Zechariah 10:9
New International Version
Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return.

New Living Translation
Though I have scattered them like seeds among the nations, they will still remember me in distant lands. They and their children will survive and return again to Israel.

English Standard Version
Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return.

Berean Standard Bible
Though I sow them among the nations, they will remember Me in distant lands; they and their children will live and return.

King James Bible
And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.

New King James Version
“I will sow them among the peoples, And they shall remember Me in far countries; They shall live, together with their children, And they shall return.

New American Standard Bible
“When I scatter them among the peoples, They will remember Me in distant countries, And they with their children will live and come back.

NASB 1995
“When I scatter them among the peoples, They will remember Me in far countries, And they with their children will live and come back.

NASB 1977
“When I scatter them among the peoples, They will remember Me in far countries, And they with their children will live and come back.

Legacy Standard Bible
And I will sow them among the peoples, And they will remember Me in far countries, And they with their children will live and turn back.

Amplified Bible
“When I scatter them among the nations, They will remember Me in far countries, And with their children they will live and come back [to Me and the land I gave them].

Christian Standard Bible
Though I sow them among the nations, they will remember me in the distant lands; they and their children will live and return.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Though I sow them among the nations, they will remember Me in the distant lands; they and their children will live and return.

American Standard Version
And I will sow them among the peoples; and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and shall return.

Contemporary English Version
Although I scattered my people in distant countries, they won't forget me. Once their children are raised, they will return--

English Revised Version
And I will sow them among the peoples; and they shall remember me in far countries: and they shall live with their children, and shall return.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Although I have scattered them among the nations, they will remember me even in faraway places. They will live with their children and then return.

Good News Translation
Though I have scattered them among the nations, yet in far-off places they will remember me. They and their children will survive and return home together.

International Standard Version
I will scatter them among the nations, and so they will remember me in distant countries. They will rear their children, and they will return.

Majority Standard Bible
Though I sow them among the nations, they will remember Me in distant lands; they and their children will live and return.

NET Bible
Though I scatter them among the nations, they will remember in far-off places--they and their children will sprout forth and return.

New Heart English Bible
I will sow them among the peoples; and they will remember me in far countries; and they will live with their children, and will return.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in remote countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.

World English Bible
I will sow them among the peoples. They will remember me in far countries. They will live with their children and will return.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I sow them among peoples, "" And in far-off places they remember Me, "" And they have lived with their sons, "" And they have turned back.

Young's Literal Translation
And I sow them among peoples, And in far-off places they remember Me, And they have lived with their sons, And they have turned back.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I will sow them among the peoples, and in distant places shall they remember me: and they lived with their sons, and turned back.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I will sow them among peoples: and from afar they shall remember me: and they shall live with their children, and shall return.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I will sow them among the peoples, and from far away they will remember me. And they will live with their sons, and they will return.

New American Bible
I sowed them among the nations, yet in distant lands they will remember me; they will bear their children and return.

New Revised Standard Version
Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and they shall rear their children and return.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I will scatter them among the nations, yet they shall praise me in far countries; and they shall rear their children and return again.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I shall sow them among the nations and in distant places they shall praise me, and they shall raise their children and they shall return
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And I will sow them among the peoples, And they shall remember Me in far countries; And they shall live with their children, and shall return.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I will sow them among the people; and they that are afar off shall remember me: they shall nourish their children, and they shall return.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judah and Israel will be Restored
8I will whistle for them to gather, for I have redeemed them; and they will be as numerous as they once were. 9Though I sow them among the nations, they will remember Me in distant lands; they and their children will live and return. 10I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon until no more room is found for them.…

Cross References
Hosea 2:23
And I will sow her as My own in the land, and I will have compassion on ‘No Compassion.’ I will say to those called ‘Not My People,’ ‘You are My people,’ and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

Jeremiah 31:27
“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and of beast.

Ezekiel 36:9-11
For behold, I am on your side; I will turn toward you, and you will be tilled and sown. / I will multiply the people upon you—the house of Israel in its entirety. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. / I will fill you with people and animals, and they will multiply and be fruitful. I will make you as inhabited as you once were, and I will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Isaiah 27:6
In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit.

Amos 9:9
“For surely I will give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations as grain is sifted in a sieve; but not a pebble will reach the ground.

Deuteronomy 30:3-5
then He will restore you from captivity and have compassion on you and gather you from all the nations to which the LORD your God has scattered you. / Even if you have been banished to the farthest horizon, He will gather you and return you from there. / And the LORD your God will bring you into the land your fathers possessed, and you will take possession of it. He will cause you to prosper and multiply more than your fathers.

Ezekiel 37:21-22
you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land. / I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms.

Isaiah 11:11-12
On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. / He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Jeremiah 23:3
Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands to which I have banished them, and I will return them to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and multiply.

Ezekiel 11:17
Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries to which you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.’

