Zechariah 9:12

Translation
King James Version
¶ Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;
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KJV (with Strong's)
Turn H7725 you to the strong hold H1225, ye prisoners H615 of hope H8615: even to day H3117 do I declare H5046 that I will render H7725 double H4932 unto thee;
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Complete Jewish Bible
Return to the stronghold, you prisoners with hope! This day I declare to you that I will grant you double reparation.
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Berean Standard Bible
Return to your stronghold,O prisoners of hope;even today I declarethat I will restore to you double.
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American Standard Version
Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even to-day do I declare that I will render double unto thee.
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World English Bible Messianic
Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope! Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Turne you to the strong holde, ye prisoners of hope: euen to day doe I declare, that I will render the double vnto thee.
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Young's Literal Translation
Turn back to a fenced place, Ye prisoners of the hope, Even to-day a second announcer I restore to thee.
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See also
Job 42:10Isaiah 61:7Lamentations 3:21Lamentations 3:22Hebrews 6:18Jeremiah 31:17Jeremiah 51:10
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In the KJVVerse 23,012 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Zechariah 9:12 is a powerful prophetic exhortation and promise, calling God's people, identified paradoxically as "prisoners of hope," to return to their divine refuge. It declares an immediate and certain future where God will abundantly restore and recompense them, providing double for their past suffering and loss. This verse encapsulates a message of enduring hope, divine faithfulness, and overflowing restoration for those who trust in the Lord amidst adversity.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Zechariah 9:12 is situated within the second major section of the book (chapters 9-14), often referred to as "The Book of Burden" or "The Oracles Concerning the Future." This section shifts from the earlier visionary prophecies (chapters 1-8) to more direct, apocalyptic, and messianic pronouncements. Chapter 9 itself begins with prophecies of divine judgment against surrounding Gentile nations (Tyre, Sidon, Philistia) that oppressed Israel, asserting God's sovereignty over all peoples. Following these judgments, the focus narrows to the protection and restoration of Judah and Jerusalem, culminating in the prophecy of the coming humble King (Zechariah 9:9). Verse 12 serves as a direct address to God's people, transitioning from the external judgments and the promise of a peaceful king to an intimate call for their return and a declaration of their promised restoration. It acts as a pivot, inviting the remnant to embrace their identity and the certain hope God offers.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The prophecy of Zechariah was delivered to the Jewish community that had returned from seventy years of Babylonian exile. They faced immense challenges: a ruined homeland, a partially rebuilt Temple, economic hardship, and the constant threat from surrounding hostile nations. Spiritually, they struggled with apathy and disillusionment, questioning God's faithfulness given their prolonged suffering. Culturally, they were a people defined by their covenant relationship with Yahweh, yet often felt like "prisoners" – not just literally from exile, but also figuratively, bound by their circumstances and past failures. The concept of a "stronghold" would resonate deeply with a people needing protection and security in a volatile region, while the promise of "double" would speak to their deep desire for recompense and vindication after generations of loss and shame, a common motif in ancient Near Eastern restitution laws.
