Zechariah 12:4
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. | On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and every rider with madness. I will keep a watchful eye on the house of Judah, but I will strike with blindness all the horses of the nations. | In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedZechariah 12 pictures the nations gathered in a siege against Jerusalem and Judah, and God making the city a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone to them. In this verse God says he will throw the enemy's cavalry into confusion, striking horses with bewilderment and blindness and riders with madness. At the same time he will open his eyes upon Judah to watch over and defend it. Zechariah 12:2Zechariah 12:3Zechariah 12:4Zechariah 12:8
SpeakingThe LORD speaks, as the verse says ("saith the LORD"), through the prophet Zechariah. Zechariah 12:1Zechariah 12:4Zechariah overview
ToThe message is a burden of the word of the LORD for Israel. It was first given to the people of Judah who had returned from exile in Babylon. Zechariah 12:1Zechariah overview
Also involvedThe horses and riders of the peoples who come against Jerusalem are struck. The house of Judah is the one God watches over. Zechariah 12:4Zechariah 12:9
God promises to disable the attacking armies by striking their horses and riders with confusion, madness and blindness. He also promises to open his eyes upon Judah. The verse makes God, not Judah's strength, the one who breaks the siege, as the next verses also say. Zechariah 12:4Zechariah 12:5Zechariah 12:8Zechariah 12:9
The scene is Jerusalem and the land of Judah under siege by the surrounding peoples. Zechariah 12:2Zechariah overview
The eventsThe verse places this "in that day," a future time of siege against Jerusalem, from the prophet's point of view. The text does not give a date. Zechariah 12:3Zechariah 12:4Strong's H3117G
WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote the whole book, with his dated messages running from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: many scholars assign the undated chapters 9-14, which include this verse, to a later writer or writers, while others hold that Zechariah wrote them. Zechariah overview
HereThe verse assures God's people that he himself will defeat the forces gathered against Jerusalem. The governors of Judah will then say, "The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God." Zechariah 12:4Zechariah 12:5Zechariah 12:9
In the whole of ScriptureDeuteronomy 28:28 names the same three blows, "The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart." Here God turns them on the nations that come against Jerusalem. Ezekiel also speaks of God bringing out an army of horses and horsemen (Ezekiel 38:4) and of a table filled with horses, chariots and men of war (Ezekiel 39:20). Deuteronomy 28:28Zechariah 12:4Zechariah 12:9Ezekiel 38:4Ezekiel 39:20
For readersGod's open eyes over his people echo Solomon's prayer that God's eyes would be open toward his house night and day (1 Kings 8:29). The passage teaches that rescue comes from the LORD's watchful care, not from horses or human might. This fits the book's theme: "not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit." 1 Kings 8:29Zechariah 12:4Zechariah 12:5Zechariah overview
- astonishmentתִּמָּהוֹן
The word means astonishment, bewilderment or stupefaction. The horses are thrown into a stunned confusion and cannot carry the attack. Deuteronomy 28:28 names "astonishment of heart" among the LORD's blows. Strong's H8541Deuteronomy 28:28Zechariah 12:4
- madnessשִׁגָּעוֹן
The word means madness. The riders lose their senses, so the army cannot fight. Madness is also the first of the blows named in Deuteronomy 28:28. Strong's H7697Deuteronomy 28:28Zechariah 12:4
- openפָּקַח
This verb is used for opening the eyes. God opens his own eyes on Judah at the very moment he blinds the enemy's horses. The contrast shows his watchful care, as in the prayer that his eyes be open toward his house (1 Kings 8:29). Strong's H64911 Kings 8:29Zechariah 12:4
- horseסוּס
The word means horse, including chariot horses. That points to the military power of the besieging peoples. Ezekiel 38:4 likewise pictures an army of horses and horsemen. Strong's H5483MEzekiel 38:4Zechariah 12:4
Takeaway
When the nations gather against Jerusalem, the LORD himself confuses and blinds their forces while he keeps his eyes open over his people. Their rescue rests on his strength, not on theirs. Zechariah 12:4Zechariah 12:5Zechariah 12:8
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
- 539 BCWarBabylon 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
- 538 BCGod'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
- c. 536 BCGod'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
