blessed memory, explained 'seven and seven pipes' [to mean] for each lamp, seven pipes. 'Mutzakot' (pipes) is a noun used in place of a verb, [indicating] that they poured oil from lamp to lamp.
Metzudat David
What do you see in the vision of prophecy:
The entire thing. The entire menorah was made of gold.
“And a round bowl upon its top.” Above her head there was a vessel resembling a cup, and the oil was within it.
"And its seven lamps upon it." From above, at the heads of the branches of the menorah, were its seven lamps, which were like small cups to place in them the oil and the wicks.
“Seven and seven pipes.” This means that for each lamp there were seven tubes through which the oil flowed by itself from the reservoir, extending to the lamps that were on the top of the menorah.
Metzudat Zion
And "golah." A round cup; and likewise, "golat hakoterot" (1 Kings 7:41):
Her lamps. Like small vessels for the oil and the wick, as it is stated: “And you shall make its lamps” (Exodus 25:37).
Motsakot. The term derives from the word for "pouring" (yetsikah), and they are pipes, through which the oil is poured and flows.
Malbim
What do you see? This means: In this, you will see the explanation of the first vision. And it says, “I saw, and behold, a golden lampstand, all of it, and a bowl upon its head.” “Upon its head” refers to a spring, which is a large bowl from which the stream of oil flows into the branches of the lampstand. And behold, upon the lampstand were seven lamps, which are the nozzles containing the oil and the wick. And for each lamp there were seven spouts, which are the channels through which the oil flows from the bowl to the lamp. And behold, the lampstand alludes to the light of the Lord, which illuminates the entire world with His glory. And when the glory of the Lord will dawn, all will walk in His light. And behold, the lampstand is perfect in its entirety, and it is entirely gold, for the glory of the Lord will be revealed with majesty and splendor, for honor and glory. And behold, a bowl upon its head: this is the upper spring, from which the blessing of the Lord and His abundance pour into the seven lamps. For the seven lamps on the lampstand are the seven upper attributes in the divine emanation, by means of which He governs the world. Through the attributes, He oversees, bestows, and pours forth the good oil through the upper spring, known as the river that flows out of Eden to water the garden. And the oil descends to each lamp through seven channels. For each of the attributes encompasses all of them, whether it be loving-kindness, judgment, or mercy. And He showed him through this that in the future, the constellation—which is also a lampstand with seven lamps, namely the seven planets, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, and Moon—will not rule, for this lampstand is not of gold, for it is inferior in its rank. And there is no bowl upon its head, for it is distant from it; therefore, its source is a failing spring, and the oil upon its head lacks proper balance. But in the future, the pure lampstand, the golden lampstand, will shine. And the Lord will appear in His holy Temple to illuminate and bestow the holy oil. For then He will open fully the seven eyes of the Lord, which are the seven upper lamps, upon the cornerstone, and the earth will shine with their glory.
and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.’
verse value 1689
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָד֙) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָד֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·its·left" (עַל־שְׂמֹאלָֽהּ, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·two" (וּשְׁנַ֥יִם), "olive-trees" (זֵיתִ֖ים), "to·the·right·of" (מִימִ֣ין). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "on" (root על, 33x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root זית ("olive-trees") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'on', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּשְׁנַ֥יִם [and·two] (406) + זֵיתִ֖ים [olive-trees] (467) + עָלֶ֑יהָ [on] (115) + אֶחָד֙ [one] (13) + מִימִ֣ין [to·the·right·of] (150) + הַגֻּלָּ֔ה [the·bowl] (43) + וְאֶחָ֖ד [and·one] (19) + עַל־שְׂמֹאלָֽהּ [upon·its·left] (476) = 1689.
Rashi
And two olive trees beside it. Beside it, two trees upon which the olives grow:
"One from the right of the golah and one from its left, etc." Here, he did not explain the two golden spouts mentioned later in the passage, which are like the small vessels and lentil-shaped containers of the olive press, which stand beside the olives, and the olives are beaten from them into the spouts, and they become warm there as in a vat, and they are pressed there in the press house, and the oil falls into the spouts, and from the spouts into the golah, and from the golah into the motsakim, and from the motsakim into the lamps. The motsakim and the lamps were forty-nine in number, alluding to the light of the future, for the light of the sun will be seven times as bright as the light of the seven days, forty-nine times the light of the first day of Creation.
