Zechariah 1:2 — Word Study
WLCקָצַ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה עַל־ אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם קָֽצֶף׃
BSAThe LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] was veryqetseph angryqâtsaph■ [sore displeased, full of wrath] withʻal your fathersʼâb [ancestors, forefathers]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| קָצַ֧ף | he was angry | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| יְהוָ֛ה | Yahweh | Noun proper |
| עַל־ | towards | Preposition |
| אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם | ancestors your | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| קָֽצֶף׃ | anger | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | “The LORD was very angry with your fathers. |
| KJV | The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers. |
| ASV | Jehovah was sore displeased with your fathers. |
| YLT | 'Jehovah was wroth against your fathers — wrath! |
| WEB | “Yahweh was very displeased with your fathers. |
| BBE | The Lord has been very angry with your fathers: |
The translations agree on the expression of God's anger as seen in קָצַף.
The sentence has a main clause with a prepositional phrase providing context for God's anger.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectיהוה
verbקָצַף
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Zechariah 1:2
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Call to Returngenerated
Zechariah 1:2 reveals God's anger towards the ancestors of the people of Israel, setting the stage for a call to repentance. This message comes in the context of Zechariah's prophetic ministry, where he urges the people to return to God, as seen in the subsequent verses. The anger of the LORD serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience, as echoed throughout the history of Israel, including in 2 Kings 22:16-17 and Nehemiah 9:26-27.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Kings 22:16–17 | that this is what the LORD says: I am about to bring calamity on this place and on its people, according to all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read, |
| 2 | 2 Kings 23:26 | Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the fury of His burning anger, which was kindled against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke Him to anger. |
| 3 | 2 Chronicles 36:13–20 | He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But Zedekiah stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel. |
| 4 | Ezra 9:6–7 | and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens. |
| 5 | Nehemiah 9:26–27 | But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 17 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — קָצַף, ka.Tzafgenerated
The verb קָצַף (ka.Tzaf) means 'to be angry' and is used to express intense displeasure or wrath. In this verse, it indicates God's serious emotional response to the actions of the ancestors, highlighting the gravity of their disobedience.
This verb is in the Qal stem, perfect tense, third person masculine singular, indicating a completed action. The use of this form emphasizes that God's anger is not just a momentary feeling but a settled response to the persistent rebellion of the fathers.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse reads 'The LORD was very angry.' This wording is consistent across the KJV and ASV, both conveying the intensity of God's anger.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the sentence is קָצַף, he was angry, which is supported by a noun phrase indicating the subject, יְהוָ֛ה, Yahweh, and an adverbial phrase that emphasizes the intensity of the anger, קָֽצֶף, anger.
The structure highlights God's anger as a direct response to the actions of the ancestors, with the prepositional phrase עַל־ ('al-) indicating the direction of that anger.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, קָצַף is rendered as ὠργίσθη (orgisthē), which also means 'to be angry.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, conveying a similar sense of divine wrath.
The translation reflects a consistent understanding of God's anger in both the Hebrew and Greek texts, emphasizing the seriousness of the message.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Zechariah 1:2 tells us that the LORD was very angry with the ancestors of the Israelites. This anger is a reaction to their past disobedience, and it sets the stage for a call to return to God in the following verses.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that God was displeased with the actions and choices of the ancestors, which had consequences for their descendants.
God's anger serves as a warning and motivation for the people to turn back to Him and away from their sinful ways.
Understanding God's anger helps to grasp the seriousness of the covenant relationship and the consequences of breaking it, which is a recurring theme in the prophetic writings.
We can learn the importance of obedience to God and the impact that our choices can have on future generations.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I ensure that I do not repeat the mistakes of the ancestors?
- How can understanding God's anger help me in my relationship with Him?
- What steps can I take to encourage others to return to God?
- How does this verse challenge my understanding of God's character?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers referenced this verse to discuss God's anger and the need for repentance, highlighting its relevance in their teachings.
