9:1-17The last six chapters of the book are two messages delivered late in Zechariah’s life. These messages point to the Messiah and his second coming. Some of these prophecies were fulfilled before the Messiah came, perhaps by Alexander the Great; others were fulfilled during the Messiah’s time on earth; and others will be fulfilled when he returns. Those who oppressed Jerusalem— Aram, Philistia, Phoenicia-—would be crushed. Zion’s promised King would come—first as a servant on a donkey's colt, later as a powerful ruler and judge.
Life Application Study BibleZechariahChapter 9
Zechariah 9
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1510, 1511, 1512
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
9Zechariah 9
Judgment against Israel’s Enemies
19 This is the message* from the LORD against the land of Aram* and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of humanity, including all the tribes of Israel, are on the LORD.
2Doom is certain for Hamath, 9:2near Damascus, Paaniand for the cities of Tyre and Sidon,though they are so clever.
3Tyre has built a strong fortressand has made silver and goldas plentiful as dust in the streets!9:3Josh 19:299:4
4But now the LORD will strip away Tyre’s possessions oF 9at-7and hurl its fortifications into the sea, Ezek 27:32;28:16, 18and it will be burned to the ground.
5The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre falland will be filled with fear.
Gaza will shake with terror,as wil! Ekron, for their hopes will be dashed.Gaza’s king will be killed,and Ashkelon will be deserted.
6Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod.Iwill destroy the pride of the Philistines.
7[will grab the bloody meat from their mouthsand snatch the detestable sacrifices from their teeth.Then the surviving Philistines will worship our Godand become like a clan in Judah.*The Philistines of Ekron will join my people,as the ancient Jebusites once did.
8J will guard my Templeand protect it from invading armies.I am watching closely to ensurethat no more foreign oppressors overrun my people’s land.
Zion’s Coming King
99 Rejoice, O people of Zion!*Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!Look, your king is coming to you.He is righteous and victorious,*yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey's colt.
10J will remove the battle chariots from Israel*and the warhorses from Jerusalem.I will destroy all the weapons used in battle,and your king will bring peace to the nations.His realm will stretch from sea to seaand from the Euphrates River* to the ends of the earth.*
11Because of the covenant I made with you,sealed with blood,I will free your prisonersfrom death in a waterless dungeon.
12Come back to the place of safety,all you prisoners who still have hope!I promise this very daythat I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.
13Judah is my bow,and Israel is my arrow.Jerusalem* is my sword,and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks.*
14The LORD will appear above his people;his arrows will fly like lightning!The Sovereign LORD will sound the ram’s hornand attack like a whirlwind from the southern desert.
15The LORD of Heaven's Armies will protect his people,and they will defeat their enemies by hurling great stones.They will shout in battle as though drunk with wine.They will be filled with blood like a bow1,drenched with blood like the corners of the altar.
16On that day the LORD their God will rescue his people,just as a shepherd rescues his sheep.They will sparkle in his landlike jewels in a crown.
17How wonderful and beautiful they will be!The young men will thrive on abundant grain,and the young women will flourish on new wine.
The LORD Will Restore His People
1 0 1Ask the LORD for rain in the spring,for he makes the storm clouds.And he will send showers of rain
Textual footnotes
- usually occurs within the months of June and July. The fifth month usually occurs within the months of July and
- August. The seventh month usually occurs within the months of September and October, The tenth month usually
- occurs within the months of December and January.
- of Hadrach.
- ee
- vindicated.
- river.
- 9:1a Hebrew An Oracle: The message.
- 9:1b Hebrew land
- 9:7 Hebrew and will become a leader in Judah.
- 9:9a Hebrew O daughter of Zion! 9:9b Hebrew and is being
- 9:10a Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of israel; also in 9:13.
- 9:10b Hebrew the
- 9:10c Or the end of the land.
- 9:13a Hebrew Zion.
- 9:13b Hebrew the sons of Javan.
Life Application Notes 6 notes
9:5-7Zechariah mentions four key cities in Philistia: Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron would be destroyed, and Ashdod would be overtaken by foreigners. This would happen because of their great evil and idolatry. But those left in the land would be adopted into Israel as a new clan, as the Jebusites were. (When David conquered Jerusalem, he did not wipe out the Jebusites, but absorbed them into Judah.)
9:8Several centuries after Zechariah’s day, Antiochus IV Epiphanes would invade Israel; and in A.D. 70, Titus, a Roman general, would completely destroy the Temole. This promise, therefore, may have been conditional upon the people's obedience. The day will come, however, when God’s people will never again have to worry about invading enemies (Joel 3:17).
9:9The triumphal entry of Jesus riding into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11) was predicted here more than 500 years before it happened. Just as this prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus came to earth, so the prophecies of his second coming are just as certain to come true. We are to be ready for his return, for he is coming!
9:10When we view two distant mountains, they appear to be close together, perhaps even to touch each other. But as we approach them, we can see that they are, in fact, far apart, even separated by a huge valley. This is the situation with many Old Testament prophecies. Verse 9 was clearly fulfilled in Christ's first coming, but verse 10 can now be seen to refer to his second coming. At that time all nations will be subject to Christ, and his rule will extend over the whole earth. In Philippians 2:9-11, we are told that at that time every knee will bow to Christ and every tongue will confess him as LORD.
9:11Covenants in Old Testament times were sealed or confirmed with blood, much as we would sign our name to a contract. The old covenant was sealed by the blood of sacrifices, pointing ahead to the blood Christ would shed at Calvary, his “signature” that confirmed God's new covenant with his people. Because God had made a covenant with these people, he delivered them from the “waterless dungeon,” the cistern-like prison of exile.