Zechariah 7:9
Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
Original Language Analysis
כֹּ֥ה
H3541
כֹּ֥ה
Strong's:
H3541
Word #:
1 of 14
properly, like this, i.e., by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
יְהוָ֥ה
the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֥ה
the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
3 of 14
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
צְבָא֖וֹת
of hosts
H6635
צְבָא֖וֹת
of hosts
Strong's:
H6635
Word #:
4 of 14
a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (speci
מִשְׁפַּ֤ט
judgment
H4941
מִשְׁפַּ֤ט
judgment
Strong's:
H4941
Word #:
6 of 14
properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, ind
אֱמֶת֙
true
H571
אֱמֶת֙
true
Strong's:
H571
Word #:
7 of 14
stability; (figuratively) certainty, truth, trustworthiness
שְׁפֹ֔טוּ
Execute
H8199
שְׁפֹ֔טוּ
Execute
Strong's:
H8199
Word #:
8 of 14
to judge, i.e., pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication, to vindicate or punish; by extenssion, to govern; passively, to litigate (literal
וְחֶ֣סֶד
mercy
H2617
וְחֶ֣סֶד
mercy
Strong's:
H2617
Word #:
9 of 14
kindness; by implication (towards god) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty
עֲשׂ֖וּ
and shew
H6213
עֲשׂ֖וּ
and shew
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
11 of 14
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
אִ֥ישׁ
every man
H376
אִ֥ישׁ
every man
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
12 of 14
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
Cross References
Micah 6:8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?Proverbs 21:3To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.Jeremiah 7:5For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;Jeremiah 21:12O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.Matthew 23:23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.Jeremiah 7:23But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.Zechariah 7:7Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?John 7:51Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?Luke 11:42But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.Amos 5:24But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Historical Context
Pre-exilic Israel violated all three: corrupt judges accepted bribes (Isaiah 1:23; Micah 3:11), covenant loyalty failed (Hosea 4:1), and compassion vanished (Amos 5:12). The prophets' consistent message was: fix ethics or face exile. The exile proved they didn't listen. Now Zechariah warns the returned remnant: if you ask about fasts, start by practicing justice, mercy, and compassion. Ritual means nothing without relational righteousness.
Questions for Reflection
- How do 'true judgment,' 'mercy,' and 'compassion' together define comprehensive biblical ethics?
- Why does God prioritize horizontal relationships ('every man to his brother') in defining vertical piety?
- Which of the three—justice, mercy, or compassion—do you most neglect in your relationships?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother—God specifies what the former prophets preached. Kōh 'āmar Yahweh Tsəḇā'ōt lē'mōr mishpaṭ 'emet shiphṭū vəchesed vərachamīm 'ăśū 'īsh et-'āchīw (כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת לֵאמֹר מִשְׁפַּט אֱמֶת שִׁפְטוּ וְחֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים עֲשׂוּ אִישׁ אֶת־אָחִיו, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts saying, true judgment judge, and steadfast love and compassion show each man to his brother'). Three imperatives define authentic covenant life:
1. Execute true judgment (mishpaṭ 'emet, מִשְׁפַּט אֱמֶת)—legal justice based on truth, not bribery or favoritism. 2. Show mercy (chesed, חֶסֶד)—covenant loyalty, steadfast love, the bond that maintains relationships beyond legal obligation. 3. Show compassions (rachamīm, רַחֲמִים)—tender mercies, the plural intensifying emotional empathy. These three—justice, loyalty, compassion—summarize biblical ethics. Micah 6:8 uses similar language: 'do justly, love mercy, walk humbly.' Jesus called these 'the weightier matters of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith' (Matthew 23:23). True religion isn't ritual but righteousness lived toward 'every man to his brother' ('īsh et-'āchīw)—horizontal ethics flowing from vertical relationship with God.