Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Zechariah 4:6 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 6. 6Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse gives the explicit word to Zerubbabel: not by might or power but by the LORD's Spirit.
Read It With
- Zechariah 4:1-7
Read Zechariah 4:6 with 4:1-7. This verse gives the explicit word to Zerubbabel: not by might or power but by the LORD's Spirit. The complete unit establishes this movement: The temple mission will not succeed through military force or accumulated human strength but through the LORD's Spirit, who turns the great obstacle before Zerubbabel into level ground and brings the capstone out amid cries of favor.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The lampstand vision pairs political and priestly leadership around the temple while locating effective power in the LORD rather than either office. Within that movement, this verse gives the explicit word to Zerubbabel: not by might or power but by the LORD's Spirit.
Follow the Context
- The interpreting angel wakes Zechariah and asks what he sees.
- Zechariah describes a supplied golden lampstand with seven lamps and two olive trees.
- Questions expose that he does not know the image's meaning.
- The oracle addresses Zerubbabel directly.
- Might and power are denied as the decisive means; the LORD's Spirit is named.
- The mountain becomes a plain and the headstone appears under cries of grace.
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“by my spirit”
In plain language: The explicit contrast governs interpretation of the surrounding symbol.
The explicit contrast governs interpretation of the surrounding symbol. Within Zechariah 4:1-7, it supports this verse-specific role: gives the explicit word to Zerubbabel: not by might or power but by the LORD's Spirit.
Why it matters: How the oracle fits within the lampstand vision is compositionally debated.
How certain? probableWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
The verse does not condemn planning, expertise, medicine, labor, government, or material resources.
What Remains True
Divine agency, not coercive capacity, is decisive for the temple task.
How It Can Shape Life
- Use skill and resources without turning force, scale, or charisma into spiritual proof.
Teach It Back
Explain Zechariah 4:6's contribution to Zechariah 4:1-7: gives the explicit word to Zerubbabel: not by might or power but by the LORD's Spirit. Include what the surrounding verses add, the stated uncertainty, and what this verse does not authorize.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Zechariah 4:1-7 — The Lampstand and the Word to ZerubbabelSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
How the oracle fits within the lampstand vision is compositionally debated.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: Zechariah 4:1-7, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Zechariah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording, morphology, speaker changes, repeated formulas, names, and the base text behind translation discussion.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Zech.xml, 4:1-7
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Zechariah with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, textual, literary, historical, and canonical-reception notes.
Exact location: NET Bible Zechariah PDF, printed pp. 1791, translation and notes on 4:1-7
Open source ↗modern critical commentary
Zechariah
Rex Mason
Oxford University Press, in The Oxford Bible Commentary, 2001
Supports: Whole-book movement, Persian and later horizons, literary boundaries, composition, and material alternatives.
Exact location: Mason, 'Zechariah,' Oxford Bible Commentary, printed pp. 612-613, discussion of 4:1-7
Open source ↗open access scholarly monograph
Exploring Zechariah, Volume 2: The Development and Role of Biblical Traditions in Zechariah
Mark J. Boda
SBL Press, Ancient Near East Monographs 17, 2017
Supports: Inner-biblical allusion, vision traditions, Persian and Babylon imagery, leadership, burden headings, and shepherd units.
Exact location: Boda, Exploring Zechariah, Volume 2, printed pp. 59-100, chapters 4-5 on prophet-priest-king relations and visionary traditions
Open source ↗open access scholarly monograph
Exploring Zechariah, Volume 1: The Development of Zechariah and Its Role within the Twelve
Mark J. Boda
SBL Press, Ancient Near East Monographs 16, 2017
Supports: Compositional development, fast-to-feast movement, leadership expectations, messianism, and the book's role within the Twelve.
Exact location: Boda, Exploring Zechariah, Volume 1, printed pp. 59-136, chapters 4-7 on messianism, messengers, priests, and leadership development
Open source ↗