Zechariah 9
About ZechariahWritten by AI
Zechariah was a priest and prophet who began preaching in 520 BC, two months after Haggai, to the Jews rebuilding Jerusalem after the exile. Haggai urged them to build; Zechariah lifted their eyes to what God was doing and would do. Many scholars think chapters 9 to 14 come from later in his life, and some think from a later writer.
The first half has eight night visions, full of horses, horns, lampstands, and a flying scroll, plus a call to justice and mercy. The second half looks further ahead, to a coming King, a rejected Shepherd, and the Day of the LORD. Christians differ on how parts of chapters 12 to 14 will be fulfilled.
Watch for how often the Gospels draw on this book: the King riding a donkey, thirty pieces of silver, the pierced one, the struck Shepherd. And remember the word to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.”
Before you read Zechariah 9Written by AI
The second half of the book begins. Judgment falls on the nations around Israel, then comes a famous call: Rejoice, Daughter of Zion, your King comes, righteous, humble, and riding on a donkey. Matthew and John both point to this verse when Jesus enters Jerusalem. Notice that His rule brings peace to the nations.
The Burden against Israel’s Enemies
This is the burden of the word of the LORD
against the land of Hadrach
and Damascus its resting place—
for the eyes of men
and of all the tribes of Israel
are upon the LORD—
and also against Hamath,
which borders it,
as well as Tyre and Sidon,
though they are very shrewd.
Tyre has built herself a fortress;
she has heaped up silver like dust,
and gold like the dirt of the streets.
Behold, the Lord will impoverish her
and cast her wealth into the sea,
and she will be consumed by fire.
Ashkelon will see and fear;
Gaza will writhe in agony,
as will Ekron,
for her hope will wither.
There will cease to be a king in Gaza,
and Ashkelon will be uninhabited.
A mixed race will occupy Ashdod,
and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
I will remove the blood from their mouths
and the abominations from between their teeth.
Then they too will become a remnant for our God;
they will become like a clan in Judah,
and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
But I will camp around My house because of an army,
because of those who march to and fro,
and never again will an oppressor overrun My people,
for now I keep watch with My own eyes.
Zion’s Coming King
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your King comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem,
and the bow of war will be broken.
Then He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion will extend from sea to sea,
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.
As for you,
because of the blood of My covenant,
I will release your prisoners
from the waterless pit.
Return to your stronghold,
O prisoners of hope;
even today I declare
that I will restore to you double.
For I will bend Judah as My bow
and fit it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, O Zion,
against the sons of Greece.
I will make you like the sword
of a mighty man.
The LORD Will Save His People
Then the LORD will appear over them,
and His arrow will go forth like lightning.
The Lord GOD will sound the ram’s horn
and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.
The LORD of Hosts will shield them.
They will destroy and conquer with slingstones;
they will drink and roar as with wine.
And they will be filled like sprinkling bowls,
drenched like the corners of the altar.
On that day the LORD their God will save them
as the flock of His people;
for like jewels in a crown
they will sparkle over His land.
How lovely they will be,
and how beautiful!
Grain will make the young men flourish,
and new wine, the young women.