Radak
“And two olive trees.” And I further saw two olive trees, either upon the menorah or upon the bowl, and it is one and the same.
One on the right of the bowl and one on its left. ["On its left"] is like 'on its left'; but [here] it says that they were upon the bowl, while below it says 'on the right of the menorah and on its left' — and the matter is one and the same.
Metzudat David
“And two olive trees were upon it.” Two olive trees stood beside the menorah.
Malbim
And two olive trees upon it: Two olive trees stand upon the menorah, adjacent to the goblet, one to the right of the goblet and one to its left. This will be elucidated in verses 11 and 12.
And I answered and spoke to the angel that spoke with me, saying: ‘What are these, my lord?’
verse value 1141
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "with·me" (בִּ֖י, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·the·angel" (אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֛ךְ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 127: and·I·answered, to·the·angel. The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "who·spoke" (root דבר, 25x in Zechariah); "what·are·these" (root אלה, 24x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: וָאַ֙עַן֙ [and·I·answered] (127) + וָֽאֹמַ֔ר [and·I·said] (247) + אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֛ךְ [to·the·angel] (127) + הַדֹּבֵ֥ר [who·spoke] (211) + בִּ֖י [with·me] (12) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + מָה־אֵ֖לֶּה [what·are·these] (81) + אֲדֹנִֽי [my·lord] (65) = 1141.
Rashi
"What are these, my lord?"—What is this [that] the olives are crushed of their own accord, and the oil comes of its own accord to the lamps?
Radak
And I answered. It is clear:
Metzudat David
And I answered and said: I have lifted up my voice and said to the angel, “For what purpose have these come, as an allusion?”
Metzudat Zion
And I answered. The matter of raising the voice:
Malbim
And I answered and said, "What are these, my Lord?"—this means that I still do not understand in detail what this alludes to.
Then the angel that spoke with me answered and said to me: ‘Do you know not what these are?’ And I said: ‘No, my lord.’
verse value 1753
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֑לֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "with·me" (בִּי֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "messenger" (הַמַּלְאָ֞ךְ, 5 letters). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "to·me" (root אל, 36x in Zechariah); "not" (root לא, 36x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'these', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַ֠יַּ֠עַן [and·he·answered] (136) + הַמַּלְאָ֞ךְ [messenger] (96) + הַדֹּבֵ֥ר [who·spoke] (211) + בִּי֙ [with·me] (12) + וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֵלַ֔י [to·me] (41) + הֲל֥וֹא [not] (42) + יָדַ֖עְתָּ [you·knew] (484) + מָה־הֵ֣מָּה [what·are·they] (95) + אֵ֑לֶּה [these] (36) + וָאֹמַ֖ר [and·I·said] (247) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + אֲדֹנִֽי [my·lord] (65) = 1753.
Radak
And he answered. It is explained:
Metzudat David
“Did you not know?” – “Did you not know” means that you should understand on your own what is being alluded to.
No, my lord. I did not understand to know:
Malbim
And the angel answered, “Do you not know what these are?” That is to say, do you not know the very nature of the matter? The lampstand and its seven lamps are matters known to those who enter into the secret of the Lord, for even the lampstand of the Temple alluded to these very things. And he said, “No, my lord.” The angel replied to him that although he knows the secret of the lampstand, he does not know to what it will allude in this vision, nor what its significance is in his prophecy at this time.
Then he answered and spoke to me, saying: ‘This is the word of Hashem to Zerubbabel, saying: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, says Hashem of hosts.
verse value 2703
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 69 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "this" (זֶ֚ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "word·of·Hashem" (דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 271: saying, saying. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "to·Zerubbabel" (אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל), "in·strength" (בְחַ֙יִל֙), "in·strength" (בְכֹ֔חַ). The root אמר appears 4 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root חיל ("in·strength") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 9 words.
Rashi
“Thus says the Lord to Zerubbabel” – this is a sign for you to assure Zerubbabel: just as these olives and this oil are completed of themselves in all their matters, so too, “not by might, nor by power, shall you accomplish the building of My house.”
