American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Zechariah 9
1
The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD.
📍 Hadrach
3
And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.
Reference
4
Behold, the LORD will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.
Reference
5
Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
Reference
7
And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remains, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.
8
And I will encamp about my house because of the army, because of him that passes by, and because of him that returns: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with my eyes.
Reference
9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes to you: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on an ass, and on a colt the foal of an ass.
Reference
Parallel theme
Zechariah 2:10
Mark 11:7
Matthew 11:29
References Jerusalem
Isaiah 40:9
Salvation
Isaiah 43:11
Isaiah 62:11
Isaiah 43:3
10
And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace to the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.
Reference
11
As for you also, by the blood of your covenant I have sent forth your prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
Reference
Covenant
Exodus 24:8
1 Corinthians 11:25
Matthew 26:28
Hebrews 10:29
Parallel theme
Isaiah 51:14
Isaiah 42:7
Isaiah 49:9
Isaiah 61:1
Psalm 69:33
Psalm 40:2
12
Turn you to the strong hold, you prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double to you;
Reference
Hope
Hebrews 6:18
Jeremiah 31:17
Hosea 2:15
Joel 3:16
Ezekiel 37:11
Parallel theme
Job 42:10
Isaiah 61:7
Jeremiah 51:10
Nahum 1:7
Isaiah 40:2
13
When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made you as the sword of a mighty man.
Reference
14
And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the LORD God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.
Reference
Light
Psalm 18:14
Isaiah 30:30
Habakkuk 3:11
Parallel theme
Isaiah 21:1
Revelation 6:2
References Lord
Isaiah 66:15
Isaiah 27:13
Zechariah 2:5
Zechariah 14:3
15
The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.
Reference
Parallel theme
Zechariah 12:6
Exodus 27:2
References Lord
Zechariah 10:7
Zechariah 10:5
Zechariah 12:8
Psalm 78:65
Sacrifice
Leviticus 4:25
Leviticus 4:18
16
And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign on his land.
Reference
Parallel theme
Luke 12:32
John 10:27
Isaiah 60:3
References God
Isaiah 62:3
Ezekiel 34:31
Psalm 100:3
Isaiah 40:10
References Lord
Haggai 2:23
Isaiah 60:14
Jeremiah 31:11
Summary of Zechariah 9
Zechariah 9 begins with a series of judgments against Damascus, Hamath, Tyre, Sidon, and the Philistine cities, demonstrating that wealth, military defenses, political influence, and human wisdom cannot protect nations indefinitely when they stand under God's judgment.
The prophecy gives special attention to Tyre, a wealthy and heavily fortified commercial city that trusted in its own resources and defenses, yet God declares that its power will be broken, providing a broader lesson that political and economic strength cannot ultimately guarantee security.
Against this background of judgment, the focus turns toward Jerusalem, where God promises protection for His people and announces the arrival of a righteous and humble king riding on a donkey, whose rule will be fundamentally different from the military kings and conquering empires surrounding Judah because he will remove the weapons of war and proclaim peace to the nations.
The king's authority will extend far beyond Israel, presenting a vision of a peaceful kingdom in which military power is replaced by righteous rule and international peace, while God's covenant with His people provides the foundation for their rescue and restoration.
God then calls His people prisoners of hope, promising to restore them and give them abundant blessing, while the later imagery of Judah as a bow and Ephraim as an arrow points toward future conflict with Greece, showing that God's people will face powerful empires but will ultimately depend upon divine intervention for victory.
The chapter concludes with God acting as the protector and shepherd of His people, transforming them from a vulnerable remnant into a precious and honored people whose land will once again produce abundant grain and wine.
The central message is that Zechariah 9 contrasts the temporary power of wealthy nations and military empires with the enduring rule of God's humble and righteous King, promising that God will protect His people, rescue them from oppression, establish peace among the nations, and restore them to prosperity.
The chapter therefore moves from judgment to hope, showing that while human kingdoms rise through wealth, fortifications, and military power, God's promised King establishes His authority through righteousness and humility, bringing a future in which God's people are rescued, strengthened, and transformed into a visible sign of His blessing.
The prophecy gives special attention to Tyre, a wealthy and heavily fortified commercial city that trusted in its own resources and defenses, yet God declares that its power will be broken, providing a broader lesson that political and economic strength cannot ultimately guarantee security.
Against this background of judgment, the focus turns toward Jerusalem, where God promises protection for His people and announces the arrival of a righteous and humble king riding on a donkey, whose rule will be fundamentally different from the military kings and conquering empires surrounding Judah because he will remove the weapons of war and proclaim peace to the nations.
The king's authority will extend far beyond Israel, presenting a vision of a peaceful kingdom in which military power is replaced by righteous rule and international peace, while God's covenant with His people provides the foundation for their rescue and restoration.
God then calls His people prisoners of hope, promising to restore them and give them abundant blessing, while the later imagery of Judah as a bow and Ephraim as an arrow points toward future conflict with Greece, showing that God's people will face powerful empires but will ultimately depend upon divine intervention for victory.
The chapter concludes with God acting as the protector and shepherd of His people, transforming them from a vulnerable remnant into a precious and honored people whose land will once again produce abundant grain and wine.
The central message is that Zechariah 9 contrasts the temporary power of wealthy nations and military empires with the enduring rule of God's humble and righteous King, promising that God will protect His people, rescue them from oppression, establish peace among the nations, and restore them to prosperity.
The chapter therefore moves from judgment to hope, showing that while human kingdoms rise through wealth, fortifications, and military power, God's promised King establishes His authority through righteousness and humility, bringing a future in which God's people are rescued, strengthened, and transformed into a visible sign of His blessing.