◄ Zechariah 4:10 ►
For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven eyes of the LORD, which scan the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel."
Study Bible
For who has despised the day of small things?
This phrase challenges the reader to reconsider the value of humble beginnings. The Hebrew root for "despised" is "בָּזָה" (baza), which means to hold in contempt or to scorn. Historically, this reflects the attitude of those who underestimated the rebuilding efforts of the Second Temple. In a broader spiritual context, it serves as a reminder that God often works through small, seemingly insignificant beginnings to accomplish His grand purposes. This is a call to faithfulness and patience, trusting that God sees the potential in what appears small to human eyes.

These seven eyes of the LORD
The "seven eyes" symbolize the perfect and complete vision of God. In Hebrew, the number seven often represents completeness or perfection. This imagery is consistent with other biblical references, such as in Revelation 5:6, where the Lamb has seven eyes, indicating divine omniscience. Theologically, this assures believers that God is fully aware of all circumstances and is actively involved in the world. It is a comforting reminder that nothing escapes His notice, and His plans are executed with full knowledge and wisdom.

which scan to and fro throughout the earth
This phrase emphasizes God's omnipresence and His active engagement with creation. The Hebrew verb "שׁוּט" (shut) means to go or rove about, suggesting a thorough and comprehensive observation. Historically, this reflects the belief in God's sovereignty over all nations and peoples. For the faithful, it is an encouragement that God is not distant or detached but is intimately aware of and involved in the affairs of the world, ensuring that His purposes are fulfilled.

will rejoice when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand
The "plumb line" is a tool used for ensuring the straightness of a structure, symbolizing the standard of righteousness and justice. In the context of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, it signifies the rebuilding of the Temple and the restoration of proper worship. The Hebrew word for "rejoice" is "שָׂמַח" (samach), indicating joy and satisfaction. This phrase assures that God delights in the faithful execution of His plans, even when they begin with small steps. It is an encouragement to leaders and believers alike to pursue God's work with diligence and integrity, knowing that their efforts are seen and celebrated by the Lord.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Zechariah
A prophet who received visions from God to encourage the Israelites during the rebuilding of the temple.

2. Zerubbabel
The governor of Judah and a key leader in the rebuilding of the temple after the Babylonian exile.

3. The Seven Eyes of the LORD
Symbolic of God's omniscience and His watchful presence over the earth.

4. The Plumb Line
A tool used in construction to ensure structures are upright, symbolizing the standard of God's work and righteousness.

5. The Day of Small Things
Refers to the seemingly insignificant beginnings of the temple rebuilding project, which should not be despised.
Teaching Points
Value in Small Beginnings
God often starts His work in small, humble ways. We should not despise or underestimate these beginnings, as they are part of His divine plan.

God's Omniscience and Sovereignty
The seven eyes of the LORD remind us that God sees everything and is in control. We can trust His oversight in our lives and endeavors.

Faithfulness in Obedience
Like Zerubbabel, we are called to be faithful in the tasks God gives us, even when they seem small or insignificant.

God's Standards and Righteousness
The plumb line symbolizes God's standards. We should align our lives and work with His righteousness and truth.

Encouragement in God's Promises
God's promise to rejoice in the completion of His work encourages us to persevere, knowing that He is with us and will bring His plans to fruition.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can we apply the principle of not despising small beginnings in our personal lives and ministries?

2. In what ways does understanding God's omniscience (the seven eyes) impact our trust in His plans for us?

3. How can we ensure that our actions and decisions align with God's "plumb line" of righteousness?

4. What are some examples in your life where God has turned small beginnings into significant outcomes?

5. How can the encouragement found in Zechariah 4:10 help us persevere through challenges in our spiritual journey?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Haggai 2:3-9
This passage also addresses the rebuilding of the temple and encourages the people not to be discouraged by its humble beginnings.

1 Samuel 16:7
God looks at the heart rather than outward appearances, similar to how He values the "day of small things."

Matthew 13:31-32
The parable of the mustard seed illustrates how God's kingdom starts small but grows significantly.

