A Vision of a Horseman
- lastdays13
- Nov 4
- 5 min read
Zec. 1:8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.
I saw...
רָאָה
râ'âh
raw-aw'
A primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitively, intransitively and causatively): - advise self, appear, approve, behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see (-r, -m, one another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.
by night,...
לַיְלָה לֵיל לַיִל
layil lêyl layelâh
lah'-yil, lale, lah'-yel-aw; properly a twist (away of the light), that is, night; figuratively adversity: - ([mid-]) night (season).
Ten Visions of Zechariah
1. Spirit horses and riders—invisible agencies of God (Zec. 1:7-17)
2. The four horns—Gentile powers, or kings that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem (Zec. 1:18-19)
3. The four carpenters—Gentile powers or kings that have scattered Judah (Zec. 1:20-21)
4. Man with a measuring line—restoration of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem under the Messiah (Zec. 2:1-13)
5. Joshua the high priest and Satan—the priesthood restored to Israel and Satan defeated (Zec. 3:1-7)
6. Joshua, his fellows, and God’s servant, the Branch, and the Stone coming of Messiah and His reign (Zec. 3:8-10)
7. The two golden candlesticks and two olive trees—two anointed men standing before God in heaven, the two witnesses (Zec. 4:1-14; Rev. 11:3-11)
8. The flying scroll—judgment on the wicked for sins (Zec. 5:1-4)
9. Women in an ephah—rebuilding and restoration of Babylon (Zec. 5:5-11)
10. The four chariots and spirit horses—invisible agencies of God (Zec. 6:1-8)
and behold...
הִנֵּה
hinnêh
hin-nay'
Prolonged; lo!: - behold, lo, see.
a man...
אִישׁ
'ı̂ysh
eesh
Contracted for (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); 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.) : - also, another, any (man), a certain, + champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, [foot-, husband-] man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man [-kind], + none, one, people, person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso (-ever), worthy.
riding...
רָכַב
râkab
raw-kab'
A primitive root; to ride (on an animal or in a vehicle); causatively to place upon (for riding or generally), to dispatch: - bring (on [horse-] back), carry, get [oneself] up, on [horse-] back, put, (cause to, make to) ride (in a chariot, on, -r), set.
upon...
עַל
‛al
al
Properly used as a preposition (in the singular or plural, often with prefix, or as conjugation 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: - 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.
a red...
אָדֹם
'âdôm
aw-dome'
From; rosy: - red, ruddy.
horse,...
סֻס סוּס
sûs sûs
soos, soos
From an unused root meaning to skip (properly for joy); a horse (as leaping); also a swallow (from its rapid flight): - crane, horse ([-back, -hoof]).
The riders of the horses—red, speckled, and white—are invisible agencies of God sent forth into the earth to accomplish various missions. They are God’s scouts that report conditions to Him. These reported that all the earth was still and at peace (Zec. 1:8-11). The horses are not symbolic at all, but real and literal creatures, actual spirit horses created to live on the planet heaven and used by those going back and forth between earth and heaven for the purpose seen here, and perhaps in many other capacities. That spirit horses do exist is clear from Zec. 1:8-11; 6:1-8; 2Kgs. 2:11; 6:14-17; Rev. 19:11-21.
and he...
הִיא הוּא
hû' hı̂y'
hoo, he
The second form is the feminine beyond the Pentateuch; a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are: - he, as for her, him (-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (. . . it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.
stood...
עָמַד
‛âmad
aw-mad'
A primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literally and figuratively, intransitively and transitively): - abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be [over], place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, + serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-) stand (by, fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry.
among...
בֵּין
bêyn
bane
(Sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly the constructively contracted form of an otherwise unused noun; a distinction; but used only as a preposition, between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjugation, either... or: - among, asunder, at, between (-twixt . . . and), + from (the widest), X in, out of, whether (it be... or), within.
the myrtle trees...
הֲדַס
hădas
had-as'
Of uncertain derivation; the myrtle: - myrtle (tree).
that...
אֲשֶׁר
'ăsher
ash-er'
A primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as adverb and conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.: - X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how (-soever), X if, (so) that ([thing] which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither (-soever), who (-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.
were in the bottom;...
מְצֻלָּה
metsûllâh
mets-ool-law'
From; shade: - bottom.
and behind...
אַחַר
'achar
akh-ar'
From; properly the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjugation, after (in various senses): - after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence [-forth], when, with.
him were there red,... see a red above.
horses,... see horse, above.
speckled,...
שָׂרֻק
śârûq
saw-rook'
From; bright red (as piercing to the sight), that is, bay: - speckled.
Hebrew: saruq, bright red; bay. The Hebrew for red here is adom, rosy, or ruddy. One was bright red and the other a lighter color, a rosy red (Zec. 6:1-8).
and white...
לָבֵן לָבָן
lâbân lâbên
law-bawn', law-bane'
From; white: - white.