Zechariah 4:11 (YLT)

Passage

And I answer and say unto him, `What <FI>are<Fi> these two olive-trees, on the right of the candlestick, and on its left?'

Nearby Context

Zechariah 4:9 Hands of Zerubbabel did found this house, And his hands do finish it, And thou hast known that Jehovah of Hosts Hath sent me unto you.

Zechariah 4:10 For who trampled on the day of small things, They have rejoiced, And seen the tin weight in the hand of Zerubbabel, These seven <FI>are<Fi> the eyes of Jehovah, They are going to and fro in all the land.'

Zechariah 4:11 And I answer and say unto him, `What <FI>are<Fi> these two olive-trees, on the right of the candlestick, and on its left?'

Zechariah 4:12 And I answer a second time, and say unto him, `What <FI>are<Fi> the two branches of the olive trees that, by means of the two golden pipes, are emptying out of themselves the oil?'

Zechariah 4:13 And he speaketh unto me, saying, `Hast thou not known what these <FI>are<Fi> ?' And I say, `No, my lord.'

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "answer", "olive-trees", "right", "candlestick", and "left". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "answer" and "olive-trees", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "For who trampled on the day of..." into verse 12's "And I answer a second time and...", so "answer" and "olive-trees" 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 "answer" and "olive-trees" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.