Zechariah 12:1

“The burden of the word of YHWH concerning Israel. Declares YHWH, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of the human being within him:”

Zechariah 12:1 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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With the Hebrew beneath

1

Zechariah 12:1, word by word

The burdenמַשָּׂאmasa

oracle

A weighty message from God that a prophet carries, an oracle.

Where else “masa” appears
of the wordדְבַרdevar

word

What someone says or announces, above all what YHWH says.

Where else “devar” appears
of YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears
Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael

Israel

Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.

Where else “yisrael” appears
Declaresנְאֻםneum

declaration

Solemn words God himself speaks: "oracle of YHWH".

Where else “neum” appears
who stretches outנֹטֶהnote

stretch out

To reach out the hand, or set up a tent.

Where else “note” appears
the heavensשָׁמַיִםshamayim

sky

The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.

Where else “shamayim” appears
and lays the foundationיֹסֵדyosed

found

To lay the foundations of something on which it will be raised.

Where else “yosed” appears
of the earthאָרֶץarets

earth

The whole world, everything under the sky.

Where else “arets” appears
and formsיֹצֵרyotser

mold

To mold, as God molded man from dust.

Where else “yotser” appears
the spiritרוּחַruach

spirit

What moves a person inside: their life, their mood.

Where else “ruach” appears
of the human beingאָדָםadam

human being

All humankind, men and women, as creatures God formed.

Where else “adam” appears
within himקִרְבּkirb

inside

One's inner part, one's inmost self.

Where else “kirb” appears

The context

1 · This verse (above)

2“Look, I am making Jerusalem a cup of reeling for all the peoples around; and also on Judah it will be, in the siege against Jerusalem.

Read all of Zechariah 12

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