What Does Zechariah 10:7 Mean in the King James?
And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD.
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
Ephraim’s fruitfulness appears as joy that children can see, with the heart’s final exultation resting in the LORD.
THE MEANING
Strength and gladness live together: the heart rejoices, children see that joy and share it, and the heart exults in the LORD. Ephraim’s name echoes fruitfulness, so the verse shows joy becoming visible across generations.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Strength means suppressing joy; here the mighty figure’s strength stands alongside a rejoicing heart.
THE ROOT
אֶפְרַיִם
Efrayim
GROWS FROM
פרה
parah
Bear fruit; become fruitful.
Ephraim’s name echoes becoming fruitful, a connection Genesis 41:52 makes explicit. Here that fruitfulness appears in joy that children can see and share.
ALSO GROWS
hifrani: Caused me to become fruitful.
הִפְרַנִי
This form of the root makes the name’s connection to fruitfulness explicit.
peri: Fruit or produce.
פְּרִי
The fruit image brings the name’s sense of increase alongside the joy that reaches the children.
וְשָׂמַח
vesamach
GROWS FROM
שׂמח
samach
Rejoice; be glad.
“rejoice; be glad” in this verse is vesamach. This root first describes the heart rejoicing like wine and returns when the children are glad. The repeated word makes joy visible in both generations before the verse shifts to a different word for its closing exultation.
ALSO GROWS
simchah: Joy or gladness.
שִׂמְחָה
The noun names the gladness expressed here by both the heart and the children.
sameach: Glad or joyful.
שָׂמֵחַ
This related form describes the state of the children who see the joy.
יָגֵל
yagel
GROWS FROM
גיל
gil
Exult; rejoice.
English repeats “rejoice,” but Hebrew shifts from שׂמח (samach, rejoice) to גיל (gil, exult) at the close. That final word is attached directly to the LORD, marking the heart’s closing exultation as God-centered.
ALSO GROWS
gil: Exultation or rejoicing.
גִּיל
The noun form holds the same kind of exulting named by the verse’s final verb.
gilah: Joy or exultation.
גִּילָה
This related noun helps show the distinct word family behind the verse’s final “rejoice.”
THE PATTERN
Joy is felt in the heart, finds its center in the LORD, and can endure beyond sorrow.
And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.THE THREAD
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.Zechariah’s closing יָגֵל (yagel, exults) and Habakkuk’s אָגִילָה (agilah, I will exult) share the root גיל (gil, exult). In both verses, that exultation is directed toward God.
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