English · KJV

Zechariah 9

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Judgment on Syria and Phoenicia 1–8

1
The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD. ​
2
And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise. ​
3
And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.
4
Behold, the Lord will cast her out, 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 shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; 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: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite. ​
8
And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: 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, and 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 heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. ​

Covenant Restoration and Victory 11–12

11
As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. ​
12
Turn you to the strong hold, 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
When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. ​
14
And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. ​
15
The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.
16
And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. ​
17
For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · 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.