Zechariah 1:21

1:21 I asked, “What are these going to do?” He answered, “These horns are the ones that have scattered Judah so that there is no one to be seen.¹ But the blacksmiths have come to terrify Judah’s enemies² and cut off the horns of the nations that have thrust themselves against the land of Judah in order to scatter its people.”³

Zechariah 10:3-7

10:3 I am enraged at the shepherds and will punish the lead-goats.

For the Lord who rules over all has brought blessing to his flock, the house of Judah, and will transform them into his majestic warhorse. 10:4 From him will come the cornerstone,⁴ the wall peg,⁵ the battle bow, and every ruler.⁶ 10:5 And they will be like warriors trampling the mud of the streets in battle. They will fight, for the Lord will be with them, and will defeat the enemy cavalry.⁷

10:6 “I (says the Lord) will strengthen the kingdom⁸ of Judah and deliver the people of Joseph⁹ and will bring them back¹⁰ because of my compassion for them. They will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and therefore I will hear them. 10:7 The Ephraimites will be like warriors and will rejoice as if they had drunk wine. Their children will see it and rejoice; they will celebrate in the things of the Lord.

Zechariah 12:2-8

12:2 “I am about to make Jerusalem¹¹ a cup that brings dizziness¹² to all the surrounding nations; indeed, Judah will also be included when Jerusalem is besieged. 12:3 Moreover, on that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy burden¹³ for all the nations, and all who try to carry it will be seriously injured;¹⁴ yet all the peoples of the earth will be assembled against it. 12:4 In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with madness. I will pay close attention to the house of Judah, but will strike all the horses¹⁵ of the nations¹⁶ with blindness. 12:5 Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a means of strength to us through their God, the Lord who rules over all.’ 12:6 On that day¹⁷ I will make the leaders of Judah like an igniter¹⁸ among sticks and a burning torch among sheaves, and they will burn up all the surrounding nations right and left. Then the people of Jerusalem will settle once more in their place, the city of Jerusalem. 12:7 The Lord also will deliver the homes¹⁹ of Judah first, so that the splendor of the kingship²⁰ of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not exceed that of Judah. 12:8 On that day the Lord himself will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like mighty David, and the dynasty of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them.²¹

Micah 5:4-9

5:4 He will assume his post²² and shepherd the people²³ by the Lord’s strength,

by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God.²⁴

They will live securely,²⁵ for at that time he will be honored²⁶

even in the distant regions of²⁷ the earth.

5:5 He will give us peace.²⁸

Should the Assyrians try to invade our land

and attempt to set foot in our fortresses,²⁹

we will send³⁰ against them seven³¹ shepherd-rulers,³²

make that eight commanders.³³

5:6 They will rule³⁴ the land of Assyria with the sword,

the land of Nimrod³⁵ with a drawn sword.³⁶

Our king³⁷ will rescue us from the Assyrians

should they attempt to invade our land

and try to set foot in our territory.

5:7 Those survivors from³⁸ Jacob will live³⁹

in the midst of many nations.⁴⁰

They will be like the dew the Lord sends,

like the rain on the grass,

that does not hope for men to come

or wait around for humans to arrive.⁴¹

5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations,

in the midst of many peoples.

They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,

like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,

which attacks when it passes through;

it rips its prey⁴² and there is no one to stop it.⁴³

5:9 Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries;⁴⁴

may all your enemies be destroyed!⁴⁵

Revelation 17:14

17:14 They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying⁴⁶ the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.”

¹tn Heb “so that no man lifts up his head.”

²tn Heb “terrify them”; the referent (Judah’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³tn Heb “to scatter it.” The word “people” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁴sn On the NT use of the image of the cornerstone, see Luke 20:17; Eph 2:20; 1 Pet 2:6.

⁵sn The metaphor of the wall peg (Heb. יָתֵד, yated), together with the others in this list, describes the remarkable change that will take place at the inauguration of God’s eschatological kingdom. Israel, formerly sheep-like, will be turned into a mighty warhorse. The peg refers to a wall hook (although frequently translated “tent peg,” but cf. ASV “nail”; TWOT 1:419) from which tools and weapons were suspended, but figuratively also to the promise of God upon which all of Israel’s hopes were hung (cf. Isa 22:15-25; Ezra 9:8).

