Zechariah 14

Zechariah · Chapter 14

Zechariah 14:10

1Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.3Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.6And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:7But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.8And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.9And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.10All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.11And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.12And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.13And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.14And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.15And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.16And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.17And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.18And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.19This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.20In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.21Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
10All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain in her place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses.All the land shall be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she shall be lifted up, and shall dwell in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel unto the king’s winepresses.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

On the coming day of the LORD, after he fights for Jerusalem and becomes king over all the earth, all the land from Geba to Rimmon will be turned into a plain like the Arabah. Jerusalem will be lifted up and lived in on its own site, from gate to gate and from tower to winepress. The next verse gives the result: people will live there safely, with no more utter destruction. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:10Zechariah 14:11Strong's H6160G

SpeakingThe LORD speaks through the prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah. The chapter carries the LORD's first-person voice: "I will gather all nations." Zechariah overviewZechariah 14:2

ToThe people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon, at the time the temple was being rebuilt. Zechariah overview

Also involvedJerusalem and the people who live in it. The city that was taken and plundered in verse 2 is the city lifted up and safely inhabited here. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:10Zechariah 14:11

The verse describes a change in the land. All the land from Geba, a city of Benjamin, to Rimmon south of Jerusalem is turned into a plain, and the city is lifted up. Jerusalem is inhabited in her place across its full extent, marked out by Benjamin's gate, the first gate, the corner gate, the tower of Hananeel and the king's winepresses. Zechariah 14:10Strong's H6160GStrong's H7213Strong's H8478IStrong's H1387G1 Kings 15:22

Jerusalem and the land around it. Geba is a city of Benjamin about six miles northeast of Jerusalem, and Rimmon, which the verse places south of Jerusalem, is named in the town list of Joshua 15:32. Benjamin's gate, the corner gate and the tower of Hananeel were in Jerusalem itself; Jeremiah was seized at the gate of Benjamin, and the king once sat there. Strong's H1387G1 Kings 15:22Joshua 15:32Rimmon 2Benjamin GateCorner GateTower Of HananelJeremiah 37:13Jeremiah 38:7

Mediterranean SeaARABAHBenjamin GateGeba 3Rimmon 2TyreSidonDamascusGazaMegiddo

The eventsThese things belong to "that day," the day of the LORD. It comes after the LORD fights the nations and his feet stand on the mount of Olives. For Zechariah and his hearers it was still to come. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:9

WrittenTraditional view: Zechariah wrote the book, with dated messages from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly view: most accept chapters 1-8 as Zechariah's from 520-518 BC, but many assign the undated chapters 9-14, including this verse, to a later writer or writers, while others hold that Zechariah wrote the whole book. Zechariah overview

HereThe verse shows Jerusalem raised up and lived in again across its whole extent, from Benjamin's gate to the corner gate and from the tower of Hananeel to the king's winepresses. Verse 11 adds that there will be no more utter destruction. Zechariah 14:10Zechariah 14:11

In the whole of ScriptureIt answers the chapter's opening, where the city is taken and half its people go into captivity (14:2). Once "the LORD shall be king over all the earth" (14:9), the city stands secure. Jeremiah also promises the city built "from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner," never to be thrown down any more. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:9Jeremiah 31:38Jeremiah 31:40

For readersA city that had known capture and plunder is promised a lasting home under the LORD's rule. God's promises reach real places, named gate by gate. Zechariah 14:10Zechariah 14:11

Christians read this differently

The text does not say whether the leveled land and the raised city are a literal change in geography or picture-language, and no cited Scripture settles it. Some read it literally, together with the splitting of the mount of Olives, as a physical reshaping of the land when the LORD comes. Others read it as a vivid image of Jerusalem raised high and made secure under God's reign. Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:10

  • plain (Arabah)עֲרָבָה
    Hebrew · a.ra.vah · H6160G

    The word means a desert plain or steppe, and here it is glossed "like the Arabah," the name of a region. The land from Geba to Rimmon is pictured as becoming flat like that plain. Strong's H6160GArabahZechariah 14:10

  • lifted upרָאַם
    Hebrew · ra.am · H7213

    The gloss is simply "to rise." While the land is turned into a plain, the city rises. Strong's H7213Zechariah 14:10

  • in her placeתַּחַת
    Hebrew · ta.chat · H8478I

    The word can mean "the place in which one stands." Jerusalem is restored on its own site, which matches "inhabited again in her own place" in Zechariah 12:6. Strong's H8478IZechariah 12:6

  • inhabitedיָשַׁב
    Hebrew · ya.shav · H3427

    The word means to dwell, remain or abide, and in some forms "to be inhabited." Verse 11 picks up the same idea: "men shall dwell in it... Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited." Strong's H3427Zechariah 14:11

Takeaway

Zechariah 14:10 promises that on the day the LORD reigns, Jerusalem will be lifted up and lived in again on its own ground, from end to end. It is a promise of lasting safety for a city that had known capture and plunder. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:10Zechariah 14:11Zechariah 12:6

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

Behind this verse

Jerusalem: Gates and towers
Zechariah 14:10 measures the city by Benjamin's gate, the first gate, the corner gate and the tower of Hananeel. Jeremiah and Nehemiah name the same landmarks. Zechariah 14:10Jeremiah 31:38Nehemiah 3:1

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.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
it will change יִסּ֨וֹבyi-SOVH5437G
to turn: turn

