Zechariah 9

The Burden against Israel’s Enemies

¹This is the burden of the word of Yahweh

against the land of Hadrach

and Damascus its resting place—

for the eyes of men

and of all the tribes of Israel

are upon Yahweh—

• ZECH 9:1[NOTE]THE BURDEN. Part two begins, with no dates.

²and also against Hamath,

which borders it,

as well as Tyre and Sidon,

though they are very shrewd.

• ZECH 9:2[ARCHAEOLOGY]Alexander's army took Damascus, Sidon, Tyre and Gaza in 333 and 332 BC, moving north to south like Zechariah 9:1 to 7, see the Alexander the Great Field Notes page

³Tyre has built herself a fortress;

she has heaped up silver like dust,

and gold like the dirt of the streets.

• ZECH 9:3[PROPHECY]Tyre's wealth would be cast into the sea and the city consumed by fire → HISTORY: Alexander the Great besieged the island city of Tyre for seven months and captured it in 332 BC. Recorded by Arrian, Anabasis 2.18 to 2.24.
• ZECH 9:3[NOTE]TYRE. Alexander built a causeway to the island city. See Tyre and the Causeway, Ezekiel.

⁴Behold, the Lord will impoverish her

and cast her wealth into the sea,

and she will be consumed by fire.

⁵Ashkelon 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.

• ZECH 9:5[PROPHECY]Gaza would lose its king and a mixed people would live in Ashdod → HISTORY: Alexander the Great captured Gaza in 332 BC, and its ruler Batis was killed. Recorded by Arrian, Anabasis 2.25 to 2.27, and Curtius 4.6.

⁶A mixed race will occupy Ashdod,

and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

⁷I 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.

• ZECH 9:7[DEMONIC]God will remove idol meat and blood from the Philistines' mouths

⁸But 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.

• ZECH 9:8[PROPHECY]God would camp around His house because of the army marching to and fro → HISTORY: Alexander marched through in 332 BC but spared Jerusalem. Josephus, Antiquities 11.8, tells it, though many scholars doubt parts.MEDIUM

Zion’s Coming King// Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19

⁹Rejoice 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.

• ZECH 9:9[PROPHECY]Zion's King would come righteous and bringing salvation, humble and riding on a donkey → MT 21:4-9; JN 12:14-15
• ZECH 9:9[QUOTED]Quoted in the New Testament → MT 21:5
• ZECH 9:9[QUOTED]Quoted in the New Testament → JN 12:15
• ZECH 9:9[NOTE]YOUR KING COMES. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, Matthew 21:5 and John 12:15. It prints black because no I for God is in it, and Matthew 21:4 says it was spoken through the prophet. The italics show the New Testament quotes it.

¹⁰And 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.

• ZECH 9:10[PROPHECY]The King would speak peace to the nations and rule from sea to sea → STILL TO COMEMEDIUM

¹¹As for you,

because of the blood of My covenant,

I will release your prisoners

from the waterless pit.

• ZECH 9:11[PROPHECY]Because of the blood of the covenant God would set the prisoners free → MT 26:28; HEB 13:20MEDIUM

¹²Return to your stronghold,

O prisoners of hope;

even today I declare

that I will restore to you double.

¹³For 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.

• ZECH 9:13[PROPHECY]For I have bent Judah, My bow, fitted the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece → 1 Maccabees 3:10-24; 1 Maccabees 4:6-25MEDIUM
• ZECH 9:13[NOTE]GREECE. In Hebrew Javan, the Ionian Greeks. Alexander's Greeks and later the Maccabees' wars with the Greek kings are both read here.

Yahweh Will Save His People

¹⁴Then Yahweh will appear over them,

and His arrow will go forth like lightning.

The Lord Yahweh will sound the ram’s horn

and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.

• ZECH 9:14[PROPHECY]The Lord will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning... the Lord of hosts will defend them → 2 Maccabees 10:29-30; 2 Maccabees 11:8MEDIUM

¹⁵Yahweh 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.

¹⁶On that day Yahweh their God will save them

as the flock of His people;

for like jewels in a crown

they will sparkle over His land.

• ZECH 9:16[PROPHECY]The Lord their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people; for they shall be like the jewels of a crown, lifted like a banner over His land → 1 Maccabees 14:4-15MEDIUM

¹⁷How lovely they will be,

and how beautiful!

Grain will make the young men flourish,

and new wine, the young women.