Zechariah 12
12
The Repentance of Judah
1 The revelation of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: The Lord – he who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth, who forms the human spirit within a person#tn Heb “who forms the spirit of man within him” (so NIV). – says, 2 “I am about to make Jerusalem#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. a cup that brings dizziness#sn 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. to all the surrounding nations; indeed, Judah will also be included when Jerusalem is besieged. 3 Moreover, on that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy burden#tn Heb “heavy stone” (so NRSV, TEV, NLT); KJV “burdensome stone”; NIV “an immovable rock.” for all the nations, and all who try to carry it will be seriously injured;#sn 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. yet all the peoples of the earth will be assembled against it. 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 horses#tn Heb “every horse.” of the nations#tn Or “peoples” (so NAB, NRSV). with blindness. 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.’ 6 On that day#sn 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). I will make the leaders of Judah like an igniter#tn Heb “a firepot” (so NASB, NIV); NRSV “a blazing pot”; NLT “a brazier.” 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. 7 The Lord also will deliver the homes#tn Heb “the tents” (so NAB, NRSV); NIV “the dwellings.” of Judah first, so that the splendor of the kingship#tn 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. of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not exceed that of Judah. 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.#sn 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. 9 So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations#tn Or “peoples.” that come against Jerusalem.”
10 “I will pour out on the kingship#tn Or “dynasty”; Heb “house.” of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication so that they will look to me,#tc Because of the difficulty of the concept of the mortal piercing of God, the subject of this clause, and the shift of pronoun from “me” to “him” in the next, many mss read אַלֵי אֵת אֲשֶׁר (’ale ’et ’asher, “to the one whom,” a reading followed by NAB, NRSV) rather than the MT’s אֵלַי אֵת אֲשֶׁר (’ela ’et ’asher, “to me whom”). The reasons for such alternatives, however, are clear – they are motivated by scribes who found such statements theologically objectionable – and they should be rejected in favor of the more difficult reading (lectio difficilior) of the MT.tn Or “on me.” the one they have pierced. They will lament for him as one laments for an only son, and there will be a bitter cry for him like the bitter cry for a firstborn.#tn The Hebrew term בְּכוֹר (bÿkhor, “firstborn”), translated usually in the LXX by πρωτότοκος (prwtotokos), has unmistakable messianic overtones as the use of the Greek term in the NT to describe Jesus makes clear (cf. Col 1:15, 18). Thus, the idea of God being pierced sets the stage for the fatal wounding of Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God (cf. John 19:37; Rev 1:7). Note that some English translations supply “son” from the context (e.g., NIV, TEV, NLT). 11 On that day the lamentation in Jerusalem will be as great as the lamentation at Hadad-Rimmon#tn “Hadad-Rimmon” is a compound of the names of two Canaanite deities, the gods of storm and thunder respectively. The grammar (a subjective genitive) allows, and the problem of comparing Israel’s grief at God’s “wounding” with pagan mourning seems to demand, that this be viewed as a place name, perhaps where Judah lamented the death of good king Josiah (cf. 2 Chr 35:25). However, some translations render this as “for” (NRSV, NCV, TEV, CEV), suggesting a person, while others translate as “of” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT) which is ambiguous. in the plain of Megiddo.#map For location see Map1-D4; Map2-C1; Map4-C2; Map5-F2; Map7-B1. 12 The land will mourn, clan by clan – the clan of the royal household of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the clan of the family of Nathan#sn By the time of Zechariah the line of descent from David had already been transferred from the Solomon branch to the Nathan branch (the clan of the family of Nathan). Nathan was a son of David (2 Sam 5:14) through whom Jesus eventually came (Luke 3:23-31). Matthew traces Jesus’ ancestry back through Solomon (Matt 1:6-16) but apparently this is to tie Joseph into the Davidic (and thus messianic) line. The “official” descent of Jesus may be viewed as passing through Solomon whereas the “physical” descent came through Nathan. by itself and their wives by themselves; 13 the clan of the descendants of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; and the clan of the Shimeites#sn The Shimeites were Levites (Exod 6:16-17; Num 3:17-18) who presumably were prominent in the postexilic era. Just as David and Nathan represented the political leadership of the community, so Levi and Shimei represented the religious leadership. All will lament the piercing of the Messiah. by itself and their wives by themselves – 14 all the clans that remain, each separately with their wives.”
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Zecharyah 12
12
1The burden of the Devar Hashem concerning Yisroel, saith Hashem, who stretcheth forth Shomayim, and layeth the yesod aretz, and formeth the ruach adam within him.
2Hinei, I will make Yerushalayim a cup of reeling unto kol ha'amim (all the peoples) round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Yehudah and against Yerushalayim.
3And on Yom HaHu will I make Yerushalayim an even ma'amasah (a burdensome stone) for kol ha'amim: all that burden themselves with it#12:3 i.e., try to lift it shall be cut in pieces, though kol Goyei Ha'Aretz be gathered together against her.
4In Yom HaHu, saith Hashem, I will strike every sus with panic, and his rider with madness; and I will open mine eyes upon the Bais Yehudah, and will strike every sus of the people with blindness.
5And the Aluphei Yehudah (leaders of Yehudah) shall say in their lev, The yoshvei Yerushalayim are my strength in Hashem Tzva'os Eloheihem.
6In Yom HaHu will I make the Aluphei Yehudah like a fire pot in the woods, and like a torch of eish in the omer (sheaves); and they shall devour kol haAm round about, on the right hand and on the left; and Yerushalayim shall be inhabited again in her own site, even in Yerushalayim.
7 Hashem also shall save the oholei Yehudah (tents of Yehudah) first, that the glory of the Bais Dovid and the glory of the inhabitants of Yerushalayim do not magnify themselves against Yehudah.
8In Yom Hahu shall Hashem defend the inhabitants of Yerushalayim; and he that is feeble among them in Yom Hahu shall be like Dovid; and the Bais Dovid shall be like Elohim, like the Malach Hashem before them.
9And it shall come to pass in Yom Hahu, that I will seek to destroy kol HaGoyim that attack Yerushalayim.
10And I will pour upon the Bais Dovid, and upon the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, the Ruach (Spirit) of Chen (grace) and of Tachanunim (supplications for favor); and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced,#12:10 dakar, “pierce through” cf. Isa 53:5; Targum HaShivim Ps 22:17 and they shall mourn for Him (Moshiach) as one mourneth for his yachid (only son), and shall grieve in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his bechor (firstborn).
11In Yom Hahu shall there be a great mourning in Yerushalayim, as the mourning of Hadad-Rimmon in the valley of Megiddo.
12And ha'aretz shall mourn, all mishpochot apart; the mishpachat Bais Dovid apart, and their wives apart; the mishpachat Bais Natan apart, and their wives apart;#12:12 2Sm 5:14
13The mishpachat Bais Levi apart, and their wives apart; the mishpachat Shime'i apart, and their wives apart;#12:13 Num 3:17-18,21
14All the mishpochot that remain, all mishpochot apart, and their wives apart.
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