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Zechariah 9

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Judgment on Syria and Phoenicia 1–8

1
The burden of the word of Jehovah upon the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be its resting-place (for the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward Jehovah); ​
2
and Hamath, also, which bordereth thereon; Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise. ​
3
And Tyre did build herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.
4
Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.
5
Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also, and shall be sore pained; and Ekron, for her expectation shall be put to shame; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. ​
6
And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. ​
7
And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth; and he also shall be a remnant for our God; and he shall be as a chieftain in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite. ​
8
And I will encamp about my house against the army, that none pass through or return; and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes. ​

The Arrival of the Humble King 9–10

9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass. ​
10
And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off; and he shall speak peace unto the nations: and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. ​

Covenant Restoration and Victory 11–12

11
As for thee also, because of the blood of thy covenant I have set free thy prisoners from the pit wherein is no water. ​
12
Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even to-day do I declare that I will render double unto thee. ​

The LORD’s Victory Over the Nations 13–17

13
For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man. ​
14
And Jehovah shall be seen over them; and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord Jehovah will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south. ​
15
Jehovah of hosts will defend them; and they shall devour, and shall tread down the sling-stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar.
16
And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted on high over his land. ​
17
For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Zechariah 9

Verse 1

The burden of the word of the LORD — Massa, from the verb 'to lift': a weighty utterance, here against Syria. 'Hadrach' and Damascus (cf. Amos 1:3–5; Jer 49:27) are named first because they bordered Israel. 'The rest' (menuchah) is where the burden settles. 'The eyes of man… toward the LORD' is read as the nations' turning to him.

Verse 2

Hamath also shall border thereby — Hamath lay north of Damascus and shares the burden. 'Tyrus, and Zidon' follow; their 'wise' (chakam) reputation rests on the skill and trade for which Tyre is rebuked: 'By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches' (Ezek 28:5).

Verse 5

Ashkelon shall see it, and fear — The Philistine cities Ashkelon, Gaza and Ekron see Tyre's fall (vv.3–4) and fear; Ashdod follows in v.6. Their 'expectation' (mabbat) was what they looked to for safety, and it is 'ashamed'. Zephaniah foretells the same: 'Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation' (Zeph 2:4).

Verse 6

a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod — Mamzer, one of mixed birth; the word occurs only here and in Deut 23:2, 'A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD'. A people of mixed descent replaces Ashdod's own, and 'the pride' (ga'on) of the Philistines is cut off.

Verse 7

his blood out of his mouth — The 'blood' and 'abominations' (shiqqutz, idolatrous filth) are taken from his mouth and teeth; what 'remaineth' becomes 'for our God'. A 'governor' (alluph) is a chieftain of a clan in Judah, and Ekron 'as a Jebusite', a people left undriven, who 'dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem' (Josh 15:63).

Verse 8

I will encamp about mine house — Chanah, to pitch a camp: the LORD himself is the garrison (matstsabah) round his house, against armies passing and returning. 'No oppressor shall pass through them any more' recalls 'no strangers pass through her any more' (Joel 3:17). 'Now have I seen with mine eyes' gives the reason.

Verse 9

thy King cometh unto thee — Matthew gives it at Christ's entry: 'Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass' (Matt 21:5); John also (John 12:15). 'Just' is tsaddiq; 'lowly' is ani, afflicted and humble; 'having salvation' is literally 'saved', or bringing salvation.

Verse 10

the chariot from Ephraim — The weapons of war are 'cut off' (karath) from both the northern kingdom and Jerusalem, and the King 'shall speak peace unto the heathen' (goyim, the nations). His dominion 'from sea even to sea' is the reign of Ps 72:8: 'from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth'.

Verse 11

the blood of thy covenant — The covenant sealed at Sinai: 'Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you' (Exod 24:8). On its strength the LORD sends 'thy prisoners' (asir) out of the 'pit' (bor), a cistern or dungeon, like the one Joseph was cast into: 'there was no water in it' (Gen 37:24).

Verse 12

Turn you to the strong hold — Bitstsaron, a fortress, found only here in the KJV. The 'prisoners of hope' (tiqvah, expectation) are the freed captives of v.11, told to take refuge in it. 'Double' (mishneh) is the restoration of Isa 61:7: 'For your shame ye shall have double.'

Verse 13

O Greece — Yavan, Javan, son of Japheth (Gen 10:2), the name of the Greek people. The LORD uses Judah as a drawn bow, 'filled' with Ephraim as the arrow, and raises Zion's 'sons' against Greece's sons, making Zion 'as the sword of a mighty man'. Daniel names the 'king of Grecia' in Dan 8:21.

Verse 14

his arrow shall go forth as the lightning — The LORD is 'seen over them' as warrior, his arrow (chets) the lightning, as in 'he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them' (Ps 18:14). The 'trumpet' is the shophar, the horn sounded for battle; 'whirlwinds of the south' (teiman) mark his advance.

Verse 16

as the flock of his people — The LORD saves his people as a shepherd saves his flock (Ezek 34:22). They are 'stones of a crown' (nezer, a consecrated diadem), as in 'a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD' (Isa 62:3), and 'lifted up as an ensign' (nasas, to be conspicuous like a standard) on his land.