  • Key Themes: Zechariah 9:12 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book and broader biblical theology. It reinforces the theme of Divine Sovereignty and Protection, demonstrating God's ultimate control over nations and His unwavering commitment to guard His covenant people, as seen in His promise to encamp around His house (Zechariah 9:8). The verse powerfully introduces the Paradox of Hope Amidst Adversity, presenting the people as "prisoners of hope," whose identity is defined not by their current confinement or suffering but by their confident expectation in God's future deliverance. This hope is rooted in God's Faithfulness to His Covenant Promises, even when His people have failed. Furthermore, it highlights the theme of Restoration and Abundant Blessing, promising a "double" portion of good for their past troubles, echoing similar promises of divine recompense found in other prophetic books, such as Isaiah 61:7. The call to "Turn you to the strong hold" also emphasizes the necessity of Repentance and Return to God as the prerequisite for experiencing His promised blessings.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • strong hold (Hebrew, bitstsârôwn', H1225): From the root meaning "to cut off" or "to fortify," this masculine intensive noun refers to a fortress, a place of impregnable strength and security. In the context of Zechariah 9:12, it metaphorically refers to God Himself as the ultimate refuge and source of protection for His people, a theme consistent with other biblical portrayals of God as a rock, fortress, and deliverer.
  • prisoners (Hebrew, ʼâçîyr', H615): Derived from a verb meaning "to bind" or "to tie," this word literally denotes someone who is bound or a captive. Here, it signifies the people's state of vulnerability, perhaps still feeling the effects of exile or facing oppression, yet it is immediately qualified by "of hope," creating a profound paradox.
  • hope (Hebrew, tiqvâh', H8615): Literally meaning "a cord" (as an attachment) or figuratively "expectancy," this term signifies a confident anticipation or a firm expectation. When combined with "prisoners," it transforms a state of confinement into one defined by an unyielding, divinely-rooted expectation, suggesting that their hope is the very cord that binds them to God's future promises.
  • declare (Hebrew, nâgad', H5046): A primitive root meaning "to front," "stand boldly out opposite," or "to manifest." Causatively, it means "to announce" or "to tell" (always by word of mouth to one present). The use of this word emphasizes the directness, certainty, and immediate nature of God's pronouncement; it is a public, authoritative declaration.
  • double (Hebrew, mishneh', H4932): From a root meaning "to repeat," this noun properly signifies a repetition, a duplicate, or twice the amount. By implication, it can mean a second in order, rank, age, quality, or location. In Zechariah 9:12, it conveys a complete, abundant, and overflowing recompense or restitution, far exceeding what was lost or suffered. It implies not just restoration but superabundant blessing.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope:" This opening phrase is a direct, imperative command, a divine invitation for God's people to return. The "strong hold" is not a physical fortress but a spiritual one—God Himself, their ultimate refuge and source of security. The striking oxymoron "prisoners of hope" defines their unique identity: though they may be bound by circumstances, past sins, or external pressures, their defining characteristic is an unwavering, divinely-given hope. This hope is not wishful thinking but a confident expectation rooted in God's unchanging promises, which liberates them even in their perceived captivity.
  • "even to day do I declare": This clause emphasizes the immediacy and certainty of God's promise. "Even to day" underscores that this is not a distant, vague possibility but a present, active pronouncement from God. The verb "declare" (H5046, nâgad') signifies a bold, authoritative, and public announcement, highlighting God's direct involvement and His unwavering commitment to His covenant people. It is a divine decree that is already set in motion.
  • "that I will render double unto thee;": This final declaration reveals the nature of God's promised restoration. "Render double" signifies a generous, overflowing recompense for past suffering, shame, or loss. It is a biblical motif of full compensation and exceeding blessing, far surpassing what was lost. This promise speaks to God's desire not merely to restore what was taken but to lavish His goodness upon His redeemed, demonstrating His abundant grace and faithfulness to His covenant.

