Zechariah 9:9-17

The Coming King of Zion

9 ¹Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! ²Behold, ³your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, ⁴humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 ⁵I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and ⁶the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and ⁷he shall speak peace to the nations; ⁸his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from ⁹the River to the ends of the earth.

11 As for you also, because of ¹⁰the blood of my covenant with you, ¹¹I will set your prisoners free from ¹²the waterless pit.

12 Return to your stronghold, O ¹³prisoners of hope; today I declare that ¹⁴I will restore to you double.

13 For ¹⁵I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, ¹⁶O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword.

The Lord Will Save His People

14 Then the LORD will appear over them, and ¹⁷his arrow will go forth like lightning; ¹⁸the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in ¹⁹the whirlwinds ²⁰of the south.

15 The LORD of hosts ²¹will protect them, and ²²they shall devour, ²³and tread down the sling stones, and ²⁴they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched ²⁵like the corners of the altar.

16 On that day the LORD their God will save them, as ²⁶the flock of his people; for ²⁷like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land.

17 ²⁸For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! ²⁹Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.

Zechariah 9:9-17 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. See Zephaniah 3:14
• 2. Cited Matthew 21:5; [John 12:15]
• 3. See Jeremiah 23:5
• 4. [Matthew 11:29]
• 5. See Hosea 1:7
• 6. See Micah 5:10
• 7. See Micah 5:5
• 8. Psalms 72:8
• 9. See Exodus 23:31
• 10. Exodus 24:8
• 11. Isaiah 42:7; Isaiah 51:14; Isaiah 61:1
• 12. [Genesis 37:24; Jeremiah 38:6]
• 13. [Jeremiah 31:17]
• 14. Isaiah 61:7
• 15. [Zechariah 10:3, 4]
• 16. Genesis 10:2; Ezekiel 27:13
• 17. See 2 Samuel 22:15
• 18. [Isaiah 27:13]
• 19. Isaiah 21:1
• 20. [Zechariah 6:6]
• 21. Zechariah 12:8; [Zechariah 10:5]
• 22. Zechariah 12:6
• 23. [Zechariah 10:5]
• 24. Zechariah 10:7
• 25. [Leviticus 4:18, 25]
• 26. Psalms 100:3
• 27. Isaiah 62:3; [Malachi 3:17]
• 28. [Isaiah 62:3, 4]
• 29. [Isaiah 62:8, 9; Jeremiah 31:12]