Zechariah 4:11 (GNV)

Passage

Then answered I, and said vnto him, What are these two oliue trees vpon the right and vpon the left side thereof?

Nearby Context

Zechariah 4:9 The handes of Zerubbabel haue layde the foundation of this house: his handes shall also finish it, and thou shalt knowe that the Lord of hostes hath sent me vnto you.

Zechariah 4:10 For who hath despised the day of the small thinges? but they shall reioyce, and shall see the stone of tinne in the hand of Zerubbabel: these seuen are the eyes of the Lord, which go thorow the whole world.

Zechariah 4:11 Then answered I, and said vnto him, What are these two oliue trees vpon the right and vpon the left side thereof?

Zechariah 4:12 And I spake moreouer, and said vnto him, What bee these two oliue branches, which thorowe the two golden pipes emptie themselues into the golde?

Zechariah 4:13 And hee answered me, and saide, Knowest thou not what these bee? And I sayde, No, my Lord.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "answered", "said", "vnto", "oliue", "trees", "vpon", and "right". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "answered" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "For who hath despised the day of..." into verse 12's "And I spake moreouer and said vnto...", so "answered" and "said" 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 "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.