Revelation 5:6
The seven eyes are mentioned again, symbolizing the fullness of the Holy Spirit and God's omniscience.
Sermons
A Little Woman and a Big WarZechariah 4:10
Christian Appreciation of Little ThingsCharles H. Parkhurst, D. D.Zechariah 4:10
Day of Small Things -- a Talk with ChildrenDavid Davies.Zechariah 4:10
Duty in Relation to the LittleHomilistZechariah 4:10
Encouragement for the DepressedCharles Haddon Spurgeon Zechariah 4:10
Folly of Despising Small ThingsJ. G. Pilkington, M. A.Zechariah 4:10
God's Blessing on the Day of Small ThingsE. J. B.Zechariah 4:10
Great Results from Small BeginningsJ. Summefield, A. M.Zechariah 4:10
Great Results from Small BeginningsZechariah 4:10
No Influence is SmallG. H. Wetherbe.Zechariah 4:10
Nothing Should be DespisedJohn Robertson.Zechariah 4:10
Small BeginningsJohn Angel James.Zechariah 4:10
Small ThingsJ. H. Evans.Zechariah 4:10
Small ThingsH. Wilmot Buxton, M. A.Zechariah 4:10
Small, But EnoughZechariah 4:10
The Day of Small ThingsW. H. Hutchings, M. A.Zechariah 4:10
The Day of Small ThingsHenry Melvill, B. D.Zechariah 4:10
The Day of Small ThingsJohn C. Miller.Zechariah 4:10
The Day of Small ThingsJohn Foster.Zechariah 4:10
The Day of Small ThingsJ. Bowen Jones, B. A.Zechariah 4:10
The Day of Small Things not to be DespisedE. Payson, D. D.Zechariah 4:10
The Regard of God for Small Beginnings, Physical and SpiritualEdward White.Zechariah 4:10
The Resolution of a MomentJ. C. Geikie.Zechariah 4:10
The Significance of Apparent TriflesG. Brooks.Zechariah 4:10
Weak Grace EncouragedWilliam Jay.Zechariah 4:10
Man as a Student of the Divine Revelation and a Doer of Divine WorkD. Thomas Zechariah 4:1-10
Man as a Student of the Divine Revelation and a Doer of Divine WorkHomilistZechariah 4:1-14
The Candelabrum and Olive TreesW. L. Alexander, D. D.Zechariah 4:1-14
The CandlestickF. B. Meyer, B. A.Zechariah 4:1-14
The Golden CandlestickOutlines by a London MinisterZechariah 4:1-14
The Vision of the CandlestickGeorge Hutcheson.Zechariah 4:1-14
Encouragement to Christian WorkersW. Forsyth Zechariah 4:7-10
People
Zechariah, Zerubbabel
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Despised, Despises, Forth, Fro, Glad, Indeed, Joy, Lights, Line, Measuring-line, Opinion, Plumb, Plummet, Poor, Quickly, Range, Rejoice, Rejoiced, Run, Seven, Throughout, Tin, Trampled, Weight, Weighted, Yea, Zerubbabel, Zerub'babel, Zerubbabel-these
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Zechariah 4:10

     1110   God, present everywhere
     1210   God, human descriptions
     1466   vision
     1653   numbers, 6-10
     5149   eyes
     5818   contempt

Zechariah 4:1-14

     1431   prophecy, OT methods
     4416   branch

Zechariah 4:9-10

     7254   plumb-line

Library
September 2. "Who Hath Despised the Day of Small Things" (Zech. Iv. 10).
"Who hath despised the day of small things" (Zech. iv. 10). The oak comes out of the acorn, the eagle out of that little egg in the nest, the harvest comes out of the seed; and so the glory of the coming age is all coming out of the Christ life now, even as the majesty of His kingdom was all wrapped up that night in the babe of Bethlehem. Oh, let us take Him for all our life. Let us be united to His person and His risen body. Let us know what it is to say, "The Lord is for the body and the body is …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Founder and Finisher of the Temple
'The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it.'--ZECHARIAH iv. 9. I am afraid that Zerubbabel is very little more than a grotesque name to most Bible-readers, so I may be allowed a word of explanation as to him and as to the original force of my text. He was a prince of the blood royal of Israel, and the civil leader of the first detachment of returning exiles. With Joshua, the high priest, he came, at the head of a little company, to Palestine, and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Source of Power
'And the Angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2. And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold, a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps which are upon the top thereof: 3. And two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. 4. So I answered and spake to the Angel that talked with …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Independence of Christianity
Now, as this is true in the general of the great acts of God, this is equally true in the minutiae of them. It is true that God has a church, that that church has been redeemed and will be preserved for his glory, and it is equally true that everything that is done to the church, in the church, or for the church either with the permission or by the power of God, is for God's glory, as well as for the church's weal. You will notice, in reading Scripture, that whenever God has blessed the church, he …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

