Zechariah 4:12 (ASV)

Passage

And I answered the second time, and said unto him, What are these two olive-branches, which are beside the two golden spouts, that empty the golden [oil] out of themselves?

Nearby Context

Zechariah 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel; [these are] the eyes of Jehovah, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Zechariah 4:11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive-trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?

Zechariah 4:12 And I answered the second time, and said unto him, What are these two olive-branches, which are beside the two golden spouts, that empty the golden [oil] out of themselves?

Zechariah 4:13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord.

Zechariah 4:14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "answered", "second", "time", "said", "olive-branches", "beside", "golden", and "spouts". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "answered" and "second", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Then answered I and said unto him..." into verse 13's "And he answered me and said Knowest...", so "answered" and "second" belong inside that flow. In Zechariah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "answered" and "second" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.