Literary Devices

Zechariah 9:12 is rich in literary artistry that enhances its profound theological message. The most striking device is Paradox, evident in the phrase "prisoners of hope." This juxtaposition of seemingly contradictory terms ("prisoners" implying confinement and despair, "hope" implying freedom and expectation) powerfully encapsulates the unique identity and spiritual state of God's people. It suggests that even in their deepest struggles or perceived captivity, their ultimate reality is defined by an unyielding, divinely-rooted hope. Another significant device is Metaphor, where God is presented as the "strong hold." This imagery evokes a sense of impenetrable security and refuge, inviting the people to find their safety and strength in Him. The phrase "render double" employs Hyperbole or Symbolism, signifying not merely twice the amount but an overflowing, superabundant measure of blessing and restoration, far beyond what was lost. This is a symbolic expression of God's lavish grace and complete recompense. Finally, the verse uses Direct Address ("Turn you... ye prisoners...") and Divine Declaration ("even to day do I declare"), making the message personal, urgent, and authoritative, underscoring God's active engagement with His people.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Zechariah 9:12 profoundly articulates God's unwavering faithfulness and His character as a God of restoration and abundant grace. It speaks to the divine principle that God not only delivers His people from their afflictions but also recompenses their suffering with overflowing blessings. The concept of being "prisoners of hope" reveals a deep theological truth: even when circumstances seem to imprison us, our identity in God's covenant means our ultimate reality is defined by an unshakeable hope in His promises. This hope is not a naive optimism but a confident expectation rooted in God's power and His commitment to His people, demonstrating that true freedom is found in trusting His sovereign plan. The promise of "double" underscores God's generosity and His desire to not just make things right, but to make them better than before, transforming loss into gain and sorrow into joy.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Zechariah 9:12 offers profound encouragement and practical guidance for believers navigating the complexities of life. In a world often characterized by uncertainty, disappointment, and various forms of spiritual or circumstantial "captivity," we are called to embody the identity of "prisoners of hope." This means that even when we feel limited, burdened, or trapped by our circumstances—be it financial hardship, relational brokenness, physical illness, or spiritual struggles—our defining characteristic is not our affliction but our confident expectation in God's unfailing promises. Our primary response to any challenge should be to "turn to the strong hold," seeking refuge and strength in God alone, recognizing Him as our ultimate fortress and deliverer. This verse reminds us that God's declaration of restoration is not a distant possibility but a present reality, a divine commitment to supernaturally bless and restore what has been lost or broken. We are invited to live with an expectant heart, trusting that God's grace will not only sustain us through trials but will ultimately "render double" for any suffering endured for His name, culminating in a future of abundant joy and glory.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what areas of your life do you currently feel like a "prisoner," and how can you embrace your identity as a "prisoner of hope" in those situations?
  • What does it practically mean for you to "turn to the strong hold" (God) when facing challenges or uncertainties?
  • How does the promise of God rendering "double" encourage you regarding past losses or present struggles, and what does it reveal about God's character?
  • How can you live "even to day" with the certainty of God's declared promises, rather than waiting for future circumstances to change?

FAQ

What does the phrase "prisoners of hope" truly mean?

Answer: The phrase "prisoners of hope" (Hebrew: 'asirei hatiqvah') is a powerful paradox. It describes individuals who, despite experiencing various forms of confinement, limitation, or suffering (literal captivity, spiritual bondage, or the consequences of sin), are fundamentally defined by their unshakeable hope in God. Their "imprisonment" is overshadowed by their confident expectation in God's future deliverance and restoration. It implies that their hope is not a fleeting wish but a binding force, an anchor that holds them securely to God's promises, liberating them spiritually even if they are physically or circumstantially constrained. This hope is rooted in God's character and His covenant faithfulness, rather than in their present circumstances.

What is the significance of God promising to "render double"?

Answer: The promise to "render double" (Hebrew: mishneh) signifies a complete, abundant, and overflowing recompense or restitution. It goes beyond mere restoration, implying a superabundant blessing that far outweighs any past suffering, loss, or shame. This concept is found elsewhere in Scripture, such as in Isaiah 61:7, where God promises "double honor for your shame," and in the story of Job, where God restores to him "double what he had before" (Job 42:10). Theologically, it demonstrates God's lavish grace, His desire to not only heal but to bless profusely, and His power to transform adversity into an opportunity for greater glory and prosperity, both spiritual and sometimes material.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Zechariah 9:12 finds its ultimate and most glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The "strong hold" to which the "prisoners of hope" are called is supremely embodied in Christ, who is our refuge, fortress, and deliverer (Psalm 18:2). He is the one in whom all the promises of God find their "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20). We, as believers, are truly "prisoners of hope" because our hope is not in fleeting earthly circumstances but in the living Christ, who has conquered sin and death. Our hope is anchored in His finished work on the cross, His resurrection, and His promised return (Hebrews 6:19). Through Christ, we are liberated from the ultimate captivity of sin and death, receiving true freedom and an eternal inheritance. The promise to "render double" is fulfilled in the immeasurable spiritual blessings we receive in Christ, far surpassing any earthly loss or suffering. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), given the Holy Spirit as a down payment of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14), and promised a future glory that far outweighs our present light and momentary troubles (2 Corinthians 4:17). In Christ, the "double" is not merely a restoration of what was lost, but an infinite gain of eternal life, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, culminating in a glorious future with Him.

