Zechariah 4:5
◄  Zechariah 4:5  ►
New International Version (©2011)
He answered, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I replied.

New Living Translation (©2007)
"Don't you know?" the angel asked. "No, my lord," I replied.

English Standard Version (©2001)
Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Don't you know what they are?" replied the angel who was speaking with me. I said, "No, my lord."

International Standard Version (©2012)
The angel who had been speaking with me answered by asking, "You don't know what these mean, do you?" So I responded, "No, sir."

NET Bible (©2006)
He replied, "Don't you know what these are?" So I responded, "No, sir."

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Then the angel asked me, "Don't you know what they mean?" "No, sir," I answered.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Know you not what these are? And I said, No, my lord.

American King James Version
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said to me, Know you not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

American Standard Version
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the angel that spoke in me answered, and said to me: Knowest thou not what these things are? And I said: No, my lord.

Darby Bible Translation
And the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord.

English Revised Version
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said to me, Knowest thou not what these are? and I said, No, my lord.

World English Bible
Then the angel who talked with me answered me, "Don't you know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord."

Young's Literal Translation
And the messenger who is speaking with me answereth and saith unto me, 'Hast thou not known what these are?' And I say, 'No, my lord.'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:1-7 The prophet's spirit was willing to attend, but the flesh was weak. We should beg of God that, whenever he speaks to us, he would awaken us, and we should then stir up ourselves. The church is a golden candlestick, or lamp-bearer, set up for enlightening this dark world, and holding forth the light of Divine revelation. Two olive trees were seen, one on each side the candlestick, from which oil flowed into the bowl without ceasing. God brings to pass his gracious purposes concerning his church, without any art or labour of man; sometimes he makes use of his instruments, yet he needs them not. This represented the abundance of Divine grace, for the enlightening and making holy the ministers and members of the church, and which cannot be procured or prevented by any human power. The vision assures us that the good work of building the temple, should be brought to a happy end. The difficulty is represented as a great mountain. But all difficulties shall vanish, and all the objections be got over. Faith will remove mountains, and make them plains. Christ is our Zerubbabel; mountains of difficulty were in the way of his undertaking, but nothing is too hard for him. What comes from the grace of God, may, in faith, be committed to the grace of God, for he will not forsake the work of his own hands.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - Knowest thou not? The angel speaks not so much in surprise at the prophet's slowness of comprehension (comp. John 3:10) as desirous of calling his most serious attention to the coming explanation.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me,.... Either to upbraid him with his ignorance and stupidity; or rather to quicken his attention, and that of others, to the interpretation of it he was about to give him:

Knowest thou not what these be? art thou ignorant of the design of them? or knowest thou not what is meant by them?

and I said, No, my lord; he made an ingenuous confession of his ignorance, joined with great respect unto, and veneration of, the angel that conversed with him.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

5. Knowest thou not, &c.—Not a reproof of his ignorance, but a stimulus to reflection on the mystery.

No, my lord—ingenious confession of ignorance; as a little child he casts himself for instruction at the feet of the Lord.

Zechariah 4:5 Parallel Commentaries

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The Gold Lampstand
…4So I answered and spoke to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? 5Then the angel that talked with me answered and said to me, Know you not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 6Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, said the LORD of hosts. …

Zechariah 1:9 I asked, "What are these, my lord?" The angel who was talking with me answered, "I will show you what they are."
Zechariah 4:1 Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep.
Zechariah 4:4 I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"
Zechariah 4:13 He replied, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I said.