Encouragement for the Depressed
"For who hath despised the day of small things?"--Zechariah 4:10. ZECHARIAH WAS ENGAGED in the building of the temple. When its foundations were laid, it struck everybody as being a very small edifice compared with the former glorious structure of Solomon. The friends of the enterprise lamented that it should be so small; the foes of it rejoiced and uttered strong expressions of contempt. Both friends and foes doubted whether, even on that small scale, the structure would ever be completed. They …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 61: 1915

The Power
"Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."--Zech. iv. 6. J. Tauler, 1361. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899 Rest from longing and desire O thou weary heart! Dost thou ween thy choice has been Not the lower but the higher, Thine the better part? And therefore dost thou long with bitter longing From the day dawn to the night. For the holiness, the rest of His beloved Who walk with Him in white? Thou art wearied with the striving and the yearning For the crown that thou wouldst …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen and Others (Second Series)

Conversion --Human Agency In
What part and responsibility pertain to the human will in this matter? Before we leave the subject of conversion, it is important that we consider and understand this question also. For on this point also grievous and dangerous views and practices prevail. Human nature tends to extremes. Here too, there is a tendency to go too far, either in the one direction or the other. There are those, on the one hand, who virtually and practically make this change of heart and of nature a human work. They …
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

Gifts and Talents.
"And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him."--Judges iii. 10. We now consider the Holy Spirit's work in bestowing gifts, talents, and abilities upon artisans and professional men. Scripture declares that the special animation and qualification of persons for work assigned to them by God proceed from the Holy Spirit. The construction of the tabernacle required capable workmen, skilful carpenters, goldsmiths, and silversmiths, and masters in the arts of weaving and embroidering. Who will furnish Moses …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in Matters Purely Religious, and Pertaining to the Conscience.
Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in Matters purely Religious, and pertaining to the Conscience. Since God hath assumed to himself the power and Dominion of the Conscience, who alone can rightly instruct and govern it, therefore it is not lawful [1226] for any whosoever, by virtue of any authority or principality they bear in the government of this world, to force the consciences of others; and therefore all killing, banishing, fining, imprisoning, and other such things which are inflicted …
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity

Jesus Calls Four Fishermen to Follow Him.
(Sea of Galilee, Near Capernaum.) ^A Matt. IV. 18-22; ^B Mark I. 16-20; ^C Luke V. 1-11. ^a 18 And walking ^b 16 And passing along by the sea of Galilee [This lake is a pear-shaped body of water, about twelve and a half miles long and about seven miles across at its widest place. It is 682 feet below sea level; its waters are fresh, clear and abounding in fish, and it is surrounded by hills and mountains, which rise from 600 to 1,000 feet above it. Its greatest depth is about 165 feet], he [Jesus] …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Of the Necessity of Divine Influences to Produce Regeneration in the Soul.
Titus iii. 5, 6. Titus iii. 5, 6. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. IF my business were to explain and illustrate this scripture at large, it would yield an ample field for accurate criticism and useful discourse, and more especially would lead us into a variety of practical remarks, on which it would be pleasant …
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

The Harbinger
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD , make straight in the desert a high-way for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. T he general style of the prophecies is poetical. The inimitable simplicity which characterizes every …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Zechariah
CHAPTERS I-VIII Two months after Haggai had delivered his first address to the people in 520 B.C., and a little over a month after the building of the temple had begun (Hag. i. 15), Zechariah appeared with another message of encouragement. How much it was needed we see from the popular despondency reflected in Hag. ii. 3, Jerusalem is still disconsolate (Zech. i. 17), there has been fasting and mourning, vii. 5, the city is without walls, ii. 5, the population scanty, ii. 4, and most of the people …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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