“Only by My spirit.” I will place My spirit upon Darius, and he will permit you (another text reads: and he will command for you) to build and to provide all the necessities for the completion of the building from his own resources, and to assist you with wheat, wine, oil, and wood, as is explicated in the Book of Ezra, and you will not need the assistance of any human being.
Radak
"And He shall answer not by army, nor by might." Just as you have seen that the work of the menorah was done of itself, without a person arranging the lamps and pouring oil into them, so too will the building of the Temple be done without human might, but rather by the Spirit of God, blessed be He, and by His will. Furthermore, He will explain to him the vision in detail.
Metzudat David
"This is the word of the Lord." This means: In this, it alludes, as if the Lord said concerning the King Messiah, who will come from the lineage of Zerubbabel:
"Not with might." This means that His dominion over the nations of the world will not be by means of His great army, nor will He subdue them in war by the strength of His arm. Rather, He will rule over them without the toil of war, but rather by His will, for I will place in the hearts of the nations of the world to submit to Him and obey His command. This will be similar to the arrangement of the lamps of the Menorah, which were lit without toil, yet everything was done of its own accord: the olives were plucked of their own accord, and pressed of their own accord, and the oil was drawn of its own accord into the reservoir, as it will further state below, and from the reservoir it flowed of its own accord through the channels to the lamps.
Metzudat Zion
“With an army.” The matter concerns the hosts of a people:
“By My spirit.” The matter of “desire”:
Malbim
And he answered and said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel.” He informed him that in this menorah is alluded to the word of the Lord and His promise to Zerubbabel, that He assured him, saying, “Not by might, nor by power.” For when He will bring forth His servant, the Branch, from the seed of Zerubbabel, then the governance of the Lord will be without any intermediary: not through the celestial spheres, for which might is required to overpower according to the way of nature; and not through the angels, for even though then He will govern by miracle and not by external might, nevertheless internal power is required, for a miracle does not rest upon something empty, as it is stated, “Go forth by your might, this one, and you shall save Israel from the hand of Midian.” Rather, it will be “by My Spirit,” meaning that the Spirit of the Lord alone will govern and rule through His particular providence. This is alluded to in the golden menorah and its seven lamps, and in the seven eyes of the Lord that are set upon the foundation stone.
Cross-references: Isaiah 11:2; Haggai 1:1; I Chronicles 3:17
Who are you, O great mountain before Zerubbabel? you shall become a plain; and he shall bring forth the top stone with shoutings of Grace, grace, to it.’
verse value 4046
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "favour" (חֵ֥ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "mountain·great" (הַֽר־הַגָּד֛וֹל, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 58: favour, favour. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "who·are·you" (מִֽי־אַתָּ֧ה), "mountain·great" (הַֽר־הַגָּד֛וֹל), "to·level·ground" (לְמִישֹׁ֑ר). The root חן appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·shall·take·out" (root יצא, 22x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root זרבבל ("Zerubbabel") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root חן ("favour") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·level·ground', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 7 words. Full calculation: מִֽי־אַתָּ֧ה [who·are·you] (456) + הַֽר־הַגָּד֛וֹל [mountain·great] (253) + לִפְנֵ֥י [to·face·of] (170) + זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל [Zerubbabel] (241) + לְמִישֹׁ֑ר [to·level·ground] (580) + וְהוֹצִיא֙ [and·he·shall·take·out] (118) + אֶת־הָאֶ֣בֶן [the·stone] (459) + הָרֹאשָׁ֔הֿ [top] (511) + תְּשֻׁא֕וֹת [shouts] (1107) + חֵ֥ן [favour] (58) + חֵ֖ן [favour] (58) + לָֽהּ [to·her] (35) = 4046.
Rashi
Who are you, O great mountain? [These are] the princes of Trans-Euphrates — Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues — who nullified the work until now. From now, before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain: you have no rule or greatness over him any longer.
"And he brought out the chief cornerstone." The architect will take the plummet in his hand, so that he may be the architect at the head of the builders, and they will build everything according to his words, which he will command in a beautiful and magnificent construction.
“Teshuot chen, chen.” Let it be for her like that stone, such that all will say, “How beautiful is this building, constructed by means of this plumb-stone!” “Teshuot chen” is like “tishuat noy” and like “tishuat malei ir homiyah” (Isaiah 22:2), “kol shaon” (Isaiah 66:6); all of these are expressions denoting the making of a sound.
