Zechariah 14:15
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | And 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. | And a similar plague will strike the horses and mules, camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps. | And 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 those camps, as that plague. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedIn Zechariah 14, all nations gather to fight against Jerusalem, and then the LORD goes out to fight against them (14:2-3). Verse 12 describes the plague with which he strikes the people who fought against Jerusalem. Verse 15 adds that the same plague will fall on their horses, mules, camels, donkeys and all the animals in their camps. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:12Zechariah 14:15
SpeakingThe prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah, gives this word from the LORD as part of the second burden of the book (chapters 12-14). Zechariah overview
ToThe book was addressed to the people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. Zechariah overview
Also involvedThe animals belonging to the nations that fought against Jerusalem, which were kept in their army camps. Zechariah 14:12Zechariah 14:15Strong's H4264
The verse says the plague on the enemy armies will not stop with the soldiers. It will strike their animals too: the horses, mules, camels and donkeys used for chariots, riding and carrying loads. The phrase "as this plague" ties it back to the plague on the people in verse 12. Zechariah 14:15Zechariah 14:12Strong's H5483MStrong's H1581
The scene is Jerusalem and the enemy camps gathered around it to fight against the city. The LORD stands on the mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:15Strong's H4264
The eventsThe prophecy is set in "the day of the LORD" (14:1), when the LORD fights for Jerusalem and becomes king over all the earth (14:3, 14:9). The text gives no calendar date for these events. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:9
WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote the whole book; his dated messages run from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: most agree chapters 1-8 come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC, but chapters 9-14 carry no dates, and many assign them to a later writer or writers. Zechariah overview
HereThe verse shows how complete the LORD's defeat of Jerusalem's attackers will be. The plague reaches not only the soldiers but every animal in their camps. Zechariah 14:12Zechariah 14:13Zechariah 14:15
In the whole of ScriptureThe judgment on the attackers is one step toward the chapter's goal: the LORD shall be king over all the earth, and those left of the nations will go up to worship him (14:9, 14:16). This goal is the purpose the book overview gives for Zechariah. Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:16Zechariah overview
For readersFor the people of Judah who had returned from exile while the temple was being rebuilt, this promised that the armies gathered against Jerusalem would be struck down when the LORD fights for her, and that Jerusalem would be safely inhabited. The book's theme is that God's work is done "not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit." Zechariah overviewZechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:11Zechariah 14:12
- plagueמַגֵּפָה
The word means a blow or fatal stroke, the slaughter of battle, or a plague sent as divine judgment. Here it names the same stroke from the LORD described in verse 12, now reaching the animals. Strong's H4046Zechariah 14:12Zechariah 14:15
- tents (camps)מַחֲנֶה
The word means an encampment, especially the camp of an armed host. It shows these are the war camps of the nations besieging Jerusalem, not ordinary homes. Strong's H4264Zechariah 14:2
- beastsבְּהֵמָה
The word covers beasts and cattle, including domestic livestock. With "all" it widens the plague beyond the four animals named to every animal in the enemy camps. Strong's H0929Strong's H3605Zechariah 14:15
Takeaway
Zechariah 14:15 is not a general statement about animals or disease. It describes the LORD's total defeat of the armies that come against Jerusalem, a defeat that reaches even their animals. This prepares for the day when the LORD is king over all the earth. Zechariah 14:12Zechariah 14:15Zechariah 14:9
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and thus | וְכֵ֨ן | ve-KHEN | H3651C | rightכֵּן (ken) adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable |
| it will be | תִּֽהְיֶ֜ה | tih-YEH | H1961 | to beהָיָה (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) … |
| [the] plague of | מַגֵּפַ֣ת | ma-ge-FAT | H4046 | plagueמַגֵּפָה (mag.ge.phah) 1) blow, slaughter, plague, pestilence, strike, smite 1a) blow (fatal stroke) 1b) slaughter (of battle) 1c) plague, pestilence (divine judgment) |
| the horse | הַסּ֗וּס | ha-SUS | H5483M | horseסוּס (sus) 1) horse 1a) chariot horses |
| the mule | הַפֶּ֙רֶד֙ | ha-PE-red | H6505 | muleפֶּ֫רֶד (pe.red) mule |
| the camel | הַגָּמָ֣ל | ha-ga-MAL | H1581 | camelגָּמָל (ga.mal) 1) camel 1a) as property, as beast of burden, for riding, forbidden for food |
| and the donkey | וְהַחֲמ֔וֹר | ve-ha-cha-MOR | H2543 | donkeyחֲמוֹר (cha.mor) (he) ass |
| and all | וְכָ֨ל־ | 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 livestock | הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה | ha-be-he-MAH | H0929 | animalבְּהֵמָה (be.he.mah) 1) beast, cattle, animal 1a) beasts (coll of all animals) 1b) cattle, livestock (of domestic animals) 1c) wild beasts |
| which | אֲשֶׁ֥ר | 'a-SHER | H0834A | whichאֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when |
| it will be | יִהְיֶ֖ה | yih-YEH | H1961 | to beהָיָה (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) … |
| in the camps | בַּמַּחֲנ֣וֹת | ba-ma-cha-NOT | H4264 | campמַחֲנֶה (ma.cha.neh) 1) encampment, camp 1a) camp, place of encampment 1b) camp of armed host, army camp 1c) those who encamp, company, body of people |
| the those | הָהֵ֑מָּה | ha-HE-mah | H1992 | theyאִנּוּן (in.nun) these, those, they Aramaic of hem.mah (הֵ֫מָּה "they(masc.)" H1992) |
| like the plague | כַּמַּגֵּפָ֖ה | ka-ma-ge-FAH | H4046 | plagueמַגֵּפָה (mag.ge.phah) 1) blow, slaughter, plague, pestilence, strike, smite 1a) blow (fatal stroke) 1b) slaughter (of battle) 1c) plague, pestilence (divine judgment) |
| the this | הַזֹּֽאת׃ | ha-ZOT | H2063 | thisזֹאת (zot) 1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, such 1a) (alone) 1a1) this one 1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another 1b) (appos to subst) 1b1) this 1c) (as predicate) 1c1) this, such 1d) (enclitically) 1d1) then 1d2) who, whom 1d3) how now, what now 1d4) what now 1d5) wherefore now 1d6) behold here 1d7) just now 1d8) now, now already 1e) (poetry) 1e1) wherein, which, those who 1f) (with prefixes) 1f1) in this (place) here, then 1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter 1f3) thus and thus … |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.