The Lord is angry with your fathers with great anger, and you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.Early Church Fathers on Zechariah 1 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Zechariah 1:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers. Who lived before and at the time of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and which was manifest by their captivity; all which were
Read John Gill on Zechariah 1 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers. The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
Read Robert Jamieson on Zechariah 1 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe Lord, the holy, the mighty One, your God, the just Governor of the world, hath been sore displeased; so long provoked, that his displeasure at last enkindled within his breast, and broke out into that flame which hath consumed your land, city, and temple. With your fathers; all that were progenitors, forefathers to the returned captives, from their entrance into Canaan, but especially since the apostacy in Jeroboam’ s time; for many hundred years your predecessors have provoked God by their notorious sins, even to the days of their captivity.
Read Matthew Poole on Zechariah 1 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsZechariah 1:2 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.Ver. 2. The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers] Heb. He hath boiled against your fathers with foaming anger, with height of heat. There are degrees of anger, see Matthew 5:22 Deuteronomy 29:28. The Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation. Surgit hic oratio: and the last of those three words is the same here used in the text; noting a higher degree than the two former, even such a fervour and fierceness of God’ s wrath as maketh him ready to kill and cut off, like as he had much ado to forbear killing of Moses, when he met him in the inn, Exodus 4:24, and as…
Read John Trapp on Zechariah 1 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) Your fathers.—This verse contains the word of the Lord addressed directly to and through the prophet, who is included among those addressed in the pronoun “your fathers.” It gives the ground on which the exhortation to repentance is founded.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Zechariah 1 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 2. The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.] For their ingratitude idolatry, iniquity, and general rebellion.
Read AdamClarke on Zechariah 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges2–6. The call to Repentance. Zechariah’s first message is one of warning, by the example of their fathers and the earlier prophets. On their fathers, as they well knew, the displeasure of Almighty God had fallen heavily (Zechariah 1:2). Now, for the first time in this new era of their history, God is sending to them, as He did to their fathers of old, His servants the prophets, himself and Haggai, with a call to repentance and a promise of reconciliation, Zechariah 1:3. Let them not be like their fathers, who turned a deaf ear to the remonstrances of the prophets and refused to amend, Zechariah 1:4; lest, being like them in their sin, they should be like them in their punishment also, and…
Read Cambridge on Zechariah 1 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWroth was the Lord against your fathers with wrath - o, that is, a wrath which was indeed such, whose greatness he does not further express, but leaves to their memories to supply.
Read Albert Barnes on Zechariah 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
“The LORD was very angry with your fathers.
“Yahweh was very displeased with your fathers.
“The LORD was very angry with your fathers.
The Lord was very angry with your ancestors.
Tyndale line
The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
Jehovah was sore displeased with your fathers.
The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
The LORD hath been greatly displeased with your fathers.
The Lord hath bene sore displeased with your fathers.
Strictly literal
Jehovah hath been very wroth with your fathers.
'Jehovah was wroth against your fathers — wrath!
“YHWH was angry against your fathers—wrath!
The Lord hath been greatly angry with your fathers.
“Yahweh was exceedingly angry with your fathers!
From the Latin
The Lord hath been exceeding angry with your fathers.
Simplified
The Lord was very angry with your forefathers.
The Lord has been very angry with your fathers:
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads קָצַ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה עַל־ אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם קָֽצֶף׃, which matches the Septuagint closely in meaning. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration, but the core message remains consistent with the Masoretic Text.
קָצַ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה עַל־ אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם קָֽצֶף׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
קצף יהוה על [אבותי׳כם] [קצף]
1 word on the leather — 2 partly restored, 2 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Zechariah 1:2
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
קָצַף (qatsaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be wroth or angry. It covers various aspects of anger, including being displeased, fretting oneself, and provoking to wrath. The verb has different stems: Qal indicates being wroth, Hiphil means to provoke to anger, and Hithpael refers to putting oneself in a rage. Its Aramaic equivalent is קְצַף (H7108).
קָצַף vb. be wroth
Qal be wroth
Hiph. provoke to wrath
Hithp. put oneself in a rage
base
H7107 קָצַף be wroth
7107 qatsaph kaw-tsaf'
a primitive root; to crack off, i.e. (figuratively) burst out
in rage:--(be) anger(-ry), displease, fret self, (provoke to)
wrath (come), be wroth.
קָצַף (qa.tsaph) — be angry.