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Commentary on Zechariah 9 verses 12–17

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

The prophet, having taught those that had returned out of captivity to attribute their deliverance to the blood of the covenant and to the promise of the Messiah (for they were so wonderfully helped because that blessing was in them, was yet in the womb of their nation), now comes to encourage them with the prospect of a joyful and happy settlement, and of glorious times before them; and such a happiness they did enjoy, in a great measure, for some time; but these promises have their full accomplishment in the spiritual blessings of the gospel which we enjoy by Jesus Christ.

I. They are invited to look unto Christ, and flee unto him as their city of refuge (Zac 9:12): Turn you to the strong-hold, you prisoners of hope. The Jews that had returned out of captivity into their own land were yet, in effect, but prisoners (We are servants this day, Neh 9:36), yet prisoners of hope, or expectation, for God had given them a little reviving in their bondage, Ezr 9:8, Ezr 9:9. Those that yet continued in Babylon, detained by their affairs there, yet lived in hope some time or other to see their own land again. Now both these are directed to turn their eyes upon the Messiah, set before them in the promise as their strong-hold, to shelter themselves in him, and stay themselves upon him, for the perfecting of the mercy which by his grace, and for his sake, was so gloriously begun. Look unto him, and be you saved, Isa 45:22. The promise of the Messiah was the strong-hold of the faithful long before his coming; they saw his day at a distance and were glad, and the believing expectation of the redemption in Jerusalem was long the support and consolation of Israel, Luk 2:25, Luk 2:38. They, in their dangers and distresses, were ready to turn towards this and the other creature for relief; but the prophets directed them still to turn to Christ, and to comfort themselves with the joy of their king coming to them with salvation. But, as their deliverance was typical of our redemption by Christ (Zac 9:11), so this invitation to the strong-hold speaks the language of the gospel-call. Sinners are prisoners, but they are prisoners of hope; their case is sad, but it is not desperate; yet now there is hope in Israel concerning them. Christ is a strong-hold for them, a strong tower, in whom they may be safe and quiet from the fear of the wrath of God, the curse of the law, and the assaults of their spiritual enemies. To him they must turn by a lively faith; to him they must flee, and trust in his name.

II. They are assured of God's favour to them: "Even to day do I declare, when things are at the worst, and you think your case deplorable to the last degree, yet I solemnly promise that I will render double unto thee, to thee, O Jerusalem! to every one of you prisoners of hope. I will give you comforts double to the sorrows you have experienced, or blessings double to what I ever bestowed upon your fathers, when their condition was at the best; the glory of your latter state, as well as of your latter house, shall be greater, shall be twice as great as that of your former." And so it was no otherwise than by the coming of the Messiah, the preaching of his gospel, and the setting up of his kingdom; these spiritual blessings in heavenly things were double to what they had ever enjoyed in their most prosperous state. As a pledge of this, in the fulness of time God here promises to the Jews victory, plenty, and joy, in their own land, which yet should be but a type and shadow of more glorious victories, riches, and joys, in the kingdom of Christ.