⁶tn This is not the usual word to describe a king of Israel or Judah (such as מֶלֶךְ, melekh, or נָשִׂיא, nasi’), but נוֹגֵשׂ, noges, “dictator” (cf. KJV “oppressor”). The author is asserting by this choice of wording that in the messianic age God’s rule will be by force.

⁷tn Heb “and the riders on horses will be put to shame,” figurative for the defeat of mounted troops. The word “enemy” in the translation is supplied from context.

⁸tn Heb “the house.”

⁹tn Or “the kingdom of Israel”; Heb “the house of Joseph.”

¹⁰tc The anomalous MT reading וְחוֹשְׁבוֹתִים (vÿkhoshÿvotim) should probably be וַהֲשִׁי בוֹתִם (vahashi votim), the Hiphil perfect consecutive of שׁוּב (shuv), “return” (cf. Jer 12:15).

¹¹map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹²sn The image of a cup that brings dizziness is that of drunkenness. The Lord will force the nations to drink of his judgment and in doing so they will become so intoxicated by his wrath that they will stumble and become irrational.

¹³tn Heb “heavy stone” (so NRSV, TEV, NLT); KJV “burdensome stone”; NIV “an immovable rock.”

¹⁴sn In Israel’s and Judah’s past they had been uprooted by various conquerors such as the Assyrians and the Babylonians. In the eschaton, however, they will be so “heavy” with God’s glory and so rooted in his promises that no nation will be able to move them.

¹⁵tn Heb “every horse.”

¹⁶tn Or “peoples” (so NAB, NRSV).

¹⁷sn On that day (referring to the day of the Lord) the Davidic monarchy will be restored and the Lord’s people will recognize once more the legitimacy and divine sanction of David’s dynasty. But there will also be a democratizing that will not give Jerusalem and its rulers undue priority over the people of the countryside (v. 7).

¹⁸tn Heb “a firepot” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “a blazing pot”; NLT “a brazier.”

¹⁹tn Heb “the tents” (so NAB, NRSV); NIV “the dwellings.”

²⁰tn Heb “house,” referring here to the dynastic line. Cf. NLT “the royal line”; CEV “the kingdom.” The same expression is translated “dynasty” in the following verse.

²¹sn The statement the dynasty of David will be like God is hyperbole to show the remarkable enhancements that will accompany the inauguration of the millennial age.

²²tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”

²³tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

²⁴tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.”

²⁵tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).

²⁶tn Heb “be great.”

²⁷tn Or “to the ends of.”

²⁸tn Heb “and this one will be peace”; ASV “and this man shall be our peace” (cf. Eph 2:14).

²⁹tc Some prefer to read “in our land,” emending the text to בְּאַדְמָתֵנוּ (bÿ’admatenu).

³⁰tn Heb “raise up.”

³¹sn The numbers seven and eight here symbolize completeness and emphasize that Israel will have more than enough military leadership and strength to withstand the Assyrian advance.

³²tn Heb “shepherds.”

³³tn Heb “and eight leaders of men.”

³⁴tn Or perhaps “break”; or “defeat.”

³⁵sn According to Gen 10:8-12, Nimrod, who was famous as a warrior and hunter, founded Assyria.

³⁶tc The MT reads “in her gates,” but the text should be emended to בַּפְּתִיחָה (baptikhah, “with a drawn sword”).

³⁷tn Heb “he”; the referent (the coming king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³⁸tn Heb “the remnant of” (also in v. 8).

³⁹tn Heb “will be.”

⁴⁰tn This could mean “(scattered) among the nations” (cf. CEV, NLT) or “surrounded by many nations” (cf. NRSV).

⁴¹tn Heb “that does not hope for man, and does not wait for the sons of men.”

⁴²tn The words “its prey” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

⁴³tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”

⁴⁴tn Heb “let your hand be lifted against your adversaries.”

⁴⁵tn Heb “be cut off.”

⁴⁶tn See BDAG 636 s.v. μετά A.2.a.α.