Zechariah 14:4
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | And 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. | On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. | And 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 be cleft 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. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedAfter all nations gather against Jerusalem and the city is taken, the LORD goes out to fight against those nations (14:2-3). His feet stand on the Mount of Olives east of the city, and the mountain splits to form a very great valley. His people flee to that valley (14:5), and the LORD becomes king over all the earth (14:9). Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:5Zechariah 14:9
SpeakingThe prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah, gives the LORD's word. The LORD himself speaks in the chapter ("I will gather all nations," 14:2). Zechariah overviewZechariah 14:2
ToThe people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. In the chapter they are addressed as "ye" who will flee to the valley. Zechariah overviewZechariah 14:5
Also involvedJerusalem and the people left in it, and the nations that fight against the city. The LORD strikes those nations with a plague (14:12). Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:12
The LORD goes out to fight for Jerusalem, and his feet stand on the Mount of Olives. The mountain splits from east to west. Half moves north and half moves south, opening a very great valley, and the people flee to it. The land around Jerusalem is also reshaped (14:10). Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:5Zechariah 14:10
The Mount of Olives, the hill just east of Jerusalem. Ezekiel saw the LORD's glory leave the city and stand "upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city." Here the LORD's feet stand on the mount east of Jerusalem as he fights for the city. Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:3Mount Of OlivesJerusalemEzekiel 11:23
The events"In that day," the day of the LORD that "cometh" (14:1), still future when the prophecy was given. The text gives no date for it. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:4
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 then, but chapters 9-14 carry no dates, and many scholars assign them to a later writer or writers, while others hold that Zechariah wrote them. Zechariah overview
HereTo promise that when Jerusalem seems lost, the LORD himself will fight for his people and give them a place to flee to. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:5
In the whole of ScriptureThe verse is part of the day when "the LORD shall be king over all the earth." After it come living waters flowing from Jerusalem and a city that is safely inhabited. Other prophets also describe the LORD coming down with mountains and valleys breaking under him (Micah 1:3-4), and the nations gathered for judgment (Joel 3:12-14). Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:8Zechariah 14:11Micah 1:3Micah 1:4Joel 3:12Joel 3:14Zechariah overview
For readersGod does not leave his people when their situation is hopeless. He comes himself, makes a way for them, and the story ends with his rule over the whole earth. Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:5Zechariah 14:9
Christians read this differently
Many Christians read the verse as a literal future event. They link it to Acts 1:11-12, where Jesus is taken up from the mount called Olivet and is to come "in like manner," so on this view his feet will stand there when he returns. Others read the splitting mountain as vivid picture language for the LORD's coming and victory, like Micah 1:3-4, where mountains melt and valleys are cleft before him. Zechariah 14:4Acts 1:11Acts 1:12Micah 1:3Micah 1:4
- standעָמַד
The word means to stand or take one's stand, and it can also mean to hold one's ground or to appear. Here the LORD's feet take their stand on the mount as he goes out to fight (14:3). Strong's H5975GZechariah 14:3
- cleaveבָּקַע
The word means to split, break open or tear. Here it is glossed "and it will be split open," in a form meaning to be cleft or split open. Strong's H1234
- valleyגַּיְא
The word is defined as a valley, a steep valley or a narrow gorge. In the next verse the people flee to "the valley of the mountains" (14:5). Strong's H1516RZechariah 14:5
Takeaway
Zechariah 14:4 promises that on the day of the LORD, God himself will stand on the Mount of Olives and split it, opening a valley for his people to flee to. Then he will reign as king over all the earth. Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:5Zechariah 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
Behind this verse
- Jerusalem: The mount of Olives
- The hill "which is before Jerusalem on the east," across the Kidron valley. David went up it weeping when he fled from Absalom. Zechariah 14:42 Samuel 15:30Acts 1:12
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
- Jerusalem settlementMapAbout this place
