What Does Zechariah 1:9 Mean in the King James?
Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The answer to “What are these?” is sight itself: the messenger makes the vision visible to you.
THE MEANING
You can ask what you are seeing without pretending you already understand it. Understanding unfolds as what is obscure to you becomes visible within the encounter.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Not knowing what you are looking at does not mean its meaning is beyond you; the question remains open to disclosure.
THE ROOT
אַרְאֶךָּ
ʾarʾekha
GROWS FROM
ראה
ra'ah
To see, look at, or perceive.
“shew” in this verse is ʾarʾekha. The verb is causative: the messenger says, in effect, “I will cause you to see.” The same root forms רֹאֶה (ro’eh, one who sees) and מַרְאֶה (mar’eh, sight or appearance), holding perceiver, seeing, and vision within one family.
ALSO GROWS
ra'ah: To see, look at, perceive.
רָאָה
This is the root’s basic action: the promised showing brings the questioner into seeing.
ro'eh: One who sees; a seer.
רֹאֶה
The one receiving the vision belongs to the same root family as the act of seeing.
mar'eh: A sight, appearance, or vision.
מַרְאֶה
The thing made visible shares the root of the seeing that receives it.
THE PATTERN
When a sight is unclear, disclosure opens perception until what is present can be recognized.
And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.THE THREAD
And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?Zechariah’s אַרְאֶךָּ (ʾarʾekha, I will show you) and Hagar’s רֹאִי (ro’i, the one who sees me) both arise from ראה (ra’ah, see). The connection holds both sides of disclosure: you are brought to see, and you are already seen.
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