סָבַב (sa.vav) : turn/bring_around 1) to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or around, surround, encircle, change direction 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn, turn about, be brought round, change 1a2) to march or walk around, go partly around, circle about, skirt, make a round, make a circuit, go about to, surround, encompass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to turn oneself, close round, turn round 1b2) to be turned over to 1c) (Piel) to turn about, change, transform 1d) (Poel) 1d1) to encompass, surround 1d2) to come about, assemble round 1d3) to march, go about 1d4) to enclose, envelop 1e) (Hiphil) …

allכָּל־kol-H3605
all

כֹּל (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 landהָאָ֤רֶץha-'A-retzH0776G
land: country/planet

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) : country/field 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth …

like the Arabahכָּעֲרָבָה֙ka-'a-ra-VAHH6160G
Arabah

עֲרָבָה (a.ra.vah) § desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness

from Gebaמִגֶּ֣בַעmi-GE-va'H1387G
Geba

גֶּ֫בַע (ge.va) § Gaba or Geba or Gibeah = "hill" a city in Benjamin, modern 'Jeba', which stands on the top of a steep terraced hill, six miles or ten kilometres north east of Jerusalem and three miles or five kilometres from Gibeah, on the edge of the Wadi Suweinit looking northward to the opposite village of ancient Michmash, modern 'Mukhmas'

to Rimmonלְרִמּ֔וֹןle-ri-MONH7417GNo entry
[the] south ofנֶ֖גֶבNE-gevH5045H
Negeb

נֶ֫גֶב (ne.gev) region of southern Judah Also named: ne.gev (נֶ֫גֶב "south" H5045H) This name means south-country

Jerusalemיְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑םye-ru-sha-LIMH3389
Ariel

אֲרִיאֵל (a.ri.el) Ariel = "lion of God" or "lioness of God" Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

and it will riseוְֽרָאֲמָה֩ve-ra-'a-MAHH7213
to rise

רָאַם (ra.am) (Qal) to rise

and it will remainוְיָשְׁבָ֨הve-ya-she-VAHH3427
to dwell

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

in place itsתַחְתֶּ֜יהָtach-TEI-haH8478I
underneath: under

תַּחַת (ta.chat) : under/below 1) the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas n m 1a) the under part adv accus 1b) beneath prep 1c) under, beneath 1c1) at the foot of (idiom) 1c2) sweetness, subjection, woman, being burdened or oppressed (fig) 1c3) of subjection or conquest 1d) what is under one, the place in which one stands 1d1) in one's place, the place in which one stands (idiom with reflexive pronoun) 1d2) in place of, instead of (in transferred sense) 1d3) in place of, in exchange or return for (of things mutually interchanged) conj …

to from [the] gate ofלְמִשַּׁ֣עַרle-mi-SHA-'arH8179G
gate

שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) : gate 1) gate 1a) gate (of entrance) 1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place) 1b1) city, town 1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle) 1d) heaven

Benjaminבִּנְיָמִ֗ןbin-ya-MINH1144M
(Gate of) Benjamin

בִּנְיָמִין (bin.ya.min) § Benjamin = "son of the right hand" a gate in Jerusalem

toעַד־'ad-H5704
till

עַד (ad) prep 1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as 1a) of space 1a1) as far as, up to, even to 1b) in combination 1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from) 1c) of time 1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end 1d) of degree 1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like conj 2) until, while, to the point that, so that even Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

[the] place ofמְק֞וֹםme-KOMH4725
place

מָקוֹם (ma.qom) 1) standing place, place 1a) standing place, station, post, office 1b) place, place of human abode 1c) city, land, region 1d) place, locality, spot 1e) space, room, distance 1f) region, quarter, direction 1g) give place to, instead of

[the] gateשַׁ֤עַרSHA-'arH8179G
gate

שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) : gate 1) gate 1a) gate (of entrance) 1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place) 1b1) city, town 1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle) 1d) heaven

the firstהָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ha-ri-shOnH7223H
first

רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) : first adj 1) first, primary, former 1a) former (of time) 1a1) ancestors 1a2) former things 1b) foremost (of location) 1c) first (in time) 1d) first, chief (in degree) adv 2) first, before, formerly, at first

toעַד־'ad-H5704
till

עַד (ad) prep 1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as 1a) of space 1a1) as far as, up to, even to 1b) in combination 1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from) 1c) of time 1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end 1d) of degree 1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like conj 2) until, while, to the point that, so that even Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

[the] gate ofשַׁ֣עַרSHA-'arH8179G
gate

שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) : gate 1) gate 1a) gate (of entrance) 1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place) 1b1) city, town 1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle) 1d) heaven

the cornersהַפִּנִּ֔יםha-pi-NIMH6434
Corner

פֵּן (pen) 1) corner 1a) corner (of square objects) 1b) corner (of ruler or chief-fig.) Name of a gate (H6438)

and [the] tower ofוּמִגְדַּ֣לu-mig-DALH4026G
(Hananel) Tower

מִגְדָּל (mig.dal) Combined with cha.nan.el (חֲנַנְאֵל " of Hananel" H2606) This name means tower

Hananelחֲנַנְאֵ֔לcha-nan-'ELH2606
(Tower of) Hananel

חֲנַנְאֵל (cha.nan.el) Hananeel = "God has favoured" the name of a tower in Jerusalem Combined with mig.dal (מִגְדָּל " Tower" H4026)

toעַ֖ד'adH5704
till

עַד (ad) prep 1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as 1a) of space 1a1) as far as, up to, even to 1b) in combination 1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from) 1c) of time 1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end 1d) of degree 1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like conj 2) until, while, to the point that, so that even Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

[the] wine-presses ofיִקְבֵ֥יyik-VEIH3342
wine

יֶ֫קֶב (ye.qev) wine vat, wine-press

the kingהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ha-ME-lekhH4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

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