1.They shall triumph over their enemies. The Jews, after their return, were surrounded with enemies on all sides. They were as a speckled bird; all the birds of the field were against them. Their land lay between the two potent kingdoms of Syria and Egypt, branches of the Grecian monarchy, and what frequent dangers they should be in between them was foretold, Dan. 11. But it is here promised that out of them all the Lord would deliver them; and this promise had its primary accomplishment in the times of the Maccabees, when the Jews made head against their enemies, kept their head above water, and, after many struggles and difficulties, came to be head over them. It is promised, (1.) That they shall be instruments in God's hand for the defeating and baffling of their persecutors: "I have bent Judah for me, as my bow of steel; that bow I have filled with Ephraim as my arrows, have drawn it up to its full bent, till the arrow be at the head;" for some think that this is signified by the phrase of filling the bow. The expressions here are very fine, and the figures lively. Judah had been taught the use of the bow (Sa2 1:18), and Ephraim had been famous for it, Psa 78:9. But let them not think that they gain their successes by their own bow, for they themselves are no more than God's bow and his arrows, tools in his hands, which he makes use of and manages as he pleases, which he holds as his bow and directs to the mark as his arrows. The best and bravest of men are but what God makes them, and do no more service than he enables them to do. The preachers of the gospel were the bow in Christ's hand, with which he went forth, he went on, conquering and to conquer, Rev 6:2. The following words explain this: I have raised up and animated thy sons, O Zion! against thy sons, O Greece! This was fulfilled when against Antiochus, one of the kings of the Grecian monarchy, the people that knew their God were strong and did exploits, Dan 11:32. And they in the hand of an almighty God were made as the sword of a mighty man, which none can stand before. Wicked men are said to be God's sword (Psa 17:13), and sometimes good men are made so; for he employs both as he pleases. (2.) That God will be captain, and commander-in-chief, over them, in every expedition and engagement (Zac 9:14): The Lord shall be seen over them; he shall make it appear that he presides in their affairs, and that in all their motions they are under his direction, as apparently, though not as sensibly, as he was seen over Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire when he led them through the wilderness. [1.] Is their army to be raised, or mustered, and brought into the field? The Lord shall blow the trumpet, to gather the forces together, to proclaim the war, to sound the alarm, and to give directions which way to march, which way to move; for, if God blow the trumpet, it shall not give an uncertain sound, nor a feeble ineffectual one. [2.] Is the army taking the field, and entering upon action? Whatever enterprise the campaign is opened with, God shall go forth at the head of their forces, with whirlwinds of the south, which were of incredible swiftness and fierceness; and before these whirlwinds thy sons, O Greece! shall be as chaff. [3.] Is the army actually engaged? God's arrows shall go forth as lightning, so strongly, so suddenly, so irresistibly; his lightnings shall go forth as arrows and scattered them, that is, he shot out his lightnings and discomfited them. This alludes to that which God had done for Israel of old when he brought them out of Egypt, and into Canaan, and had its accomplishment partly in the wonderful successes which the Jews had against their neighbours that attacked them in the time of the Maccabees, by the special appearances of the divine Providence for them, and perfectly in the glorious victories gained by the cross of Christ and the preaching of the cross over Satan and all the powers of darkness, whereby we are made more than conquerors. [4.] Are they in danger of being overpowered by the enemy? The Lord of hosts shall defend them (Zac 9:15); The Lord their God shall save them (Zac 9:16); so that their enemies shall not prevail over them, nor prey upon them. God shall be unto them for defence as well as offence, the shield of their help as well as the sword of their excellency, and this as the Lord of hosts, who has power to defend them, and as their God, who is engaged by promise to defend them, and by the property he has in them. He shall save them in that day, that critical dangerous day, as the flock of his people, with the same care and tenderness that the shepherd protects his sheep with. Those are safe whom God saves. [5.] Did their enemies hope to swallow them up? It shall be turned upon them, and they shall devour their enemies, and shall subdue with sling-stones, for want of better weapons, those that come forth against them. The stones of the brook, when God pleases, shall do as great execution as the best train of artillery; for the stars in their courses shall fight on the same side. Goliath was subdued with a sling-stone. Having subdued, they shall devour, shall drink the blood of their enemies, as it were, and, as conquerors are wont to do, they shall make a noise as through wine. It is usual for conquerors with loud huzzas and acclamations to glory in their victories and proclaim them. We read of those that shout for mastery, and of the shout of a king among God's people. They shall be filled with blood and spoil, as the bowls and basins of the temple, or the corners of the altar, were wont to be filled with the blood of the sacrifices; for their enemies shall fall as victims to divine justice.