Radak
“Who are you, O great mountain?” This was said in reference to Sanballat and his fellow oppressors: “If you are like a great mountain, you will be leveled before Zerubbabel into a plain, and you will not be able to stand against him to halt the work.”
“And he brought forth the chief cornerstone.” Just as he brought forth the chief cornerstone when the building commenced on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, so too shall he complete the work.
“Teshuot chen, chen la-hi.” Just as when Zerubbabel laid the cornerstone of the building, they greeted it with shouts of joy and a great multitude, and all the people said, “Chen, chen la-hi” — grace, grace to this stone, from the Holy One, blessed be He. The repetition serves to intensify the matter, just as in “Shalom, shalom la-rachok” — peace, peace to the distant one.
Metzudat David
“Who are you, O great mountain?” This is said concerning the king of Gog: “Who are you, etc.” The meaning is: What power do you possess that you consider yourself a great mountain, standing against the Messiah, so that He cannot pass by? Not so; for before Him you will be like a level plain, and He will pass through easily. The meaning is: You will not have the power to delay Him.
And He shall bring forth. The King Messiah will bring forth the precious and valuable stone to place it as the cornerstone of the future Temple.
Teshuot. Then the voice of the cry will be heard, and all will respond and say: “Behold, this stone has great charm, for it is exceedingly good and precious.”
Metzudat Zion
To a plain. The word is derived from “straight and level.”
The word "roshah" (the head). This means that which is good and important. And similarly, "and the first oil they shall anoint" (Amos 6:6).
Teshuot. A matter of the sound of a voice, like “teshuot noges” (the shoutings of the driver) (Job 39:7).
Malbim
“Who are you, O great mountain?” This may be understood as follows: In the distant future, until the end of days, the cornerstone—which is the foundation stone of the building (as discussed in Chapter 3, Verse 9)—will become submerged deep within the Mount Moriah. When the time comes for the future construction, this stone will be swallowed up by this great mountain, and they will be unable to remove it. Therefore, He commands the mountain to be transformed into a level plain. This is the meaning of “Who are you, O great mountain, standing before Zerubbabel, hindering him from removing the stone?” I command you to become a plain, so that the cornerstone may be brought forth. Then, grace upon grace will be bestowed upon it; all will proclaim over the stone, “Grace, grace,” for it will be a source of favor in the eyes of all. This will not be like the construction of the Second Temple, which was not a source of favor in the eyes of the elders who had seen the First Temple, causing them to weep with great sorrow, as stated in the books of Ezra and Haggai.
Verse structure: 4 words, 18 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֥י, 3 letters) and the longest is "word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 7 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "saying" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "and·it·was" (root היה, 66x in Zechariah). Full calculation: וַיְהִ֥י [and·it·was] (31) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה [word·of·Hashem] (232) + אֵלַ֥י [to·me] (41) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 575.
Radak
And the word of the Lord came,
Malbim
(8-9) “The word of the Lord came” – Now He explained the matters and declared to him through prophecy that the hands of Zerubbabel would lay the foundation of this house. This means that at present he laid only the foundation for the building that is to come in the future, for the building they are constructing now in the Second Temple is not a completed and perfected structure, since it lacks five things and was destined to be destroyed. It is merely a foundation and a beginning for the building that will be in the end of days, when his hands will accomplish it, and then the completion of the building will occur. As our Sages of blessed memory stated, therefore they built it in the manner of Solomon’s building and in the manner of Ezekiel’s building for the future, for it was an intermediate building between the two: the end of the first building and the foundation for the last building. And then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you.
