Zechariah 1:18

Four Horns and Four Craftsmen

18 Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns.

Zechariah 1:18 in Other Translations

18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.

18 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns!

18 Then I looked up and saw four animal horns.

18 I looked up, and was surprised by another vision: four horns!

18 Then I looked up and saw four horns.

Zechariah 1:18 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 1:18

Then I lifted up mine eyes
To behold another vision which follows: and saw, and behold four horns;
either iron ones, such as Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made to push the Syrians with, ( 1 Kings 22:11 ) or horns of beasts, as the horns of unicorns, to which the horns of Joseph are compared, ( Deuteronomy 33:17 ) and signify kingdoms or kings, and these very powerful and mighty; and so the Targum interprets them of "four kingdoms"; and which Kimchi and Abarbinel understand of the four monarchies, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman; so ten horns, in ( Daniel 7:24 ) ( Revelation 17:12 ) design ten kings or kingdoms; unless rather, seeing these horns were such who had already distressed and scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem; and two of the above monarchies were not yet in being, the Grecian and Roman, when this vision was seen; and one of those that were, were friends to the Jews, as the Persians; they may in general signify all the enemies of the Jews that were round about them, on the four corners of them; as the Syrians, Assyrians, and Babylonians, on the north; the Ammonites and Moabites on the east; the Edomites and Egyptians on the south; and the Philistines on the west; as Junius thinks. Cocceius interprets them of four kings, Shalmaneser, Nebuchadnezzar, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes the first, called Longimanus; and may be applied to the antichristian states, Pagan and Papal, in the various parts of the world, called horns, ( Daniel 7:24 ) ( Revelation 12:3 ) ( 13:1 ) .

Zechariah 1:18 In-Context

16 “Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the LORD Almighty.

17 “Proclaim further: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’ ”

18 Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns.

19 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these?” He answered me, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”

20 Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.