- Mount of Olives hillMapAbout 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and they will stand | וְעָמְד֣וּ | ve-'a-me-DU | H5975G | to stand: standעָמַד (a.mad) : stand/stop/establish 1) to stand, remain, endure, take one's stand 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to stand, take one's stand, be in a standing attitude, stand forth, take a stand, present oneself, attend upon, be or become servant of 1a2) to stand still, stop (moving or doing), cease 1a3) to tarry, delay, remain, continue, abide, endure, persist, be steadfast 1a4) to make a stand, hold one's ground 1a5) to stand upright, remain standing, stand up, rise, be erect, be upright 1a6) to arise, appear, come on the scene, stand forth, appear, rise up or against … |
| feet his | רַגְלָ֣יו | rag-LAV | H7272 | footרְגַל (re.gal) foot Aramaic of re.gel (רֶ֫גֶל "foot" H7272) |
| on the day | בַּיּוֹם־ | 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 | הַ֠הוּא | 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) |
| on | עַל־ | '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] mountain of | הַ֨ר | har | H2022G | mountain: mountהַר (har) : mount/hill hill, mountain, hill country, mount |
| the Olives | הַזֵּתִ֜ים | ha-ze-TIM | H2132G | (Mount of) Olivesזַ֫יִת (za.yit) This name means olive, olive tree Also named: elaiōn (ἐλαιών "Olivet" G1638) |
| which | אֲשֶׁ֨ר | '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 |
| [is] on | עַל־ | '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] face of | פְּנֵ֥י | pe-NEI | H6440G | face: beforeפָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of |
| Jerusalem | יְרוּשָׁלִַם֮ | ye-ru-sha-LIM | H3389 | Arielאֲרִיאֵל (a.ri.el) Ariel = "lion of God" or "lioness of God" Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389) |
| from [the] east | מִקֶּדֶם֒ | mi-ke-DEM | H6924G | eastקֵ֫דֶם (qe.dem) adv eastward, to or toward the East Another spelling of qe.dem (קֶ֫דֶם ": east" H6924) |
| and it will be split open | וְנִבְקַע֩ | ve-niv-KA' | H1234 | to break up/openבָּקַע (ba.qa) 1) to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cleave, cleave open 1a2) to break through, break into 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be cleft, be rent open, be split open 1b2) to be broken into 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to cleave, cut to pieces, rend open 1c2) to break through, break down 1d) (Pual) 1d1) to be ripped open, be torn open 1d2) to be rent 1d3) to be broken into 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to break into 1e2) to break through 1f) (Hophal) to be broken into 1g) (Hithpael) to burst (themselves) open, cleave asunder |
| [the] mountain of | הַ֨ר | har | H2022G | mountain: mountהַר (har) : mount/hill hill, mountain, hill country, mount |
| the Olives | הַזֵּיתִ֤ים | ha-zei-TIM | H2132G | (Mount of) Olivesזַ֫יִת (za.yit) This name means olive, olive tree Also named: elaiōn (ἐλαιών "Olivet" G1638) |
| from middle its | מֵֽחֶצְיוֹ֙ | me-chetz-YO | H2677 | halfחֲצִי (che.tsi) 1) half 1a) half 1b) middle |
| east -ward | מִזְרָ֣חָה | miz-RA-chah | H4217H | eastמִזְרָח (miz.rach) 1) place of sunrise, east 1a) sunrise, east (with 'sun') 1b) the east (without 'sun') 1b1) to or toward the place of sunrise 1b2) to the east, eastward |
| and west -ward | וָיָ֔מָּה | va-YA-mah | H3220H | seaיָם (yam) : sea 1) sea 1a) Mediterranean Sea 1b) Red Sea 1c) Dead Sea 1d) Sea of Galilee 1e) sea (general) 1f) mighty river (Nile) 1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court) 1h) seaward, west, westward |
| a valley | גֵּ֖יא | gei' | H1516R | valleyגַּיְא (gay) valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge |
| great | גְּדוֹלָ֣ה | ge-do-LAH | H1419A | great: largeגָּדוֹל (ga.dol) adj 1) great 1a) large (in magnitude and extent) 1b) in number 1c) in intensity 1d) loud (in sound) 1e) older (in age) 1f) in importance 1f1) important things 1f2) great, distinguished (of men) 1f3) God Himself (of God) subst 1g) great things 1h) haughty things 1i) greatness Also means: ga.dol (גָּדוֹל ": old" H1419K) § Haggedolim = "the great one" (CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel |
| very | מְאֹ֑ד | me-'OD | H3966 | muchמְאֹד (me.od) adv 1) exceedingly, much subst 2) might, force, abundance n m 3) muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly 3a) force, might 3b) exceedingly, greatly, very (idioms showing magnitude or degree) 3b1) exceedingly 3b2) up to abundance, to a great degree, exceedingly 3b3) with muchness, muchness |
| and it will depart | וּמָ֨שׁ | u-MASH | H4185 | to removeמוּשׁ (mush) 1) to depart, remove 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to depart 1a2) to remove 1a3) to be removed (of inanimate objects) 1b) (Hiphil) to remove, depart |
| the half of | חֲצִ֥י | cha-TZI | H2677 | halfחֲצִי (che.tsi) 1) half 1a) half 1b) middle |
| the mountain | הָהָ֛ר | ha-HAR | H2022G | mountain: mountהַר (har) : mount/hill hill, mountain, hill country, mount |
| north -ward | צָפ֖וֹנָה | tza-FO-nah | H6828G | northצָפוֹן (tsa.phon) 1) north (of direction), northward 1a) north 1b) northward |
| and half of it | וְחֶצְיוֹ־ | ve-chetz-yov- | H2677 | halfחֲצִי (che.tsi) 1) half 1a) half 1b) middle |
| south -ward | נֶֽגְבָּה׃ | NEG-bah | H5045H | Negebנֶ֫גֶב (ne.gev) region of southern Judah Also named: ne.gev (נֶ֫גֶב "south" H5045H) This name means south-country |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.