’The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and you shall know that Hashem of hosts has sent me to you.
verse value 2976
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "and·his·hands" (וְיָדָ֣יו) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "hand" (יְדֵ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "will·finish" (תְּבַצַּ֑עְנָה, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "have·founded" (יִסְּד֛וּ), "the·house" (הַבַּ֥יִת), "and·his·hands" (וְיָדָ֣יו). The root יד appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah); "to·you" (root אל, 36x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root יסד ("have·founded") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·finish', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: יְדֵ֣י [hand] (24) + זְרֻבָּבֶ֗ל [Zerubbabel] (241) + יִסְּד֛וּ [have·founded] (80) + הַבַּ֥יִת [the·house] (417) + הַזֶּ֖ה [this] (17) + וְיָדָ֣יו [and·his·hands] (36) + תְּבַצַּ֑עְנָה [will·finish] (617) + וְיָ֣דַעְתָּ֔ [and·you·shall·know] (490) + כִּֽי־יְהֹוָ֥ה [that·Hashem] (56) + צְבָא֖וֹת [hosts] (499) + שְׁלָחַ֥נִי [sent·me] (398) + אֲלֵיכֶֽם [to·you] (101) = 2976.
Rashi
The hands of Zerubbabel laid the foundations of this house. From the beginning until the end, in the days of Cyrus the First.
“And His hands shall accomplish it.” It, now — “shall accomplish” is a verb of completion, like (in the same chapter) “for the Lord will accomplish all His work.”
Radak
“The hands of Zerubbabel shall complete the work.” This means: they shall finish it. Similarly, [it is written], “And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have finished all His work on Mount Zion” (Isaiah 10:12), [the word] “finished” [is used].
Metzudat David
“Zerubbabel’s hands laid the foundation of this house, and his hands shall complete it.” Zerubbabel himself laid the foundation of this house; so too, his hands shall complete the building of the house. This means that the hands of the Messiah, who will descend from his seed, shall complete the laying of the foundation stone of the future Temple. And it says “his hands” to mean “by means of the Messiah who will descend from his seed,” just as it says, “Behold, the stone that I set before Joshua” (above 3:9), which is said regarding the High Priest who will descend from his seed and serve as priest at that time. And it speaks of “completion” because the last house will be the completion of the houses. And since the future Temple will stand in the very place of this house, it says “he shall finish it,” as if he were completing this very house, as it is stated, “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the glory of the former” (Haggai 2:9).
"And you shall know." This is the prophet's statement to Israel: when the matter comes to pass, you shall know that the Lord sent me to you, and that my words were from Him.
Metzudat Zion
"tave'a'anna. The matter of completion is like 'when the Lord completes [His work]' (Isaiah 10:12):
For who has despised the day of small things? even they shall see with joy the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, even these seven, which are the eyes of Hashem, that run to and fro through the whole earth.’
verse value 3471
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 75 letters. Notable word values: "to·day·of" (לְי֣וֹם) = 86, equal to Elohim. Verse gematria: 3471 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "seven·these" (שִׁבְעָה־אֵ֑לֶּה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 50: who?, abundance. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "who?" (מִ֣י), "despised" (בַז֮), "to·day·of" (לְי֣וֹם). 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "to·day·of" (root יום, 40x in Zechariah); "for" (root כי, 36x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'seven·these', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Rashi
For who despises the day [of these foundations]? That the House be established, which appeared small in their eyes, as it is stated (Ezra 3:12): “And many of the priests, who had seen the first house when this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice.” And through the prophecy (Haggai 2:3): “Is it not as nothing in their eyes?” Now they will rejoice when they see the plummet stone suspended from the measuring cord, which is in the hand of the chief architect, the head of the builders, who aligns the corner stone with it, and this will be in the hand of Zerubbabel.
These seven. Sevenfold upon the first foundation of the days of Cyrus. And so the Targum: "seven courses like these."
"The eyes of the Lord, they range." And it was fitting for Him to do so, and He saw that Zerubbabel was worthy of this matter.
Radak
For who despises the day of small beginnings? For when they began to build, their enemies made their work cease, and behold, that day was a day of small shoutings, and they despised that day throughout all the years that the work ceased. And now, when they see the tin stone in the hand of Zerubbabel, they will rejoice.
“The tin stone.” It is the plumb-bob stone that is in the hand of the builder to straighten the construction. It is written in the construct state, as if it says “the stone, the tin stone.” And that plumb-bob is made of tin or of lead, and it is called a “stone,” as it is stated: “There shall not be in your bag a stone and a stone.”
"These seven." Explanation: Regarding what was stated above, "on one stone seven eyes," these are the eyes of the Lord, which range throughout the entire land. And He sees those who distress Israel and protects them from their hands, lest they gain dominion over them.
