Zechariah 9

Berean Standard Bible · Compare translations · 518 BC – 480 BC · Return & rebuilding · Tap a verse to copy, share or highlight ·

17 verses · 495 words · ~2 min read · ~3 min listen

The Burden against Israelʼs Enemies

¹This 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—

²and also against Hamath,

which borders it,

as well as Tyre and Sidon,

though they are very shrewd.

³Tyre has built herself a fortress;

she has heaped up silver like dust,

and gold like the dirt of the streets.

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.

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.

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.

Zionʼs 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.

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.

¹¹As for you,

because of the blood of My covenant,

I will release your prisoners

from the waterless pit.

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.

The LORD Will Save His People

¹⁴Then the Lord will appear over them,

and His arrow will go forth like lightning.

The Lord God will sound the ramʼs horn

and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.

¹⁵The 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.

¹⁶On 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.

¹⁷How lovely they will be,

and how beautiful!

Grain will make the young men flourish,

and new wine, the young women.

Footnotes (8)

a v1 Or for the eye of the LORD is on all men and all the tribes of Israel
b v4 Or strike down her power on the sea
c v7 Or like a leader
d v9 Or righteous and endowed with salvation
e v9 Cited in Matthew 21:5and John 12:15
f v10 That is, the northern kingdom of Israel
g v10 Hebrew the River
h v13 Hebrew the sons of Javan

Study notes on this chapter · 5

Prophecy & fulfillmentWidely held reading

Tyre forgotten for seventy years

Isaiah declares that Tyre, the great trading city, will be laid waste and forgotten for seventy years, and then will return to her trade. Tyre was hit by Assyria and Babylon, and later recovered its prosperity as a trading port. The 'seventy years' is debated: literal, round number, or parallel to the seventy years of Babylon's rule.

When: Isaiah, c. 701 BC; Tyre under Assyrian and Babylonian pressure, c. 700–570 BC.

Original passageIsaiah 23:1–18

Echoed inZechariah 9:3–4

Ways people read this (3)

A period of diminished power under Assyria or Babylon followed by recovery.
'Seventy years' is the lifetime of a king or a round number for a generation.
Some see a spiritual fulfillment in Isaiah 23:18, where Tyre's profits are dedicated to the LORD.

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentWidely held reading

The siege and ruin of Tyre

Ezekiel says that many nations will come against Tyre, that Nebuchadnezzar will besiege it, and that it will become a bare rock for spreading nets. Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city for thirteen years (Josephus) without a clear victory, Ezekiel himself later says he received no wages for it (Ezekiel 29:18), and Alexander the Great destroyed the island city in 332 BC after building a causeway. Tyre was later rebuilt and exists today.

When: Ezekiel, c. 587–585 BC; Nebuchadnezzar's siege c. 585–572 BC; Alexander, 332 BC.

Original passageEzekiel 26:3–14Ezekiel 29:17–18

Echoed inZechariah 9:3–4

Ways people read this (3)

Fulfilled in stages: Nebuchadnezzar took the mainland city, and Alexander destroyed the island.
Some read the language of permanent desolation as poetic and fulfilled in the ancient city's loss of power.
Critical scholars read Ezekiel 29:17-20 as a correction: Ezekiel admits the first prophecy was not fulfilled as stated.

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentWidely held reading

The Philistine cities brought low

Amos, Jeremiah, Zephaniah and Zechariah all announce judgment on Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ekron. The Philistine cities were devastated by Assyria, Egypt and then Babylon (Ashkelon fell in 604 BC), and the Philistines disappear from history after the sixth century BC. Zechariah says the remnant will become part of Judah.

When: Amos c. 760 BC; Zephaniah c. 630 BC; Jeremiah 47 c. 609 BC; Ashkelon destroyed 604 BC.

Original passageAmos 1:6–8Zephaniah 2:4–7Zechariah 9:5–7Jeremiah 47:1–7

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentWidely held reading

Zechariah's oracle along the coast

Zechariah 9 describes judgment moving down the Mediterranean coast: Hadrach and Damascus, Tyre's fortifications cast into the sea, and Philistine cities Ashkelon, Gaza and Ekron in fear. Many scholars see this as matching the campaign of Alexander the Great in 333–332 BC, which passed through these very places. The chapter then turns to a humble king riding on a donkey.

When: Zechariah 9–14 (date debated, c. 520 BC or later); Alexander's campaign, 333–332 BC.

Original passageZechariah 9:1–8

Echoed inMatthew 21:4–5

Ways people read this (3)

A prophecy of Alexander's campaign; Josephus says Jerusalem itself was spared.
An oracle of the Assyrian campaigns of the eighth century BC.
Many readers see a more general judgment on Israel's neighbors, followed by the coming of the Messiah (Zechariah 9:9).

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentLinked by the New Testament

Your king comes, humble, riding on a donkey

Zechariah calls Zion to rejoice because her king comes righteous and humble, riding a donkey. Matthew and John connect this to Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

When: Zechariah, c. 520–480 BC; Jesus' entry, c. AD 30–33.

Original passageZechariah 9:9

Where the New Testament applies itMatthew 21:1–9John 12:12–16

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

See all prophecy & fulfillment notes →

Zechariah 9

The Burden against Israelʼs Enemiesⓘ

Zionʼs Coming Kingⓘ

The LORD Will Save His Peopleⓘ

Study notes on this chapter · 5

Tyre forgotten for seventy years

The siege and ruin of Tyre

The Philistine cities brought low

Zechariah's oracle along the coast

Your king comes, humble, riding on a donkey

The Burden against Israelʼs Enemies

Zionʼs Coming King

The LORD Will Save His People