2.They shall triumph in their God. They shall take the comfort and give God the glory of their successes. So some read Zac 9:15. They shall eat (that is, they shall quietly enjoy) what they have got; God will give them power to eat it after they have subdued the sling-stones (that is, their enemies that slung stones at them), and they shall drink and make a noise, a joyful noise, before the Lord their maker and protector, as through wine, as men are merry at a banquet of wine. Being not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but filled with the Spirit, they shall speak to themselves and one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, as those that are drunk do with vain and foolish songs, Eph 5:18, Eph 5:19. And, in the fulness of their joy, they shall offer abundance of sacrifices to the honour of God, so that they shall fill both the bowls and the corners of the altar with the fat and blood of their sacrifices. And, when they thus triumph in their successes, their joy shall terminate in God as their God, the God of their salvation. They shall triumph, (1.) In the love he has for them, and the relation wherein they stand to him, that they are the flock of his people and he is their Shepherd, and that they are to him as the stones of a crown, which are very precious and of great value, and which are kept under a strong guard. Never was any king so pleased with the jewels of his crown as God is, and will be, with his people, who are near and dear unto him, and in whom he glories. They are a crown of glory and a royal diadem in his hand, Isa 62:2, Isa 62:3. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels, Mal 3:17. And they shall be lifted up as an ensign upon his land, as the royal standard is displayed in token of triumph and joy. God's people are his glory; so he is pleased to make them, so he is pleased to reckon them. He sets them up as a banner upon his own land, waging war against those who hate him, to whom it is a flag of defiance, while it is a centre of unity to all that love him, to all the children of God, that are scattered abroad, who are invited to come and enlist themselves under this banner, Isa 11:10, Isa 11:12. (2.) In the provision he makes for them, Zac 9:15. This is the matter of their triumph (Zac 9:17): For how great is his goodness and how great is his beauty! This is the substance, this the burden, of the songs wherewith they shall make a noise before the Lord. We are here taught, [1.] To admire and praise the amiableness of God's being: How great is his beauty! All the perfections of God's nature conspire to make him infinitely lovely in the eyes of all that know him. They are to him as the stones of a crown; but what is he to them? Our business in the temple is to behold the beauty of the Lord (Psa 27:4), and how great is that beauty! How far does it transcend all other beauties, particularly the beauty of his holiness. This may refer to the Messiah, to Zion's King that cometh. See that king in his beauty (Isa 33:17), who is fairer than the children of men, the fairest of ten thousand, and altogether lovely. Though, in the eye of the world, he had no form or comeliness, in the eye of faith how great is his beauty! [2.] To admire and give thanks for the gifts of God's favour and grace, his bounty as well as his beauty; for how great is his goodness! How rich in mercy is he! How deep, how full, are its springs! How various, how plenteous, how precious, are its streams! What a great deal of good does God do! How rich in mercy is he! Here is an instance of his goodness to his people: Corn shall make the young men cheerful and new wine the maids; that is, God will bless his people with an abundance of the fruits of the earth. Whereas they had been afflicted with scarcity to such a degree that the young men and the maidens were ready to swoon and faint away for hunger and thirst (Lam 2:12, Lam 2:21; Lam 4:7, Lam 4:8; Lam 5:10), now they shall have bread enough and to spare, not water only, but wine, new wine, which shall make the young people grow and be cheerful, and (which some have observed to be the effect of plenty and the cheapness of corn) the poor will be encouraged to marry, and re-people the land, when they shall have wherewithal to maintain their families. Note, What good gifts God bestows upon us we must serve him cheerfully with, and must race the streams up to the fountain, and, when we are refreshed with corn and wine, must say, How great is his goodness!