Metzudat David
For who despised the day of small things? That is, whoever in his heart despised the day of the building of this Temple, considering it a day of insignificance due to the smallness of the construction—behold, they will then rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of the Messiah, who comes from the lineage of Zerubbabel, the founder of the Temple.
"These seven." These joys, with which they will rejoice then, will be sevenfold in value compared to the mourning they have on account of the humiliation of the day of small things.
"The eyes of the Lord...": This means that therefore He sees the anguish of heart of one who despises the day of small things, and according to that anguish He will cause them to rejoice with a sevenfold measure, commensurate with the anguish.
Metzudat Zion
BZ. The word "bizzayon" (contempt):
“The stone that separates.” This is the stone suspended on the plumb line, by means of which the builder straightens the structure. And since it is commonly their practice to make it of stone, Scripture says, “the stone that separates.” Similarly, “the leaden stone” (below, 5).
"Wandering about." The matter of moving back and forth; and similarly, "They wandered in the streets of Jerusalem" (Jeremiah 5:1):
Malbim
For whoever despises the day of small things, the day of the present, when the building is small in your eyes, and the day which is the time of the redemption of the Second Temple is small—whoever despises this building and this small day, they will rejoice in the future time when they will see the seven "these" in the hand of Zerubbabel, the tin stone. They will see these seven eyes carved on the stone in the number seven, which now the number seven alludes to the governance of nature through the seven servants in the array, which are the seven planets. And then they will see that these seven carved in the stone (as it is written, "Upon one stone seven eyes; behold, I will engrave its engraving") are the eyes of the Lord. They are not the eyes of the stars and constellations, but rather they depict the eyes of the Lord and His direct providence without intermediaries. And they will roam throughout the land, for then He will watch with miraculous, particular providence. And with this, He explained to him the vision of the menorah that he saw with its seven lamps, which indicates the seven eyes of the Lord that will shine upon the land and its inhabitants in the future. And this is "I will engrave its engraving upon the cornerstone," for this will be the matter of the Temple in the future, that the Glory of the Lord will dwell in it permanently and will watch with the seven upper eyes, which are His seven attributes and sefirot, over His people and His inheritance.
Then answered I, and said to him: ‘What are these two olive-trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?’
verse value 2343
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "and·I·answered" (וָאַ֖עַן, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·on·its·left" (וְעַל־שְׂמֹאולָֽהּ, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "what·are·two·of" (מַה־שְּׁנֵ֤י), "the·lampstand" (הַמְּנוֹרָ֖ה), "and·on·its·left" (וְעַל־שְׂמֹאולָֽהּ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "to·him" (root אל, 36x in Zechariah); "these" (root אלה, 24x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root עול ("and·on·its·left") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וָאַ֖עַן [and·I·answered] (127) + וָאֹמַ֣ר [and·I·said] (247) + אֵלָ֑יו [to·him] (47) + מַה־שְּׁנֵ֤י [what·are·two·of] (405) + הַזֵּיתִים֙ [the·olive-trees] (472) + הָאֵ֔לֶּה [these] (41) + עַל־יְמִ֥ין [upon·right] (210) + הַמְּנוֹרָ֖ה [the·lampstand] (306) + וְעַל־שְׂמֹאולָֽהּ [and·on·its·left] (488) = 2343.
Rashi
"What two olives." What is the allusion of "two olives," and what is the allusion of "two clusters of olives"? In the vernacular, it is called "Trokah," meaning clusters of olives on a branch, resembling an ear of grain.
Radak
“And I answered.” The matter of the menorah: He understood that it was shown to him to indicate light and joy. And the angel explained to him the matter of the menorah, that it is made by itself, to show him that “not by might, nor by power.” And now he asked him: What is the matter of the two olive trees, and what is the matter of the two olive branches, and what is the matter of the two golden spouts? And if they were not mentioned in the vision, we learn from his question that he saw them. And the angel answered him regarding the two questions briefly and allusively, saying to him: “These are the two anointed ones.” And the prophet understood his answer.
Metzudat David
To Him. To the angel who speaks with me:
“Why two olive trees?” This means: Why did the allusion come through two olive trees and not through one?
