Zechariah 9

1 The burden of the word of the Lord, in the land of Hadrach, and of Damascus, (shall be for) the rest thereof; for of the Lord is the eye of man, and of all [the] lineages of Israel. (The charge, or the heavy burden, of the word of the Lord, for the land of Hadrach, and the city of Damascus, which be his; and the eyes of these people, like those of all the tribes of Israel, shall be upon the Lord.)

2 And Hemath shall be in the terms thereof, and Tyrus, and Sidon; for they took to them wisdom greatly. (And Hamath shall be within its borders, and Tyre, and Sidon; even though they think themselves to have great wisdom.)

3 And Tyrus builded his stronghold, and gathered silver as earth, and gold as fen of streets. (And Tyre built its fortress, and gathered silver like the dust, and gold like the mire, or like the mud, in the streets.)

4 Lo! the Lord shall wield it, and shall smite in the sea the strength thereof, and it shall be devoured by fire. (Lo! the Lord shall possess it, and shall strike down its strength into the sea, and the city itself shall be devoured by fire.)

5 Ashkelon shall see, and shall dread; and Gaza, and shall sorrow full much; and Ekron, for the hope thereof is confounded; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited; (Ashkelon shall see it, and shall have great fear; and Gaza, and it shall have great sorrow; and Ekron too, for its hope is confounded, or what it trusted in hath perished; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited;)

6 and a parter shall sit in Ashdod, and I shall destroy the pride of Philistines. (and those who be parted, or who be half-breeds, shall live in Ashdod, and I shall destroy the pride of the Philistines.)

7 And I shall take away the blood of him from the mouth of him, and the abominations of him from the middle of the teeth of him, and he also shall be left to our God; and he shall be as a duke in Judah, and Ekron as Jebusite. (And I shall take away the blood-filled sacrifice from their mouths, and the abominations from the midst of their teeth, and they shall belong to our God; and they shall be like a family in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.)

8 And I shall compass mine house of these that hold knighthood to me, and go, and turn again; and an exactor, or unjust asker, shall no more pass on them, for now I saw with mine eyes. (And I shall surround my House with those of my host, or of my army, yea, they who go, and return, at my command; and no more shall an oppressor overrun them, for now I have seen their suffering with my own eyes.)

9 Thou daughter of Zion, make joy withoutforth enough; sing, thou daughter of Jerusalem; lo! thy king shall come to thee, he (is) just, and (a) saviour; he (is) poor, and ascending on a she ass, and on a colt/on a foal, the son of a she ass. (O daughter of Zion, make full out joy, or rejoice; sing, O daughter of Jerusalem; lo! thy King shall come to thee, he is just, and a saviour/he is just, and the victor; he is poor, and riding on a she donkey, and on a colt, or on a foal, the son of a she donkey.)

10 And I shall lose the four-horsed cart of Ephraim, and an horse of Jerusalem, and the bow of battle shall be destroyed; and he shall speak peace to heathen men, and the power of him shall be from sea till to sea, and from floods, till to the ends of [the] earth. (And he shall destroy the four-horsed carts, or the chariots, of Ephraim, and the horses of Jerusalem, and the bows for battle shall be destroyed; and he shall speak peace to the heathen, and his power shall be from sea unto sea, and from the Euphrates River, unto the ends of the earth.)

11 And thou in the blood of thy testament sentest out thy bound men from the lake in which is no water. (And by the blood of my covenant with thee, I sent out thy bound men from the pit in which there was no water.)

12 Ye bound of hope, be turned again to (the) stronghold; and today I tell, and I shall yield to thee double things, (Ye prisoners of hope, return to the stronghold, or to the fortress; for today I declare that I shall give thee double for all thy trouble,)

13 for I shall stretch forth to me Judah as a bow, I filled the land of Ephraim. And I shall raise thy sons, thou Zion, on thy sons, thou land of Greeks, and I shall set thee as the sword of strong men. (for I shall stretch forth Judah unto me like a bow, and I have filled the land of Ephraim with arrows. And I shall raise up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and I shall make thee like the sword of the strong.)

14 And the Lord God shall be seen on them, and the dart of him shall go out as lightning. And the Lord God shall sing in a trump, and shall go in whirlwind of the south; (And the Lord God shall be seen above them, and his darts, or his arrows, shall go out like the lightning. And the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and then shall go forth in the whirlwinds of the south;)

15 the Lord of hosts shall defend them, and they shall devour, and make subject with stones of a sling; and they drinking, shall be filled as with wine, and shall be filled as vials, or cruets, and as horns of the altar. (the Lord of hosts shall defend them, and they shall devour them, and make them subject with the stones of a sling; and they drinking, shall be filled with wine, and shall be filled up like the basins, or like the bowls, and like the horns, or like the corners, of the altar.)