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 12–17. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Zechariah
(Verse 11, 12.) You also, in the blood of your covenant, have sent forth your prisoners from the pit in which there is no water. Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you. LXX: And you, by the blood of your covenant, have sent forth your prisoners from the pit that has no water. You shall sit in the stronghold, prisoners of the assembly, and for one day of your journey I will restore double to you. After the prophet's message, or rather God the Almighty Father Himself, has announced to Zion and Jerusalem that her king will come to them, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey, and his dominion will be from sea to sea and from the rivers to the ends of the earth, he addresses Christ Himself, of whom the prophecy is, and speaks: You also, in the blood of your covenant or pact, have sent forth your prisoners from the pit, in which there is no water. It is understood in this way: In the blood of your passion, you freed those who were held captive in the prison of hell, where there is no mercy, through your mercy. Finally, after the Lord rose, those who were held captive by the sins of Adam, or, as some would have it, the stains of error, and the chains of death, rose with him and appeared in the holy city. Concerning this blood of the covenant, he himself, indicating his coming passion, said to the disciples: Take and drink from this all of you: for this is the chalice of the new testament in my blood (Matthew 26:27-28). In this prefiguration, a lake that does not have water, Joseph was sent by his brothers into the lake (Gen. XXXVII): and Daniel (Dan. VI) and Jeremiah by the Chaldeans and the people of Judah: Benaiah also went down into the lake in the time of snow and cold, to kill a lion there (II Sam. XXIII, 20). But Jeremiah was not thrown into the water of the lake; rather, he was thrown into the mire and mud of the lake, which could suffocate him more than refresh one who was thirsty (Jerem. XXXVII and XXXVIII). Where it is written in the psalm: I am stuck in the mire of the deep, and there is no substance (Ps. LXVIII). In this lake of hell, that once rich man with a purple robe dwelled, whose boastful tongue was consumed by the fires of punishment, and he had no refreshment of any waters to such an extent that he begged for the cooling of water from the tip of the poor man's finger dipped in water (Luke XVI). And again, a word is directed to those who were bound and in need of the mercy of Christ: Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. And the meaning is: You who are now bound and held in a cruel and terrible hell, who hope for the release of your chains in the coming of Christ, turn to the stronghold, whether you will sit in the stronghold, of which it is written: The stronghold of the holy is the fear of the Lord; so that you may learn: Be to me a protector God and a fortified place, that you may save me (Ps. LXX, 3), and let the prophet also mention you: Behold, a strong city will set our salvation as its wall and bulwark (Isai. XXVI, 1). But this fortress, to which God encourages those bound by hope or bound in hope to the Church, we should not understand as anything other than the dwelling place of paradise, into which the first thief entered with the Lord (Luke 23); and for this reason they are called to the fortress by Zechariah, because even then and from that time the Lord promised that, for a brief tribulation, they would receive eternal rewards. Or, as it is read in the LXX: for one day of your pilgrimage, I will repay you double. For in comparison with eternity, everything that we suffer in the world should be called one day, not of habitation, but of pilgrimage: because we are strangers and pilgrims, like all our fathers. For in the present momentary and light tribulation, an excessive weight of eternal glory works in us, not looking at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen (2 Corinthians 4). For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 61:4
“You have led me down, because you have been made my hope: a tower of strength from the face of the enemy.” My heart is vexed, says that unity from the ends of the earth, and I toil in the midst of temptations and offenses. The heathen are envious, because they have been conquered. The heretics lie in wait, hidden in the cloak of the Christian name. Within the church itself the wheat suffers violence from the chaff. In the midst of all these things when my heart is vexed, I will cry from the ends of the earth. But there forsakes me not the same that has exalted me upon the rock, in order to lead me down even unto himself, because even if I labor, while the devil through so many places and times and occasions lies in wait against me, he is to me a tower of strength, to whom I shall have fled for refuge. Not only I shall escape the weapons of the enemy, but even against him securely I shall myself hurl whatever darts I shall please. For Christ himself is the tower. He has been made for us a tower from the face of the enemy, who is also the rock upon which the church has been built. Are you taking heed that you not be smitten by the devil? Flee to the tower. The devil’s darts will never follow you to that tower. There you will stand protected and fixed. But in what manner shall you flee to the tower? Let not a person, set perhaps in temptation, seek that tower in body, and when he shall not have found it, be wearied or faint in temptation. The tower is before you. Call Christ to mind, and go into the tower.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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