Zechariah 14:19
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. | This will be the punishment of Egypt and of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. | This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that go not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedZechariah 14 describes the day of the LORD, when he fights for Jerusalem and becomes king over all the earth. Survivors from the nations must then go up each year to worship him and keep the feast of tabernacles. Verse 19 sums up verses 17-18: Egypt, and any nation that will not come up, will face the LORD's punishment. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:17Zechariah 14:18Zechariah 14:19Zechariah 14:3
SpeakingThe prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah, passing on the word of the LORD. In this chapter the LORD speaks in the first person: "I will gather all nations against Jerusalem." Zechariah overviewZechariah 14:2
ToThe people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. Zechariah overview
Also involvedEgypt and all the nations left after the battle against Jerusalem who refuse to come up to keep the feast. Zechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:18Zechariah 14:19
The verse names the penalty from verses 17-18 as the punishment for Egypt and for every nation that will not come up to the feast. For most nations that penalty is no rain. For Egypt, which the text says has no rain, it is the plague the LORD sends on the nations that do not come. Zechariah 14:17Zechariah 14:18Zechariah 14:19
The nations are to go up to Jerusalem to worship the King. Egypt is singled out by name among them. Zechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:17Zechariah 14:18Egypt
The eventsThe events belong to "that day," the day of the LORD, after he has fought the nations and become king over all the earth. The text gives no calendar date. The pilgrimage is to happen "from year to year." Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:16
WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote the whole book, with dated messages from about 520-518 BC. Scholarly: most agree chapters 1-8 come from Zechariah then, but many assign the undated chapters 9-14 to a later writer or writers, while others hold Zechariah wrote it all. Zechariah overview
HereThe verse makes clear that no nation is exempt. Even Egypt, which the text says has no rain, cannot escape punishment when it refuses to come and worship the King. Zechariah 14:17Zechariah 14:18Zechariah 14:19
In the whole of ScriptureThe chapter's goal is that "the LORD shall be king over all the earth." Worshipping him at Jerusalem is how the nations own him as King. Refusing to come brings judgment. Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:17Zechariah overview
For readersFor the returned exiles, whose work on the temple had stopped under opposition, this promised that one day all nations, Egypt included, would have to come and worship the LORD at Jerusalem or face his punishment. Zechariah overviewZechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:19
Christians read this differently
The text does not say when or how this vision of nations keeping the feast at Jerusalem is fulfilled. Some Christians read it as a literal future reign of the LORD on earth, with real yearly pilgrimages. Others read it as a picture, in Old Testament terms, of all nations worshipping God under his rule. Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:19
- go upעָלָה
The verb means to go up or ascend, and it can mean to come up before God. The nations are to go up to Jerusalem to worship the King. Strong's H5927GZechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:17
The word means to hold a feast or keep a pilgrim-feast. What the nations must do is take part in the pilgrimage festival at Jerusalem. Strong's H2287Zechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:19
- tabernacles (booths)סֻכָּה
The word means a booth, a rough or temporary shelter. The feast is named for these shelters, and this is the feast the nations must keep year by year. Strong's H5521Zechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:18
Takeaway
When the LORD is king over all the earth, every nation must come and worship him. None is exempt, not even Egypt, and refusing to come brings his punishment. Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:19
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.
Where
- Egypt regionMapAbout this place
Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.
Original Hebrew words
| English | Hebrew | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| this | זֹ֥את | 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 … |
| it will be | תִּהְיֶ֖ה | 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] punishment for sin of | חַטַּ֣את | cha-TAT | H2403I | No entry |
| Egypt | מִצְרָ֑יִם | mitz-RA-yim | H4714G | Egyptמָצוֹר (ma.tsor) "Matsor", a name for Egypt Another spelling of mits.ra.yim (מִצְרַ֫יִם "Egypt" H4714G) This name means siege, entrenchment |
| and [the] punishment for sin of | וְחַטַּאת֙ | ve-cha-taT | H2403I | No entry |
| all | כָּל־ | kol- | 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 nations | הַגּוֹיִ֔ם | ha-go-YIM | H1471A | nationגּוֹי (goy) 1) nation, people 1a) nation, people 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people 1a2) of descendants of Abraham 1a3) of Israel 1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.) |
| which | אֲשֶׁר֙ | '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 |
| not | לֹ֣א | lo' | H3808 | notלֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809) |
| they will go up | יַֽעֲל֔וּ | ya-'a-LU | H5927G | to ascend: riseעָלָה (a.lah) : rise/go 1) to go up, ascend, climb 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go up, ascend 1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat 1a3) to go up, come up (of animals) 1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation) 1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon) 1a6) to come up (before God) 1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary) 1a8) to excel, be superior to 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away 1b2) to take oneself away 1b3) to be exalted 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up 1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away … |
| to celebrate a festival | לָחֹ֖ג | la-CHOG | H2287 | to celebrateחָגַג (cha.gag) 1) to hold a feast, hold a festival, make pilgrimage, keep a pilgrim-feast, celebrate, dance, stagger 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to keep a pilgrim-feast 1a2) to reel |
| [the] festival of | חַ֥ג | chag | H2282 | feastחַג (chag) 1) festival, feast, festival-gathering, pilgrim-feast 1a) feast 1b) festival sacrifice |
| the Tabernacles | הַסֻּכּֽוֹת׃ | ha-su-KOT | H5521 | boothסֻכָּה (suk.kah) 1) thicket, covert, booth 1a) thicket 1b) booth (rude or temporary shelter) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.