Zechariah 14

Zechariah · Chapter 14

Zechariah 14:2

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
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.For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.For 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.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Zechariah 14 opens with 'Behold, the day of the LORD cometh' (14:1), and this verse goes on to say what that day brings. God says he will gather all nations to fight Jerusalem, and the city will fall and suffer terribly, yet the rest of the people will not be cut off. The next verse turns at once: the LORD himself will go out and fight those nations. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3

SpeakingThe LORD speaks in the first person ('I will gather') through the prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah overview

ToThe people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon and were living in and around Jerusalem. Zechariah overview

Also involvedThe people of Jerusalem, who suffer the attack, and the nations that come against the city, whom the LORD later strikes. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:12

A siege of Jerusalem by all nations: the city taken, houses plundered, women raped, and half the people led into exile. The rest of the people are not cut off from the city. This disaster is followed by the LORD's own fight against the attackers and his reign over all the earth. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:9

Jerusalem is the city under attack. The chapter goes on to name the mount of Olives, east of the city, as the place where the LORD's feet will stand. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:4Jerusalem

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThe text places these events on 'the day of the LORD', still future from the prophet's point of view. It gives no calendar date. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:2

WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote the whole book, with dated messages from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: chapters 1-8 are widely dated to 520-518 BC, but chapters 9-14 are undated, and many scholars assign them to a later writer or writers, while others hold that Zechariah wrote them. Zechariah overview

HereThe verse shows that even this disaster is under God's hand, since he is the one who gathers the nations. It also shows that he keeps a remnant and then acts to rescue them. The point of the chapter is the day when 'the LORD shall be king over all the earth.' Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:9Zechariah overview

In the whole of ScriptureThe words echo earlier prophecy of a city's fall, where houses are spoiled and wives ravished. The promise that a remnant remains matches Paul's use of Isaiah: 'a remnant shall be saved', and 'Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed.' Isaiah 13:16Romans 9:27Romans 9:29

For readersJesus also warned of Jerusalem surrounded by armies, its people led captive, and days so hard that 'except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved.' Read with Zechariah, these passages teach that God allows real suffering but does not let his people be wiped out. Luke 21:20Luke 21:24Matthew 24:22

Christians read this differently

No cited Scripture says exactly when this siege happens. Some read it as a future, end-time attack on Jerusalem, ended by the LORD's coming and his rule over all the earth (14:3-9). Others see it fulfilled, at least in part, when armies surrounded Jerusalem and its people were led captive, as Jesus foretold in Luke 21. Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:9Luke 21:20Luke 21:24

  • I will gatherאָסַף
    Hebrew · a.saph · H0622

    The word means to gather or collect, and here God himself is the one doing it. The nations come against Jerusalem because God brings them, and the next verse has him fight them. Strong's H0622Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3

  • captivityגּוֹלָה
    Hebrew · go.lah · H1473

    The word means exile or captivity, and it can also mean the exiles as a group. Half the city goes out into exile, a threat spoken to readers who had themselves come back from exile in Babylon. Strong's H1473Zechariah 14:2Zechariah overview

  • residueיֶ֫תֶר
    Hebrew · ye.ter · H3499A

    The word means remainder or remnant. It marks those who are left after the disaster, and it ties to the wider promise that 'a remnant shall be saved.' Strong's H3499ARomans 9:27

  • cut offכָּרַת
    Hebrew · ka.rat · H3772I

    The word means to cut off, destroy or eliminate. The verse says the rest of the people will not be cut off, so God promises they will survive. Strong's H3772IZechariah 14:2

Takeaway

Zechariah 14:2 describes a real and terrible fall of Jerusalem that God himself brings about. Yet he spares a remnant and then rises to fight for his people. The verse should be read with the verses that follow, which end with the LORD as king over all the earth. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 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
  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
and I will gatherוְאָסַפְתִּ֨יve-'a-saf-TIH0622
to gather

אָסַף (a.saph) 1) to gather, receive, remove, gather in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to gather, collect 1a2) to gather (an individual into company of others) 1a3) to bring up the rear 1a4) to gather and take away, remove, withdraw 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to assemble, be gathered 1b2) (pass of Qal 1a2) 1b2a) to be gathered to one's fathers 1b2b) to be brought in or into (association with others) 1b3) (pass of Qal 1a4) 1b3a) to be taken away, removed, perish 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to gather (harvest) 1c2) to take in, receive into 1c3) rearguard, rearward (subst) 1d) (Pual) to be gathered 1e) (Hithpael) to gather oneself or themselves

