Zechariah 9:15

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.)

Zechariah 9:15 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 9:15

The Lord of hosts shall defend them
Against all their enemies; against Satan, and his temptations, and all the opposition made by him; against the world, and all the rage and reproach of men; this was remarkably verified in the apostles, who were preserved by the Lord amidst a thousand snares and dangers; and who was able to do it, being Jehovah, and the Lord of armies in heaven and in earth; he was as a shield unto them, as the word ^F20 used signifies; and to which he is often compared in Scripture. The Targum renders it,

``the Lord of hosts shall have mercy on them;''

he encompassed them about with his favour as with a shield: and they shall devour;
or "eat" ^F21; spiritual food; Christ the bread of life; whose flesh is meat indeed, and who is lived upon by faith; the blessings and promises of the everlasting covenant, of which the meek eat, and are satisfied; the Gospel and the truths of it, the words of faith and good doctrine, with which faithful ministers are nourished; all which is necessary, that they may be strengthened, and qualified to feed others with knowledge and understanding: and subdue with sling stones;
such who are stouthearted, and far from righteousness; who become by their ministry penitent and humble, and subject to Christ, his Gospel and ordinances, even by the means of preaching of the word, which seem very unpromising and unlikely; being to men foolishness, and like the scrip and sling David took with him, and by which he brought Goliath down to the ground: and they shall drink;
of the love of God, which, for its antiquity, purity, and refreshing nature, is like the best wine; and of the blood of Christ, which is drink indeed; and of the grace of the Spirit, which revives, strengthens, and extinguishes thirst: [and] make a noise as through wine;
being full of joy and thankfulness for their spiritual food and drink; and so warm, zealous, and fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; free and open in their ministrations, loudly proclaiming the grace of God; bold, and fearless of danger: and they shall be filled like bowls;
that were full of the blood of the offerings, as Jarchi and Kimchi explain it; or rather, as the Targum, that were full of fine flour and oil; they having their souls filled with good things, as the first of the above writers observes; a comfortable view of interest in the love of God; a large measure of spiritual joy, and a fulness of the gifts and graces of the Spirit, qualifying them for their work: [and], as the corners of the altar;
the Targum is,

``they shall shine as the blood that shines upon the wall of the altar;''

at the corners of which it was poured out; signifying that they should be as full of the Spirit, and spiritual things, as the altar was of blood: so the Jewish writers say, when the priest took the blood in the bowl, he sprinkled of it two sprinklings upon the two corners of the altar, on the diameter of it, and below upon the northeast horn, and upon the southwest horn; and he ordered it so, as to sprinkle the blood on the horn, that it might surround the corners, and that the blood might be on the four sides of the altar round about ^F23.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 (Ngy) "obteget", Burkius.
F21 (wlkaw) "ut comedant", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Tarnovius, "et edent", Burkius.
F23 Maimon. Maase Hakorbanot, c. 5. sect. 6.

Zechariah 9:15 In-Context

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!)