Zechariah 12:3-13

3 ¹On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. ²All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And ³all the nations of the earth will gather against it.

4 ⁴On that day, declares the LORD, ⁵I will strike every horse ⁶with panic, and its rider ⁷with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples ⁸with blindness.

5 Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts, their God.'

6 ⁹"On that day I will make the clans of Judah ¹⁰like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And ¹¹they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while ¹²Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem.

7 "And the LORD will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah.

8 ¹³On that day ¹⁴the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that ¹⁵the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, ¹⁶like the angel of the LORD, going before them.

9 ¹⁷And on that day ¹⁸I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Him Whom They Have Pierced

10 "And ¹⁹I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and ²⁰pleas for mercy, so that, ²¹when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, ²²they shall mourn for him, ²³as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

11 ²⁴On that day ²⁵the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great ²⁶as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

12 The land shall mourn, ²⁷each family^[a] by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of ²⁸Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;

13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of ²⁹the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves;

Zechariah 12:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 12

This chapter contains a prophecy of the defence, protection, and salvation of the church of God; and of the effusion of the Spirit; and of the conversion of the Jews in the latter day. It begins with a title and preface, describing the power of God, from the creation of the heavens and earth, and soul of man, Zec 12:1 then follows the subject matter of the prophecy, in a way of judgment upon the enemies of the people of God, and in a way of salvation to them. The judgments on their enemies are signified by various metaphors; by Jerusalem's being a cup of trembling, a burdensome stone, and a hearth, and torch of fire to them, Zec 12:2,3,6. The effects of which are to them astonishment, madness, blindness, and utter destruction; and to the people of God confidence in him, salvation from him, and strength and protection by him, Zec 12:4,5,7,8 and, at the same time that God will destroy all the enemies of his people, he will pour out his Spirit upon his chosen ones among the Jews. The consequence of which will be, their faith in Christ, signified by looking to him whom they have pierced; and their repentance towards God, expressed by mourning; and this illustrated by mourning for an only and firstborn son, Zec 12:9,10 and which is further illustrated by the mourning for Josiah in the valley of Megiddon; and by an enumeration of the several families in Jerusalem, that should separately mourn on this account, Zec 12:11-14.

Cross References

• 1. Zechariah 13:1, 2, 4; Zechariah 14:4, 6, 8; Isaiah 2:11
• 2. [Matthew 21:44; Luke 20:18]
• 3. [See ver. 2 above]
• 4. [See ver. 3 above]
• 5. [Psalms 76:6]
• 6. [Deuteronomy 28:28]
• 7. [Deuteronomy 28:28]
• 8. [Deuteronomy 28:28]
• 9. [See ver. 3 above]
• 10. [Jeremiah 5:14; Obadiah 18]
• 11. Zechariah 9:15
• 12. Zechariah 2:4; Zechariah 14:10, 11
• 13. [See ver. 3 above]
• 14. Zechariah 9:15
• 15. [Isaiah 60:22]
• 16. [1 Samuel 29:9; 2 Samuel 14:17, 20; 2 Samuel 19:27]
• 17. [See ver. 3 above]
• 18. [Zechariah 14:3]
• 19. [Jeremiah 31:9]
• 20. [Jeremiah 31:9]
• 21. Cited John 19:37; [Revelation 1:7]
• 22. Jeremiah 50:4
• 23. Jeremiah 6:26; Amos 8:10
• 24. [See ver. 3 above]
• 25. [Acts 2:37]
• 26. [2 Chronicles 35:24]
• 27. [Zechariah 7:3]
• 28. 2 Samuel 5:14; Luke 3:31
• 29. Numbers 3:18

Footnotes

• [a]. Or clan; also verses 13, 14