Zechariah 1:15
New International Version
and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.’

New Living Translation
But I am very angry with the other nations that are now enjoying peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations inflicted harm on them far beyond my intentions.

English Standard Version
And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster.

Berean Standard Bible
but I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease. For I was a little angry, but they have added to the calamity.’

King James Bible
And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

New King James Version
I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; For I was a little angry, And they helped—but with evil intent.

New American Standard Bible
But I am very angry with the nations who are carefree; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster.”

NASB 1995
“But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster.”

NASB 1977
“But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But I am very wrathful with the nations who are at ease; for I was only a little wrathful, but they helped increase the calamity.”

Amplified Bible
But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease and feel secure; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster [against the people of Israel].”

Christian Standard Bible
I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease, for I was a little angry, but they made the destruction worse.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease, for I was a little angry, but they made it worse.

American Standard Version
And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

Contemporary English Version
For a while I was angry at the nations, but now I am furious, because they have made things worse for Jerusalem and are not the least bit concerned.

English Revised Version
And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
and I'm very angry with the nations who think they are at ease. I was only a little angry, but they made things worse.

Good News Translation
and I am very angry with the nations that enjoy quiet and peace. For while I was holding back my anger against my people, those nations made the sufferings of my people worse.

International Standard Version
I am deeply angry with the nations who are complacent, with whom I was only a little displeased—but they made things worse!"

Majority Standard Bible
but I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease. For I was a little angry, but they have added to the calamity.’

NET Bible
But I am greatly displeased with the nations that take my grace for granted. I was a little displeased with them, but they have only made things worse for themselves.

New Heart English Bible
I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for I was but only a little angry, but they added to the calamity."

Webster's Bible Translation
And I am very greatly displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

World English Bible
I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, but they added to the calamity.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And [with] great wrath I am angry against the nations who are at ease, "" For I was a little angry, and they assisted—for evil.

Young's Literal Translation
And with great wrath I am wroth against the nations who are at ease, For I was a little wroth, and they assisted -- for evil.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I am angry with great anger against the nations living in quiet: for I was angry a little and they helped for evil.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I am angry with a great anger with the wealthy nations: for I was angry a little, but they helped forward the evil.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And, with a great anger, I am angry with the wealthy nations. Though I had been angry a little, truly they advanced further in evil.

New American Bible
I am consumed with anger toward the complacent nations; When I was only a little angry, they compounded the disaster.

New Revised Standard Version
And I am extremely angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they made the disaster worse.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I am very angry with the nations who are raging; for while I was but a little angry, they helped to carry the disaster to the extreme.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I am angry with the nations that are in tumult, for I was a little angry and they helped the evil
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
and I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped for evil.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I am very angry with the heathen that combine to attack her: forasmuch as I indeed was a little angry, but they combined to attack her for evil.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Vision of the Horses
14Then the angel who was speaking with me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, 15but I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease. For I was a little angry, but they have added to the calamity.’ 16Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there My house will be rebuilt, declares the LORD of Hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’…

Cross References
Isaiah 47:6
I was angry with My people; I profaned My heritage, and I placed them under your control. You showed them no mercy; even on the elderly you laid a most heavy yoke.

Jeremiah 50:11
“Because you rejoice, because you sing in triumph—you who plunder My inheritance—because you frolic like a heifer treading grain and neigh like stallions,

Jeremiah 50:17
Israel is a scattered flock, chased away by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”

Lamentations 1:5
Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. For the LORD has brought her grief because of her many transgressions. Her children have gone away as captives before the enemy.

Lamentations 1:12
Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see! Is there any sorrow like mine, which was inflicted on me, which the LORD made me suffer on the day of His fierce anger?

Ezekiel 25:12-14
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah, and in so doing incurred grievous guilt, / therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off from it both man and beast. I will make it a wasteland, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword. / I will take My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to My anger and wrath. Then they will know My vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.’

Ezekiel 25:15-17
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance, taking vengeance with malice of soul to destroy Judah with ancient hostility, / therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant along the coast. / I will execute great vengeance against them with furious reproof. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them.’”

Ezekiel 35:5-6
Because you harbored an ancient hatred and delivered the Israelites over to the sword in the time of their disaster at the final stage of their punishment, / therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, it will pursue you.

Psalm 69:26
For they persecute the one You struck and recount the pain of those You wounded.

Psalm 137:7
Remember, O LORD, the sons of Edom on the day Jerusalem fell: “Destroy it,” they said, “tear it down to its foundations!”

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Luke 19:41-44
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it / and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. / For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ...

Romans 11:28-32
Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. / For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. / Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience, ...

Romans 12:19
Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 2:14-16
For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the very things they suffered from the Jews, / who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men, / hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them.


Treasury of Scripture

And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

Zechariah 1:2,11
The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers…

Isaiah 47:7-9
And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it…

Jeremiah 48:11-13
Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed…

for.

