Zechariah 10

Zechariah · Chapter 10

Zechariah 10:5

1Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.2For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.3Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.4Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.5And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.6And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them.7And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD.8I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.9And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.10I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them.11And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away.12And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
5And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.They will be like mighty men in battle, trampling the enemy in the mire of the streets. They will fight because the LORD is with them, and they will put the horsemen to shame.And they shall be as mighty men, treading down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because Jehovah is with them; and the riders on horses shall be confounded.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

The LORD promises that his shepherdless flock, the house of Judah, will become like mighty warriors who trample their enemies in battle. They win not by their own power but because the LORD is with them, and even the riders on horses are put to shame. Zechariah 10:2Zechariah 10:3Zechariah 10:5Zechariah 10:6

SpeakingThe LORD speaks through the prophet Zechariah. The chapter closes with "saith the LORD." Zechariah 10:12Zechariah overview

ToThe people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. Zechariah overview

Also involvedThe house of Judah, along with the house of Joseph and Ephraim, whom God will strengthen and gather. Their enemies and the riders on horses are put to shame. Zechariah 10:3Zechariah 10:5Zechariah 10:6Zechariah 10:7

God's anger is kindled against the shepherds, and he visits his flock (10:3). He turns Judah from a troubled flock with no shepherd into his "goodly horse in the battle," warriors who fight and win because he is with them. Zechariah 10:2Zechariah 10:3Zechariah 10:5

The message went to Jerusalem and Judah. The chapter pictures God gathering his people from Egypt and Assyria into Gilead and Lebanon. Zechariah overviewZechariah 10:10

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThe verse looks ahead to a coming victory and regathering of God's people. The chapter gives no date for when it will happen. Zechariah 10:5Zechariah 10:8Zechariah 10:10

WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote the whole book, with dated messages from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: chapters 9-14 carry no dates, and many assign them to a later writer or writers, while others hold Zechariah wrote them. Zechariah overview

HereThe verse shows that God's people will be strong because of the LORD's presence. The next verse says "I will strengthen the house of Judah," and the chapter ends "I will strengthen them in the LORD." Zechariah 10:5Zechariah 10:6Zechariah 10:12

In the whole of ScriptureZechariah teaches that God's work is done "not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit" (4:6). Elsewhere in the book the LORD himself fights for his people and strikes the enemy's horses (12:4, 14:3), and Haggai 2:22 says the horses and their riders shall come down. Psalm 20:7 makes the same contrast: some trust in horses, "but we will remember the name of the LORD our God." Zechariah overviewZechariah 12:4Zechariah 14:3Haggai 2:22Psalms 20:7

For readersThe strength here does not come from the people themselves. Weak people become mighty because the LORD is with them, as Zechariah 12:8 says the feeble shall be as David. Zechariah 10:5Zechariah 12:8

  • mighty menגִּבּוֹר
    Hebrew · gib.bor · H1368

    The word means a strong, brave, mighty man. Zechariah uses the same picture for Ephraim (10:7) and for Zion as "the sword of a mighty man" (9:13). It shows a flock with no shepherd being made into fighters. Strong's H1368Zechariah 10:7Zechariah 9:13Zechariah 10:2

  • withעִם
    Hebrew · im · H5973A

    The word means "with," and the clause is joined by a word meaning "because." The reason for victory is that the LORD is with them, which matches "I will strengthen them in the LORD" (10:12). Strong's H5973AStrong's H3588AZechariah 10:12

  • confoundedבּוֹשׁ
    Hebrew · bush · H0954

    The word means to put to shame, be ashamed, disconcerted, or disappointed. The riders on horses are not only beaten but shamed, fitting Psalm 20:7, which sets trust in horses against the name of the LORD. Strong's H0954Zechariah 10:5Psalms 20:7

  • tread downבּוּס
    Hebrew · bus · H0947

    The word means to tread down or trample, and is used of warriors. Here the enemies are trodden in the mud of the streets. Strong's H0947Strong's H2916Zechariah 10:5

Takeaway

God turns his weak, scattered people into victors, and the reason is "because the LORD is with them." Trust rests in him, not in horses or human might. Zechariah 10:5Psalms 20:7Zechariah overview

Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.

The world around the text

About 520-518 BC. King of Persia: Darius I (522-486 BC). Where Zechariah prophesied. A small, poor community was rebuilding the temple among the ruins of the city Babylon had burned.

Who ruled
  • King of PersiaDarius I522-486 BC

    Zechariah dates his messages by the years of Darius. Darius confirmed Cyrus's decree and ordered the temple work to go on at royal expense. Zechariah 1:1Zechariah 7:1Ezra 6:1-12Haggai 1:1Behistun Inscription

  • Governor of JudahZerubbabelc. 520 BC

    A descendant of David who led the rebuilding. "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it." Zechariah 4:6-10Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:8

  • High priestJoshua the high priestc. 520 BC

    Called Jeshua in Ezra. He stands in Zechariah's vision clothed in filthy garments, which are taken away, and later receives crowns as a sign. Zechariah 3:1-10Zechariah 6:11Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:2

  • Persian governor "on this side the river"Tattenaic. 520 BC

    The governor of the province west of the Euphrates. He asked who had allowed the building, wrote to Darius, and was told to let the work go on. Ezra 5:3-6Ezra 6:6-13

What was happening, 539 BC to 332 BC
  1. 539 BC
    WarBabylon falls to Cyrus

    Cyrus king of Persia took Babylon, ending the empire that had destroyed Jerusalem. Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Cyrus Cylinder