“On the right side of the menorah.” This means on the right side of the golden bowl that is on top of the menorah, and on its left side—one on this side and one on that side.
Malbim
(11-12) And I answered and said to him: After he had explained to him the vision of the menorah and its seven lamps, he asked him to interpret for him the meaning of the two olive trees that he saw in the vision, which were standing to the right and to the left of the menorah (for the olive trees began at the same level as the menorah on both its sides, and the tops of the olive trees reached up to the bowl that was on its head, and they were alongside the sides of the menorah and also alongside the sides of the bowl). And in the meantime, he saw in his vision that near the olive trees there were two golden spouts, namely, pipes to convey the oil that came from the olive trees into the bowl. And in the hands of the two pipes were found two clusters of olives (olives growing in a cluster like an ear of grain), one cluster for each pipe, so that the oil pressed from the clusters of olives went through the pipes into the bowl. And behold, the olive trees and the clusters were not of gold, but were actual olive wood; only the pipes were of gold. And the oil that flowed through the pipes into the bowl appeared in the vision as gold. And this is what is meant by the verse: “They pour out gold before them.” And therefore he asked further, specifically, what the clusters and the pipes symbolize.
And I answered the second time, and said to him: ‘What are these two olive branches, which are beside the two golden spouts, that empty the golden oil out of themselves?’
verse value 5411
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "which" (אֲשֶׁר֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·empty·out" (הַֽמְרִיקִ֥ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 19: gold, gold. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "second" (שֵׁנִ֔ית), "what·are·two·of" (מַה־שְׁתֵּ֞י), "ears·of" (שִׁבְּלֵ֣י). The root שנים appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "which" (root אשר, 44x in Zechariah); "to·him" (root אל, 36x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root שני ("second") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 11 words.
Rashi
Which are by the hand of the two spouts. That is to say, beside the two spouts, like "see Joab's field beside mine" (2 Samuel 14:30).
Those that empty out from themselves. This clear and good oil is like gold, as it is written (Job 37:22): "Out of the north comes gold."
Radak
And I answered, “The two olive branches.” From these olives, two olive branches would fall, which were pressed by hand into the two golden pipes, and they were pressed of their own accord. And the explanation of “by hand” is “within,” meaning that the olives were pressed within the pipes, and the oil would fall from the pipes into the bowl, and from the bowl it would go out to the spouts, and from the spouts to the lamps. And the branches resembled ears of grain because they were full of olive kernels, just as ears of grain are full of wheat kernels. “Pipes” are vessels like a flask, and the Targum says “iskriton de-dahav,” and so Onkelos translated, “like wafers with honey, iskriton de-dibsha.”
"Those that empty the gold from upon themselves." The pure oil is like gold, and likewise a golden cup in Babylon is in the hand of the Lord, the pure and clean wine.
Metzudat David
“Why two branches of olive trees?” For in that vision he saw as if two olive branches were torn from themselves and fell into two golden spouts, and there they were pressed of themselves, and they were pouring clear oil like gold into the bowl. He abbreviated above and expounded here, and asked: Why was everything in pairs? To what does the duplication allude?
Metzudat Zion
Shabli. The term refers to the good ears of grain (Genesis 41:24), and he calls the branches of the olive tree so by way of borrowing [i.e., figuratively], because they were full of olive berries, just as the ear of grain is full of grains of produce.
By hand. This means: within. And so, "He seals up the hand of every man" (Job 37:7).
Tzanorot. This is the name of a certain utensil.
The ones who empty. The matter concerns pouring out and spilling, as it is said: “They shall pour it out upon the earth” (Ecclesiastes 11:3).
The gold. This means oil that is refined and pure like gold. And similarly, “From the north came gold” (Job 37:22).
And he answered me and said: ‘Do you know not what these are?’ And I said: ‘No, my lord.’
verse value 1519
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·said" (וַיֹּ֤אמֶר, 5 letters). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "to·me" (root אל, 36x in Zechariah); "not" (root לא, 36x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'what·are·these', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֵלַי֙ [to·me] (41) + לֵאמֹ֔ר [saying] (271) + הֲל֥וֹא [not] (42) + יָדַ֖עְתָּ [you·knew] (484) + מָה־אֵ֑לֶּה [what·are·these] (81) + וָאֹמַ֖ר [and·I·said] (247) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + אֲדֹנִֽי [my·lord] (65) = 1519.
