Zechariah 12:1 (DRB)

Passage

The burden of the word of the Lord upon Israel. Thus saith the Lord, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundations of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man in him:

Nearby Context

Zechariah 12:1 The burden of the word of the Lord upon Israel. Thus saith the Lord, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundations of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man in him:

Zechariah 12:2 Behold I will make Jerusalem a lintel of surfeiting to all the people round about: and Juda also shall be in the siege against Jerusalem.

Zechariah 12:3 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone to all people: all that shall lift it up shall be rent and torn, and all the kingdoms of the earth shall be gathered together against her.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "burden", "word", "lord", "upon", "israel", "thus", and "saith". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "burden", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "Behold I will make Jerusalem a lintel...", so "Spirit" and "burden" should be read forward into that movement. In Zechariah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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