  2. 538 BC
    God's peopleThe first return

    Cyrus let the exiles go home to build the LORD's house. About fifty thousand returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Ezra 1:1-4Ezra 2:1-2Ezra 2:64-65

  3. c. 536 BC
    God's peopleThe foundation is laid, then the work stops

    The returned exiles laid the temple's foundation with shouting and weeping. Opposition from their neighbors stopped the work until the second year of Darius. Ezra 3:10-13Ezra 4:4-5Ezra 4:24

  4. 525 BC
    WarPersia conquers Egypt

    Cyrus's son Cambyses invaded and took Egypt, bringing the whole region from the Nile to the Indus under one king. Herodotus, Histories 3.1-16

  5. 522-521 BC
    WarDarius crushes the revolts

    When Darius took the throne, provinces across the empire rebelled, Babylon twice. By 520 he had put them all down. Compare the riders' report in Zechariah's first vision: "all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest." Behistun InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 3.150-159Zechariah 1:11

  6. 520 BC
    God's peopleHaggai and Zechariah stir the people to build

    In Darius's second year the two prophets urged the people to take up the temple work again, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua began to build. Ezra 5:1-2Haggai 1:1-15Zechariah 1:1

  7. c. 520-519 BC
    RulersDarius confirms Cyrus's decree

    Tattenai questioned the building. A search found Cyrus's decree at Achmetha, and Darius ordered the work to continue and be paid for from royal taxes. Ezra 5:3-6:12

  8. 515 BC
    BuildingThe second temple is finished

    The temple was finished on the third day of Adar in Darius's sixth year and dedicated with joy. Ezra 6:14-18Zechariah 4:9

  9. 490-479 BC
    WarPersia's wars with Greece

    Persia invaded Greece twice and was turned back at Marathon (490), Salamis (480) and Plataea (479). Greece, which Zechariah names in 9:13, was becoming Persia's great rival. Herodotus, Histories 6.102-117Herodotus, Histories 8.40-96Herodotus, Histories 9.1-89Zechariah 9:13

  10. 445 BC
    BuildingNehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem's walls

    Under the Persian king Artaxerxes, Nehemiah came from Shushan and rebuilt the walls in fifty-two days. Nehemiah 2:1-8Nehemiah 6:15

  11. 332 BC
    WarAlexander takes Tyre and Gaza

    Alexander the Great besieged island Tyre for seven months and then Gaza for two, on his way to Egypt. Zechariah 9 speaks of Tyre's "strong hold" and of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron and Ashdod. Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 2.15-27Zechariah 9:3-7

The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records (the Behistun Inscription, the Cyrus Cylinder, the Babylonian Chronicles) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and they will beוְהָי֨וּve-ha-YUH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

like warriorsכְגִבֹּרִ֜יםkhe-gi-bo-RIMH1368
mighty man

גִּבּוֹר (gib.bor) adj 1) strong, mighty n m 2) strong man, brave man, mighty man

treading downבּוֹסִ֨יםbo-SIMH0947
to trample

בּוּס (bus) 1) to tread down, reject, trample down 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to tread down, trample (of warriors) 1a2) of rejection (fig.) 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to tread down (in bad sense) 1b2) to desecrate 1c) (Hithpolel) 1c1) to tread 1c2) to kick out 1c2a) of infants' blind movements 1c2b) of Jerusalem (fig.) 1d) (Hophal) to be trodden down

in [the] mud ofבְּטִ֤יטbe-TITH2916
mud

טִיט (tit) 1) mud, clay, mire, damp dirt 1a) mud, mire 1b) clay (poetical) Aramaic equivalent: tin (טִין "common" H2917)

[the] streetsחוּצוֹת֙chu-tzOtH2351
outside

חוּץ (chuts) outside, outward, street, the outside

in the battleבַּמִּלְחָמָ֔הba-mil-cha-MAHH4421
battle

מִלְחָמָה (mil.cha.mah) battle, war

and they will fightוְנִ֨לְחֲמ֔וּve-NIL-cha-MUH3898A
to fight

לָחַם (la.cham) 1) to fight, do battle, make war 1a) (Qal) to fight, do battle 1b) (Niphal) to engage in battle, wage war

forכִּ֥יkiH3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

Yahwehיְהוָ֖הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

[will be] with themעִמָּ֑ם'i-MAMH5973A
with

עִם (im) 1) with 1a) with 1b) against 1c) toward 1d) as long as

and they will put to shameוְהֹבִ֖ישׁוּve-ho-VI-shuH0954
be ashamed

בּוֹשׁ (bush) 1) to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to feel shame 1a2) to be ashamed, disconcerted, disappointed (by reason of) 1b) (Piel) to delay (in shame) 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to put to shame 1c2) to act shamefully 1c3) to be ashamed 1d) (Hithpolel) to be ashamed before one another

riders ofרֹכְבֵ֥יro-khe-VEIH7392
to ride

רָכַב (ra.khav) 1) to mount and ride, ride 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to mount, mount and sit or ride 1a2) to ride, be riding 1a3) rider (subst) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to ride, cause to (mount and) ride 1b2) to cause to draw (plough, etc) 1b3) to cause to ride upon (fig)

horsesסוּסִֽים׃su-SIMH5483M
horse

סוּס (sus) 1) horse 1a) chariot horses

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.