Zechariah 9:7

7 I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

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Zechariah 9:7 in Other Translations

KJV

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.

ESV

7 I will take away its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth; it too shall be a remnant for our God; it shall be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.

NLT

7 I will grab the bloody meat from their mouths and snatch the detestable sacrifices from their teeth. Then the surviving Philistines will worship our God and become like a clan in Judah. The Philistines of Ekron will join my people, as the ancient Jebusites once did.

MSG

7 I'll make him spit out his bloody booty and abandon his vile ways." What's left will be all God's - a core of survivors, a family brought together in Judah - But enemies like Ekron will go the way of the Jebusites, into the dustbin of history.

CSB

7 I will remove the blood from their mouths and the detestable things from between their teeth. Then they too will become a remnant for our God; they will become like a clan in Judah and Ekron like the Jebusites.

Zechariah 9:7 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 9:7

And I will take away his blood out of his mouth
The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read "their blood"; not the blood of the bastard, but of the Philistines. The Targum is, "I will destroy them that eat blood"; the meaning may be, that they shall no more thirst after blood, nor drink it; nor breathe out threatenings and slaughter against the saints, or persecute the people of God: or that they should no more offer the blood of their sacrifices upon the altars to their deities, or eat things sacrificed to them: and his abominations from between his teeth;
their idols and idolatries they were tenacious of, as a man is of his food, or of any thing that is grateful to him; it may design things sacrificed to idols, eaten by them: but he that remaineth, even he [shall be] for our God:
the Targum paraphrases it,

``and the proselytes that remain among them, they also shall be added to the people of our God:''

Jarchi interprets it of the synagogues and schools in the captivity of Edom or Rome; but Aben Ezra's note is much better, that there shall be none remaining of the Philistines, but only such who serve the blessed God openly: but the true sense is, that here should be a remnant, according to the election of grace, who should evidently appear to be the Lord's people, by their conversion and effectual calling: and he shall be as a governor in Judah;
the Targum is,

``they shall be as the princes of the house of Judah;''

that is, as the heads of the families in that tribe; see ( Micah 5:2 ) compared with ( Matthew 2:6 ) all true Christians are as princes, yea, they are kings and priests unto God; and some of them are (Plak) , as a guide, teacher; and instructor of others; who go before them, and instruct them in the doctrines of the Gospel, as pastors and ministers of the word: and Ekron as a Jebusite;
that is, the inhabitant of Ekron, that shall be converted to Christ, shall be as an inhabitant of Jerusalem, which was called Jebus, ( 1 Chronicles 11:4 ) shall have a dwelling in the church, the city of God, and enjoy all the privileges and immunities of it. Kimchi says this refers to the times of the Messiah, when, he supposes, the Ekronites will be tributary to the Israelites, as the Jebusites were in the days of David. The Targum is,

``and Ekron shall be filled with the house of Israel, as Jerusalem.''

The Syriac version is, "and Ekron shall be as Hebron".

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Zechariah 9:7 In-Context

5 Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted.

6 A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod, and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines.

7 I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

8 But I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Cross References 2

1. S Job 25:2
2. S Jeremiah 47:1; S Joel 3:4; S Zephaniah 2:4