Isaiah 54:8
In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

Hebrews 12:6,7
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth…

and.

Psalm 69:26
For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.

Psalm 83:2-5
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head…

Psalm 137:7
Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

Jump to Previous
Added Affliction Angry Assisted Calamity Disaster Displeased Ease Evil Exceedingly Feel Forward Furthered Great Greatly Heathen Helped Little Nations Secure Sore Untroubled Worse Wrath Wroth
Jump to Next
Added Affliction Angry Assisted Calamity Disaster Displeased Ease Evil Exceedingly Feel Forward Furthered Great Greatly Heathen Helped Little Nations Secure Sore Untroubled Worse Wrath Wroth
Zechariah 1
1. Zechariah exhorts to repentance.
7. The vision of the horses.
12. At the prayer of the angel comfortable promises are made to Jerusalem.
18. The vision of the four horns and the four carpenters.














I am exceedingly angry
The Hebrew root for "angry" here is "קָצַף" (qatsaph), which conveys a sense of intense wrath or indignation. This phrase underscores God's profound displeasure with the nations. In the context of Zechariah, this anger is not arbitrary but is a response to the actions of the nations. Historically, the nations surrounding Israel had taken advantage of God's temporary displeasure with His people, exacerbating their suffering rather than showing compassion. This phrase serves as a reminder of God's justice and His protective nature over His covenant people.

with the nations at ease
The term "at ease" comes from the Hebrew "שַׁאֲנַן" (sha'anan), which implies a sense of complacency or false security. The nations are depicted as being unconcerned and self-satisfied, living in comfort while Israel suffers. This complacency is offensive to God, as it reflects a lack of empathy and a failure to recognize their own accountability. Historically, this can be seen in the way powerful empires like Babylon and Persia treated conquered peoples, often with arrogance and without regard for justice.

for I was a little angry
The phrase "a little angry" uses the Hebrew "קָצַף מְעַט" (qatsaph me'at), indicating that God's initial anger towards Israel was measured and temporary. This reflects God's discipline, which is always aimed at correction and restoration rather than destruction. It highlights the difference between God's righteous anger and the excessive cruelty of the nations. Scripturally, this aligns with the theme of God's enduring mercy and His desire for His people to return to Him.

but they furthered the disaster
The Hebrew word for "furthered" is "עָזַר" (azar), meaning to help or assist, but in this context, it is used ironically. The nations did not just passively observe Israel's suffering; they actively contributed to it. "Disaster" comes from "רָעָה" (ra'ah), which can mean evil or calamity. This phrase indicates that the nations took God's disciplinary actions and amplified them into greater suffering for Israel. Historically, this can be seen in the harsh treatment and exploitation of the Israelites during their exile. This serves as a warning against taking advantage of others' misfortunes and a call to act justly and with compassion.

Verse 15. - The heathen; the nations, who were God's instruments in punishing Israel. That are at ease. Living in proud security and self-enjoyment (Isaiah 32:9, 11; Amos 6:1; comp. ver. 11). Septuagint, τὰ συνεπιτιθέμενα, "which join in attacking her;" Vulgate, opulentas, "wealthy," their riches giving them self-confidence. I was but a little displeased. God had been angry with his people, it is true, but only in measure, chastising them, like a parent, for their good. Others take "a little" (parum, ὀλίγα) to mean "for a little time," in allusion to the seventy years' captivity. And they helped forward the affliction; or, in the LXX., συνεπέθεντο εἰς κακὰ, "helped for evil; "Vulgate, adjuverunt in malum. They exceeded their part as mere instruments in God's hands, and wished to destroy Israel altogether, or to oppress them beyond the purposed period of their chastisement. A similar complaint is made against the Assyrians (Isaiah 10:5, etc.) and the Babylonians (Isaiah 47:6).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
but I
אֲנִ֣י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am fiercely angry
וְקֶ֤צֶף (wə·qe·ṣep̄)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7110: A splinter, rage, strife

with
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the nations
הַגּוֹיִ֖ם (hag·gō·w·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

that are at ease.
הַשַּֽׁאֲנַנִּ֑ים (haš·ša·’ă·nan·nîm)
Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7600: Secure, haughty

For
אֲשֶׁ֤ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

I
אֲנִי֙ (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

was a little
מְּעָ֔ט (mə·‘āṭ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few

angry,
קָצַ֣פְתִּי (qā·ṣap̄·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7107: To crack off, burst out in rage

but they
וְהֵ֖מָּה (wə·hêm·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

have increased
עָזְר֥וּ (‘ā·zə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5826: To surround, protect, aid

the calamity.’
לְרָעָֽה׃ (lə·rā·‘āh)
Preposition-l | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil


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OT Prophets: Zechariah 1:15 I am very angry with the nations (Zech. Zec Zc)
Zechariah 1:14
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