1) to be displeased, be angry, fret oneself, be wroth
1a) (Qal) to be wroth, to be full of wrath, to be furious
1b) (Hiphil) to provoke to wrath or anger
1c) (Hithpael) to put oneself in a rage, anger oneself
Aramaic equivalent: qe.tsaph (קְצַף "be angry" H7108)
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
N-proper — Noun properHNpt
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
Prep — PrepositionHR
אָב (av) means 'father' and encompasses various roles such as the literal father of an individual, God as the father of His people, and the head of a household or clan. It can also refer to an ancestor, originator of a profession, or a figure of respect and protection. Notably, it can imply a ruler or chief in later contexts.
אָב 1101 n.m. father
father of individual
of God as father of his people
head of household, family or clan
ancestor
originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
fig. of producer, generator
fig. of benevolence & protection
term of respect & honor
specif., ruler, chief (late)
base
H1 אָב father . father of individual
. of God as father of his people
. head of household, family or clan
. ancestor
. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
. fig. of producer, generator
. fig. of benevolence & protection
. term of respect & honor
. specif., ruler, chief (late)
1 'ab awb
a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or
figurative and remote application):--chief,
(fore-)father(-less), X patrimony, principal. Compare names
in "Abi-".
אָב (av) — father.
1) father of an individual
2) of God as father of his people
3) head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan
4) ancestor
4a) grandfather, forefathers - of person
4b) of people
5) originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
6) of producer, generator (fig.)
7) of benevolence and protection (fig.)
8) term of respect and honour
9) ruler or chief (spec.)
Also means: av (אַב "father" H0002)
אָב (av) — (Huram)-abi.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.7.13; also called Huram-abi (KJV: "Huram my father's") at 2Ch.2.13; 4.16;
Combined with chi.ram (חִירָם "Hiram" H2438H)
אָב (av) — father of.
The father of Gibeon, also known as Abiel - a man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.1;
son of: Zeror (H6872C); married to Maacah (H4601N);
N-mp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp2mp
קֶ֫צֶף (qetseph) primarily means 'wrath' or 'anger,' often associated with God or man. It can also refer to a 'splinter' or 'twig,' though this meaning is uncertain and appears only in Hosea 10:7. The word is derived from a root meaning to chip off, suggesting a connection between the two meanings.
ref
H7110a קֶ֫צֶף wrath H7110b קֶ֫צֶף prob. splinter
7110 qetseph keh'-tsef
from 7107; a splinter (as chipped off); figuratively, rage or
strife:--foam, indignation, X sore, wrath.
see HEBREW for 07107
קֶ֫צֶף (qe.tseph) — wrath.
1) wrath, anger
1a) of God
1b) of man
קֶ֫צֶף (qe.tseph) — splinter.
1) splinter, twig, broken twig
1a) meaning uncertain
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
an'-ger: In the Old Testament, the translation of several Hebrew words, especially of 'aph (lit. "nostril," "countenance"), which is used some 45 times of human, 177 times of Divine, anger (OHL). The word occurs rarely in the New Testament (Mr 3:5; Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; Re 14:10), its place being taken by the word "wrath" (see WRATH). As a translation of words denoting God's "anger," the English word is unfortunate so far as it may seem to imply selfish, malicious or vindictive personal feeling. The anger of God is the response of His holiness to outbreaking sin. Particularly when it culminates in action is it rightly called Has "wrath." The Old Testament doctrine of God's anger…
Anger
The emotion of instant displeasure on account of something evil that presents itself to our view. In itself it is an original susceptibility of our nature, just as love is, and is not necessarily sinful. It may, however, become sinful when causeless, or excessive, or protracted (Matt. 5:22; Eph. 4:26; Col. 3:8). As ascribed to God, it merely denotes his displeasure with sin and with sinners (Ps. 7:11).
A violent emotion of a painful nature, sometimes arising spontaneously upon just occasion, but usually characterized in the Bible as a great sin, Mt 5:22 Eph 4:31 Col 3:8. Even when just, our anger should be mitigated by a due consideration of the circumstances of the offence and the state of mind of the offender; of the folly and ill-results of this passion; of the claims of the gospel, and of our own need of forgiveness from others, but especially from God, Mt 6:15. Anger is in Scripture frequently attributed to God, Mt 7:11 28:20; not that he is liable to those violent emotions which this passion produces, but…