Isaiah 43:5-6
Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west. / I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth—

Jeremiah 30:18-19
This is what the LORD says: “I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings. And the city will be rebuilt on her own ruins, and the palace will stand in its rightful place. / Thanksgiving will proceed from them, a sound of celebration. I will multiply them, and they will not be decreased; I will honor them, and they will not be belittled.

Ezekiel 28:25-26
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, I will show Myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will dwell in their own land, which I have given to My servant Jacob. / And there they will dwell securely, build houses, and plant vineyards. They will dwell securely when I execute judgments against all those around them who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.’”

Isaiah 49:20-21
Yet the children of your bereavement will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; make room for us to live here.’ / Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. So who has reared them? Look, I was left all alone, so where did they come from?’”

Jeremiah 32:37
I will surely gather My people from all the lands to which I have banished them in My furious anger and great wrath, and I will return them to this place and make them dwell in safety.


Treasury of Scripture

And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.

sow.

Esther 8:17
And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

Jeremiah 31:27
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast.

Daniel 3:1-6:28
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon…

remember.

Deuteronomy 30:1-4
And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, …

1 Kings 8:47,48
Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; …

Nehemiah 1:9
But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

live.

Isaiah 65:9,23
And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there…

Acts 2:38,39
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost…

Acts 3:25,26
Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed…

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Zechariah 10
1. God is to be sought unto, and not idols.
3. As he visited his flock for sin, so he will save and restore them.














Though I sow them among the nations
The phrase "sow them among the nations" uses agricultural imagery to describe God's dispersion of His people. The Hebrew root for "sow" is "zara," which implies planting with the intention of future growth and harvest. Historically, this refers to the scattering of Israel among various nations due to exile. From a conservative Christian perspective, this dispersion is seen as part of God's sovereign plan, allowing His people to be a witness to the nations. The scattering is not a permanent abandonment but a purposeful act with the promise of eventual regathering.

they will remember Me
The act of remembering in Hebrew, "zakar," is more than recalling; it involves a conscious decision to act upon that memory. In the context of exile, this remembrance signifies a spiritual awakening and a return to covenant faithfulness. Despite being in foreign lands, the Israelites are called to remember their identity and relationship with God. This highlights the enduring nature of God's covenant, which remains active even when His people are physically distant from their homeland.

in far-off lands
The phrase "far-off lands" emphasizes the physical and spiritual distance between the Israelites and their homeland. It reflects the historical reality of the Jewish diaspora, where communities were established far from Israel. Yet, it also underscores the omnipresence of God, who remains accessible and faithful regardless of geographical separation. This serves as a reminder of God's promise to be with His people wherever they are, encouraging believers to maintain their faith and hope in His eventual deliverance.

they and their children
This phrase highlights the generational aspect of God's promise. The inclusion of "their children" signifies the continuity of God's covenant across generations. It reassures the exiled community that their descendants will also partake in the blessings of return and restoration. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this reflects the enduring nature of God's promises, which are not limited to a single generation but extend to all who are part of His covenant family.

will live and return
The promise that "they will live and return" speaks to both physical and spiritual restoration. The Hebrew word for "live," "chayah," implies thriving and flourishing, not merely surviving. This indicates a future where the people of Israel will not only return to their land but will also experience a renewed and abundant life. The word "return," "shuv," carries the connotation of repentance and turning back to God. It signifies a holistic restoration where the people are brought back to their land and to a right relationship with God. This prophetic promise assures believers of God's faithfulness to restore and renew His people, offering hope and encouragement for the future.

Verse 9. - I will sow them among the people (peoples). The "sowing" here does not mean scattering, but increase, and this was to go on while they were dispersed among the nations. The word is used in the same sense in Hosea 2:23; Jeremiah 31:27. This continued dispersion was a part of their discipline, a test of their loyalty to God. They shall remember me. In the countries where they are living they shall worship the Lord and observe his Law, and be a witness for him among the heathen. They shall live with their children (Ezekiel 37:14). The promised blessing is not for a time only, but perpetual. Turn again; i.e. return to their own land (Isaiah 35:10). It cannot mean, "turn to the Lord," for they are said already to remember the Lord, and their "conversion must precede the promise of life." The next verse describes the return more particularly.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Though I sow
וְאֶזְרָעֵם֙ (wə·’ez·rā·‘êm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 2232: To sow, to disseminate, plant, fructify

them among the nations,
בָּֽעַמִּ֔ים (bā·‘am·mîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

they will remember Me
יִזְכְּר֑וּנִי (yiz·kə·rū·nî)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common singular
Strong's 2142: To mark, to remember, to mention, to be male

in distant lands;
וּבַמֶּרְחַקִּ֖ים (ū·ḇam·mer·ḥaq·qîm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4801: Remoteness, a distant place, from afar

they and their children
בְּנֵיהֶ֖ם (bə·nê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

will live
וְחָי֥וּ (wə·ḥā·yū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive

and return.
וָשָֽׁבוּ׃ (wā·šā·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again


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OT Prophets: Zechariah 10:9 I will sow them among the peoples (Zech. Zec Zc)
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