Metzudat David
"Surely you know." Surely, on your own, you will come to understand what the second instance alludes to.
"Not my Lord. I did not comprehend to know:"
Malbim
And He said, “Do you not know what these are?”—for he should have understood on his own that the olive trees allude to the anointed ones, anointed with the anointing oil. And he said, “My lord, I do not know what their function is in relation to the menorah.”
Then said he: ‘These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.’
verse value 1701
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֖לֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "these" (אֵ֖לֶּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "sons·of·the·fresh·oil" (בְנֵֽי־הַיִּצְהָ֑ר, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "sons·of·the·fresh·oil" (בְנֵֽי־הַיִּצְהָ֑ר). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 110x in Zechariah); "all·the·earth" (root ארץ, 36x in Zechariah); "these" (root אלה, 24x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sons·of·the·fresh·oil', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֵ֖לֶּה [these] (36) + שְׁנֵ֣י [two·of] (360) + בְנֵֽי־הַיִּצְהָ֑ר [sons·of·the·fresh·oil] (372) + הָעֹמְדִ֖ים [pillar] (169) + עַל־אֲד֥וֹן [by·Lord] (161) + כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ [all·the·earth] (346) = 1701.
Rashi
“Two sons of the anointing oil.” This refers to the horn of the priesthood and the horn of the monarchy, who are anointed with the anointing oil.
“Those who stand before the Master of all the earth,” to pray before Him to restore their greatness.
The two sons of Yitzhar: the good inclination and the evil inclination. The evil inclination is transformed into good through the merit of the Torah.
Radak
And he said: these are the two sons of the oil. "Yitzhar" is oil, just as "dagan" is grain and "tirosh" is wine; therefore, he called them "olive trees." They are Zerubbabel and Joshua. He called them "sons of the oil" because they were anointed with the anointing oil: the one for kingship and the other for the priesthood.
"Those who stand by the Lord of all the earth" – meaning, they are prepared to carry out His will. And the Targum [states]: "These two great sons who stand before the Master of all the earth." The matter of the two olive trees, the two olive branches, and the two spouts has not been explained as to what subject they were an allegory for. And behold, the two olive trees are an allegory for Zerubbabel and Joshua, and the two olive branches emerging from them are an allegory for their deeds, which they initiated in their hands with the building of the Temple. And the two spouts are an allegory for Nehemiah and Ezra, who came after them. And through these four, light and goodness emerged for Israel.
Metzudat David
"These are the two sons of Yitzhar." The duality alludes to the two sons of Yitzhar, namely, the King Messiah and the High Priest, who will be anointed with the anointing oil, the one for kingship and the other for the high priesthood.
Those who stand before the Master of all the earth, to pray for mercy for the House of Israel, and through the act of treading the olives and the oil’s flowing out of itself, it alludes that the sovereignty will return “not by might, nor by power, but by His spirit.”
Metzudat Zion
Yitzhar. It is oil, as it is written: "new wine and oil" (Deuteronomy 28:51).
"Upon the Lord." In the presence of the Lord:
Malbim
And it says, “These two sons of the oil,” meaning the King and the High Priest, who are anointed with the anointing oil of sanctity. Their standing beside the Menorah alludes to the fact that they stand before the Master of all the earth. The miraculous influence that descends from the Lord, alluded to by the oil flowing from the goblet into the pipes of the Menorah, will be brought about through the sons of the oil, by the merit of the King and the High Priest. The King will uphold the stronghold of the commandments between man and his fellow, namely justice and kindness, while the High Priest will uphold the stronghold of the Torah and the service, the commandments between man and the Divine. Through their deeds, the good oil of their actions will ascend, and the oil of providence will be drawn into the goblet, and they will set forth its spring, until they themselves will be depicted as the olives from which the oil emerges into the goblet to illuminate the lamps of the Menorah. The pipe empties the oil from the olive clusters into the goblet. Since both are human beings, they were not depicted in gold but rather in olive wood, for “man is a tree of the field.” However, the abundance that flows through their deeds into the goblet via the pipes is of gold, and they empty gold, for they draw down the Divine will of providence, which is likened to gold.
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim