Zechariah 1:2
The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
Original Language Analysis
קָצַ֧ף
displeased
H7107
קָצַ֧ף
displeased
Strong's:
H7107
Word #:
1 of 5
to crack off, i.e., (figuratively) burst out in rage
יְהוָ֛ה
The LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֛ה
The LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
2 of 5
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
3 of 5
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
Cross References
Jeremiah 44:6Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.Ezekiel 22:31Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.Lamentations 5:7Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.
Historical Context
The 'fathers' refers to pre-exilic Judah whose idolatry, social injustice, and covenant breaking culminated in 586 BC destruction and seventy-year exile. Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel warned them, but they persisted in rebellion. The returned remnant needed this sobering reminder to avoid repeating their ancestors' mistakes. Post-exilic discouragement tempted them to half-hearted obedience; this warning demanded full commitment.
Questions for Reflection
- How does remembering God's judgment on previous generations protect us from presuming on His patience?
- What does God's beginning with warning rather than encouragement teach us about the priority of dealing with sin?
Analysis & Commentary
God's message begins bluntly: 'The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.' The emphatic 'sore displeased' (Hebrew: qatsaph qatsaph, intense anger) recalls the exile's cause—covenant unfaithfulness. This isn't beginning with encouragement but with sobering historical reality. God's anger at sin is real and consequential. The reference to 'fathers' creates continuity—the exile generation's sin led to Babylon, warning the restoration generation against repeating failures. Divine displeasure with sin isn't cultural but eternal; God's character demands holiness.