Zechariah 10

Zechariah · Chapter 10

Zechariah 10:7

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
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.Ephraim will be like a mighty man, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD.And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine; yea, their children shall see it, and rejoice; their heart shall be glad in Jehovah.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Zechariah 10 promises that the LORD will strengthen Judah, save the house of Joseph, and bring his scattered people home. Verse 7 says Ephraim, the people of Joseph, will become strong like a warrior and glad like men cheered by wine. Their children will see it too, and their joy will be in the LORD. Zechariah 10:6Zechariah 10:7Zechariah 10:8Zechariah 10:10Strong's H0669G

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 involvedEphraim, named after Joseph's second son and standing for his tribe. In this chapter Ephraim is the "house of Joseph," scattered in far countries and in Egypt and Assyria, whom God promises to gather. Strong's H0669GZechariah 10:6Zechariah 10:9Zechariah 10:10

God promises that Ephraim, once cast off, will be made strong and filled with joy. The joy is compared to the gladness wine gives, but its true ground is the LORD himself. It reaches the next generation, as their children see it and are glad. Zechariah 10:6Zechariah 10:7Psalms 104:15Zechariah 9:15

The message was given in Jerusalem among the returned exiles. It speaks of Ephraim being gathered from far countries, Egypt and Assyria, into Gilead and Lebanon. Zechariah overviewZechariah 10:9Zechariah 10:10

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThis is a promise about the future: "I will" gather them and bring them again. God gives the reason as something already done: "for I have redeemed them." The text gives no date for the gathering. Zechariah 10:6Zechariah 10:8Zechariah 10:10

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

HereThe verse assures God's people that the scattered house of Joseph is not forgotten. God says, "I have mercy upon them," and they will be "as though I had not cast them off." Zechariah 10:6Zechariah 10:8

In the whole of ScriptureIt belongs to the book's first burden about the coming king. In it God shepherds his flock, punishes false shepherds, and makes his people strong "in the LORD." It fits the book's call to return to the LORD, who will return to them. Zechariah overviewZechariah 10:3Zechariah 10:12

For readersLasting joy is found "in the LORD," not in wine. Ephesians 5:18-19 makes the same contrast: not drunk with wine but filled with the Spirit, singing in the heart to the Lord. Habakkuk 3:18 and Psalm 28:7 also show the heart rejoicing in the LORD. Zechariah 10:7Ephesians 5:18Ephesians 5:19Habakkuk 3:18Psalms 28:7

  • mighty manגִּבּוֹר
    Hebrew · gib.bor · H1368

    The word means a strong, brave or mighty man, a warrior. It ties Ephraim to Judah, whom verse 5 also calls "mighty men" who fight because the LORD is with them. Strong's H1368Zechariah 10:5

  • wineיַ֫יִן
    Hebrew · ya.yin · H3196

    Wine is used here only as a picture: the heart rejoices "as through wine." Zechariah 9:15 uses the same image, and Psalm 104:15 speaks of wine that makes the heart glad. Verse 7 then places the joy "in the LORD." Strong's H3196Zechariah 9:15Psalms 104:15Zechariah 10:7

  • rejoiceגִּיל
    Hebrew · gil · H1523

    It means to rejoice, exult, be glad. Here it names the joy of the people's heart "in the LORD," the high point of the verse. Strong's H1523Zechariah 10:7

  • Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם
    Hebrew · eph.ra.yim · H0669G

    Ephraim was Joseph's son and gave his name to a tribe. The name shows this promise is for the "house of Joseph," and not only for Judah. Strong's H0669GZechariah 10:6

Takeaway

God promises to restore even the people he had cast off. He makes them strong and gives them a joy rooted in himself that their children will share. True gladness is "in the LORD." Zechariah 10:6Zechariah 10:7Psalms 102:28Habakkuk 3:18

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 beוְהָי֤וּve-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 a warriorכְגִבּוֹר֙khe-gi-bOrH1368
mighty man

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

Ephraimאֶפְרַ֔יִם'ef-RA-yimH0669G
Ephraim

אֶפְרַ֫יִם (eph.ra.yim) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.41.52; son of: Joseph (H3130) and Asenath (H0621); brother of: Manasseh (H4519); father of: Shuthelah (H7803), Becher (H1071H), Tahan (H8465), Ezer (H5827), Elead (H0496) and Beriah (H1283H); also called Ephrathite (NIV: Ephraimite) at 1Sa.1.1; Ephron (Qere, KJV: Ephrain) at 2Ch.13.19; § Ephraim = "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful" 1) second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh 2) the tribe, Ephraim 3) the mountain country of Ephraim …

and it will be gladוְשָׂמַ֥חve-sa-MACHH8055
to rejoice

שָׂמַח (sa.mach) 1) to rejoice, be glad 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to rejoice 1a2) to rejoice (arrogantly), exult (at) 1a3) to rejoice (religiously) 1b) (Piel) to cause to rejoice, gladden, make glad 1c) (Hiphil) to cause to rejoice, gladden, make glad

heart theirלִבָּ֖םli-BAMH3820A
mind

בָּל (bal) mind, heart Aramaic of lev (לֵב "heart" H3820A)

likeכְּמוֹ־ke-mov-H3644G
like

כְּמוֹ (ke.mo) adv 1) like, as, the like of which conj 2) when, according as, as it were

wineיָ֑יִןYA-yinH3196
wine

יַ֫יִן (ya.yin) wine

and children theirוּבְנֵיהֶם֙u-ve-nei-HEMH1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

they will seeיִרְא֣וּyir-'UH7200G
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

and they will be gladוְשָׂמֵ֔חוּve-sa-ME-chuH8055
to rejoice

שָׂמַח (sa.mach) 1) to rejoice, be glad 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to rejoice 1a2) to rejoice (arrogantly), exult (at) 1a3) to rejoice (religiously) 1b) (Piel) to cause to rejoice, gladden, make glad 1c) (Hiphil) to cause to rejoice, gladden, make glad

it may rejoiceיָגֵ֥לya-GELH1523
to rejoice

גִּיל (gil) 1) to rejoice, exult, be glad 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to rejoice 1a2) to tremble (from fear)

heart theirלִבָּ֖םli-BAMH3820A
mind

בָּל (bal) mind, heart Aramaic of lev (לֵב "heart" H3820A)

in Yahwehבַּיהוָֽה׃ba-YAH-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)

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