16 And the Lord God of them shall save them in that day, as a flock of his people, for holy stones shall be raised [up] on the land of him. (And the Lord God of them shall save them on that day, his people like a flock, and like holy stones that shall be raised up on his land.)

17 For what is the good of him, and what is the fair thing of him, no but wheat of chosen men, and wine (of) burgeoning (for the) virgins? (For what is his good thing, and what is his beautiful, or his wonderful, thing? it is corn for the chosen, and new wine for the virgins!)

Zechariah 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

God's defence of his church. (1-8) Christ's coming and his kingdom. (9-11) Promises to the church. (12-17)

Verses 1-8 Here are judgements foretold on several nations. While the Macedonians and Alexander's successors were in warfare in these countries, the Lord promised to protect his people. God's house lies in the midst of an enemy's country; his church is as a lily among thorns. God's power and goodness are seen in her special preservation. The Lord encamps about his church, and while armies of proud opposers shall pass by and return, his eyes watch over her, so that they cannot prevail, and shortly the time will come when no exactor shall pass by her any more.

Verses 9-17 The prophet breaks forth into a joyful representation of the coming of the Messiah, of whom the ancient Jews explained this prophecy. He took the character of their King, when he entered Jerusalem amidst the hosannas of the multitude. But his kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. It shall not be advanced by outward force or carnal weapons. His gospel shall be preached to the world, and be received among the heathen. A sinful state is a state of bondage; it is a pit, or dungeon, in which there is no water, no comfort; and we are all by nature prisoners in this pit. Through the precious blood of Christ, many prisoners of Satan have been set at liberty from the horrible pit in which they must otherwise have perished, without hope or comfort. While we admire Him, let us seek that his holiness and truth may be shown in our own spirits and conduct. These promises have accomplishment in the spiritual blessings of the gospel which we enjoy by Jesus Christ. As the deliverance of the Jews was typical of redemption by Christ, so this invitation speaks to all the language of the gospel call. Sinners are prisoners, but prisoners of hope; their case is sad, but not desperate; for there is hope in Israel concerning them. Christ is a Strong-hold, a strong Tower, in whom believers are safe from the fear of the wrath of God, the curse of the law, and the assaults of spiritual enemies. To him we must turn with lively faith; to him we must flee, and trust in his name under all trials and sufferings. It is here promised that the Lord would deliver his people. This passage also refers to the apostles, and the preachers of the gospel in the early ages. God was evidently with them; his words from their lips pierced the hearts and consciences of the hearers. They were wondrously defended in persecution, and were filled with the influences of the Holy Spirit. They were saved by the Good Shepherd as his flock, and honoured as jewels of his crown. The gifts, graces, and consolations of the Spirit, poured forth on the day of Pentecost, ( Acts 2 ) and in succeeding times, are represented. Sharp have been, and still will be, the conflicts of Zion's sons, but their God will give them success. The more we are employed, and satisfied with his goodness, the more we shall admire the beauty revealed in the Redeemer. Whatever gifts God bestows on us, we must serve him cheerfully with them; and, when refreshed with blessings, we must say, How great is his goodness!

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 9

This chapter treats of the conversion of the Gentiles, before spoken of in general, now particularly named; of the coming of Christ into the world, and the advantages of it to his church; of the preaching of the Gospel by the apostles, and of their protection, encouragement, and success. The Gentiles converted are first the Syrians that dwelt in Hadrach, Damascus, and Hamath, the Lord's eye being upon them, Zec 9:1 next the Phoenicians, the inhabitants of Tyre and Zidon, who had a vain opinion of their wisdom, and trusted in their riches, Zec 9:2-4 and then the Philistines, the inhabitants of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod, guilty of pride, murder, idolatry, and other abominations, Zec 9:5-7 when the church and people of God should be safely protected, Zec 9:8 to whom, for their joy and comfort, is given forth a prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah; who is described by his character as a King, just, having salvation, lowly, and riding on an ass; by the peaceableness of his kingdom; by the various offices he executes; the prophetic office, speaking peace to the Heathen; the kingly office, his dominion being very large; and his priestly office, in the effusion of his blood, by which the covenant is confirmed, his people delivered out of distress, and encouraged to flee to him as their stronghold, where they find plenty and protection, Zec 9:9-12 next the apostles are represented as military men, accoutered with the bow and the sword of the mighty, Zec 9:13 whose success is owing to the Lord's appearance over them, and the efficacy of his grace and Spirit attending the word, Zec 9:14 who are protected and encouraged in it by the Lord, and honoured on account of it, Zec 9:15,16 and the chapter is concluded with an exclamation, wondering at the grace and glory of Christ, and expressing the satisfying provisions of his house, Zec 9:17.