- 525 BCWarPersia 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
- 522-521 BCWarDarius 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
- 520 BCGod'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
- c. 520-519 BCRulersDarius 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
- 515 BCBuildingThe 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
- 490-479 BCWarPersia'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
- 445 BCBuildingNehemiah 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
- 332 BCWarAlexander 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
| English | Hebrew | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| on the day | בַּיּ֨וֹם | bai-YOM | H3117G | dayיוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow |
| the that | הַה֜וּא | ha-HU' | H1931 | he/she/itהוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article) |
| [the] utterance of | נְאֻם־ | ne-'um- | H5002 | utteranceנְאֻם (ne.um) 1) (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet) 1a) utterance, declaration, revelation (of prophet in ecstatic state) 1b) utterance, declaration (elsewhere always preceding divine name) |
| Yahweh | יְהוָ֗ה | YAH-weh | H3068G | Lordאֲדֹנָי (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) |
| I will strike | אַכֶּ֤ה | 'a-KEH | H5221 | to smiteנָכָה (na.khah) 1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill 1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten 1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust 1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast) 1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage 1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy 1d) (Hophal) to be smitten 1d1) to receive a blow 1d2) to be wounded 1d3) to be beaten 1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain 1d5) to be attacked and captured 1d6) to be smitten (with disease) … |
| every | כָל־ | khol- | H3605 | allכֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606) |
| horse | סוּס֙ | sus | H5483M | horseסוּס (sus) 1) horse 1a) chariot horses |
| with the bewilderment | בַּתִּמָּה֔וֹן | ba-ti-ma-HON | H8541 | bewildermentתִּמָּהוֹן (tim.ma.hon) astonishment, bewilderment, stupefaction |
| and rider its | וְרֹכְב֖וֹ | ve-ro-khe-VO | H7392 | to rideרָכַב (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) |
| with the madness | בַּשִּׁגָּע֑וֹן | ba-shi-ga-'on | H7697 | madnessשִׁגָּעוֹן (shig.ga.on) madness |
| and over | וְעַל־ | ve-'al- | H5921A | uponעַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) … |
| [the] house of | בֵּ֤ית | beit | H1004M | No entry |
| Judah | יְהוּדָה֙ | ye-hu-DAH | H3063G | Judahיְהוּד (ye.hud) A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.35; son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812); brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783); half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); married to Bath-shua (H1323I) and Tamar (H8559); father of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209), Shelah (H7956), Perez (H6557) and Zerah (H2226I) Aramaic of ye.hu.dah (יְהוּדָה "Judah" H3063) Judah-the territory of the tribe of Judah |
| I will open | אֶפְקַ֣ח | 'ef-KACH | H6491 | to openפָּקַח (pa.qach) 1) to open (the eyes) 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to open (the eyes) 1a2) to open (the ears) 1b) (Niphal) to be opened |
| eyes my | עֵינַ֔י | 'ei-NAI | H5869A | eyeעַ֫יִן (a.yin) : eye 1) eye 1a) eye 1a1) of physical eye 1a2) as showing mental qualities 1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.) |
| and every | וְכֹל֙ | ve-KHOL | H3605 | allכֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606) |
| the horse of | ס֣וּס | sus | H5483M | horseסוּס (sus) 1) horse 1a) chariot horses |
| the peoples | הָֽעַמִּ֔ים | ha-'a-MIM | H5971A | peopleעַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men |
| I will strike | אַכֶּ֖ה | 'a-KEH | H5221 | to smiteנָכָה (na.khah) 1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill 1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten 1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust 1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast) 1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage 1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy 1d) (Hophal) to be smitten 1d1) to receive a blow 1d2) to be wounded 1d3) to be beaten 1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain 1d5) to be attacked and captured 1d6) to be smitten (with disease) … |
| with the blindness | בַּֽעִוָּרֽוֹן׃ | BA-'i-va-RON | H5788A | blindnessעִוָּרוֹן (iv.va.ron) blindness Also means: av.ve.ret (עַוֶּ֫רֶת "blindness" H5788B) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.