“Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?”
The full verse · Zechariah 7:7 · KJV
Should ye not hear the which the hath the , when was and in , and the thereof round about , when men the and the ?
Asked by
Asked to
The delegation from Bethel who came to inquire about fasting, along with the broader population of Judah who had returned from exile.
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionBy framing this as a question rather than a declaration, God forces the people to confront their own knowledge of what the former prophets taught. The interrogative form compels self-examination and acknowledgment that they already knew God’s requirements but chose disobedience, making their guilt inescapable.
The Response
What Scripture recordsThe text records no verbal response from the people to this rhetorical question. The passage continues with God’s elaboration in verses 8-14, detailing the specific commands the former prophets gave and the consequences of Israel’s refusal to listen, culminating in the scattering that led to the desolation they now lament.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyGod’s question confronts the returned exiles with an uncomfortable truth: the very prophets whose warnings they ignored are the reason they suffered exile, yet now they ask about continuing memorial fasts for that judgment. The Hebrew construction uses a rhetorical negative expectation (הֲלוֹא, halo), essentially saying “Is it not the case that…?” which demands affirmation. God frames this as a question rather than an accusation to force personal recognition; they must acknowledge they already knew what God required. The issue was never unclear prophetic messages but stubborn disobedience. The theological weight lands heavily: God values obedience to His moral commands far above ritual observance, even divinely ordained rituals. Their ancestors chose ceremonial religion while oppressing widows and orphans, earning not God’s favor but His judgment.
Are you more concerned with religious routines than with how you treat people? God’s question cuts through the fog of ritual performance to expose what matters most. You can attend every service, maintain every spiritual discipline, and still miss the heart of what God wants, justice, mercy, and humility in your daily relationships. Before adding another religious practice to your life, examine whether you’re practicing the compassion and integrity God has already commanded. As Micah 6:8 asks, “What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” The gospel frees you from earning God’s favor through rituals and empowers you to love others as Christ loved you.
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Keep questioning
“When ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?”
“When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?”
“Why?”
“What is the burden of the LORD?”