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 nationsהַגּוֹיִ֥ם׀ha-go-YIMH1471A
nation

גּוֹי (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.)

toאֶֽל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַם֮ye-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)

for the battleלַמִּלְחָמָה֒la-mil-cha-MAHH4421
battle

מִלְחָמָה (mil.cha.mah) battle, war

and it will be capturedוְנִלְכְּדָ֣הve-nil-ke-DAHH3920
to capture

לָכַד (la.khad) 1) to capture, take, seize 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to capture, seize 1a2) to capture (of men) (fig.) 1a3) to take (by lot) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be captured 1b2) to be caught (of men in trap, snare) (fig.) 1c) (Hithpael) to grasp each other

the cityהָעִ֗ירha-'IRH5892B
city

עִיר (ir) 1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded) 1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded) 1a) city, town

and they will be plunderedוְנָשַׁ֙סּוּ֙ve-na-SHA-suH8155
to spoil

שָׁאַס (sha.as) 1) to plunder, spoil 1a) (Qal) ones plundering (participle)

the housesהַבָּ֣תִּ֔יםha-BA-TIMH1004B
to lodge

בִּית (but) (P'al) to pass the night, lodge Aramaic of ba.yit (בַּ֫יִת ": home" H1004B)

and the womenוְהַנָּשִׁ֖יםve-ha-na-SHIMH0802G
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

they will be lain withתִּשָּׁכַ֑בְנָהti-sha-khab-nahH7901I
to lie down: lay down

שָׁכַב (sha.khav) : lay_down/lie_with 1) to lie down 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on 1a2) to lodge 1a3) to lie (of sexual relations) 1a4) to lie down (in death) 1a5) to rest, relax (fig) 1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually) 1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually) 1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down 1e) (Hophal) to be laid

and it will go outוְיָצָ֞אve-ya-TZA'H3318G
to come out: come

יָצָא (ya.tsa) : come/go_out/escape 1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart 1a2) to go forth (to a place) 1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something) 1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result) 1a5) to come out of 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out 1b2) to bring out of 1b3) to lead out 1b4) to deliver 1c) (Hophal) to be brought out or forth

the half ofחֲצִ֤יcha-TZIH2677
half

חֲצִי (che.tsi) 1) half 1a) half 1b) middle

the cityהָעִיר֙ha-'IRH5892B
city

עִיר (ir) 1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded) 1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded) 1a) city, town

in the exileבַּגּוֹלָ֔הba-go-LAHH1473
captivity

גּוֹלָה (go.lah) 1) exiles, exile, captivity 1a) exiles (coll) 1b) exile, captivity (abstract)

and [the] rest ofוְיֶ֣תֶרve-YE-terH3499A
remainder

יֶ֫תֶר (ye.ter) 1) remainder, excess, rest, remnant, excellence 1a) remainder, remnant 1b) remainder, rest, other part 1c) excess 1d) abundantly (adv) 1e) abundance, affluence 1f) superiority, excellency

the peopleהָעָ֔םha-'AMH5971A
people

עַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

notלֹ֥אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (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)

it will be cut offיִכָּרֵ֖תyi-ka-RETH3772I
to cut: cut

כָּרַת (ka.rat) : cut/fell 1) to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cut off 1a1a) to cut off a body part, behead 1a2) to cut down 1a3) to hew 1a4) to cut or make a covenant 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be cut off 1b2) to be cut down 1b3) to be chewed 1b4) to be cut off, fail 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to be cut off 1c2) to be cut down 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cut off 1d2) to cut off, destroy 1d3) to cut down, destroy 1d4) to take away 1d5) to permit to perish 1e) (Hophal) cut off

fromמִן־min-H4480A
from

מִן־ (min) prep 1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than 1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of 1b) out of 1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling) 1b2) (of material from which something is made) 1b3) (of source or origin) 1c) out of, some of, from (partitively) 1d) from, since, after (of time) 1e) than, more than (in comparison) 1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or 1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons) 1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive) conj 2) that …

the cityהָעִֽיר׃ha-'IRH5892B
city

עִיר (ir) 1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded) 1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded) 1a) city, town

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