Zechariah 9

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

9   The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach
    and Damascus is its resting place.
  For the LORD has an eye on mankind
    and on all the tribes of Israel,
  and on Hamath also, which borders on it,
    Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.
  Tyre has built herself a rampart
    and heaped up silver like dust,
    and fine gold like the mud of the streets.
  But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions
    and strike down her power on the sea,
    and she shall be devoured by fire.
  Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid;
    Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish;
    Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded.
  The king shall perish from Gaza;
    Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;
  a mixed people shall dwell in Ashdod,
    and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.
  I will take away its blood from its mouth,
    and its abominations from between its teeth;
  it too shall be a remnant for our God;
    it shall be like a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.
  Then I will encamp at my house as a guard,
    so that none shall march to and fro;
  no oppressor shall again march over them,
    for now I see with my own eyes.

The Coming King of Zion

  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
  Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
  humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
  I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
    and the war horse from Jerusalem;
  and the battle bow shall be cut off,
    and he shall speak peace to the nations;
  his rule shall be from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
  As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
    I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
  Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
    today I declare that I will restore to you double.
  For I have bent Judah as my bow;
    I have made Ephraim its arrow.
  I will stir up your sons, O Zion,
    against your sons, O Greece,
    and wield you like a warrior’s sword.

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 trumpet
    and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.
  The LORD of hosts will protect them,
    and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones,
  and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,
    and be full like a bowl,
    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 the jewels of a crown
    they shall shine on his land.
  For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!
    Grain shall make the young men flourish,
    and new wine the young women.

(ESV)

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Zechariah 9 Commentary

by Brad Boyles

Before Jesus was Savior, He was King. But He was not a king as you or I know one. Jesus ushered in a different kind of Kingdom.

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Zechariah 9:9 HCSB

Instead of a fully armored warhorse, He came on a donkey. Instead of shouldering the latest military weaponry, He came speaking a Word of peace.

The world looks at someone like Alexander III of Macedon and names him “Alexander the Great” because of his achievements and his authority. The God of the universe steps down into a human body and rides in on a donkey. This is the difference between humanity’s definition of a king and God’s example of a King.

Which are you following? Which are you trying to emulate?

The world says you must be the biggest, the best, and the most-liked. Jesus was content to hang out with the lame, the sick, and the sinners of society. The world says you must conquer your enemies in this life while looking out for numero uno. Jesus conquered your enemies by sacrificing Himself. The world says you will be measured and evaluated by your bank account, your retirement, and your works. Jesus said if you don’t know Him, nothing else matters.

“Zec 9:9-10 presents a prophecy whose fulfillment was clearly set in motion (though not completed) by Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem on a colt, the well-known Triumphal Entry. Both Matthew and John mention this passage. John even notes that the disciples saw no immediate connection between Jesus riding on the colt and His identity as the Messiah prophesied in Zechariah. After Jesus was glorified, “then they remembered that these things were written about Him” (Joh12:16).”

Nelson’s Commentary

Zechariah 9 is not just about the Triumphal Entry. It speaks to future events as well. The reason we seek to know Jesus and make Him known is so others do not miss Him like they did the first time!

“These verses in Zechariah include an important transition. The arrival of the saving King is followed immediately by a description of the effects of his long-term reign. This is an example of “prophetic compression.” Viewed from the broader context of prophecy, Zechariah was mentioning together two stages in God’s plan which are actually separated in time. The coming King would arrive twice. Jesus came first as a humble King of peace and salvation, accomplished in Jesus’ earthly ministry and His death on the Cross. Second, Jesus will come as a victorious Ruler over all the world who will “speak peace to the nations.” We should rejoice over Jesus’ first coming and anticipate the complete fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy at Christ’s glorious return.”

Nelson’s Commentary