Zechariah 14:9
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. | On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone. | And Jehovah shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall Jehovah be one, and his name one. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedZechariah 14 describes the day of the LORD, when all nations gather against Jerusalem and the LORD goes out to fight for it. This verse is the high point of that picture: the LORD becomes king over the whole earth, and he alone is worshipped. The rest of the chapter shows the nations coming to Jerusalem to worship "the King, the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:16
SpeakingThe prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah, speaking the LORD's message. In the chapter the LORD speaks in the first person ("I will gather all nations"). Zechariah overviewZechariah 14:2
ToThe people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. The chapter addresses Jerusalem directly ("thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee"). Zechariah overviewZechariah 14:1
Also involvedAll the earth. The nations that fought against Jerusalem are judged, and those who are left go up year by year to worship the King. Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:12Zechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:17
The verse promises that the LORD will rule as king over all the earth. In that day there will be one LORD, and his name will be one. The chapter goes on to show all nations worshipping him and everything in Jerusalem marked "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD." Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:20Zechariah 14:21
The scene centers on Jerusalem and the mount of Olives east of the city, but the rule described reaches "over all the earth." The book was written from Jerusalem among the returned exiles. Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:10Zechariah overview
The eventsThe verse looks forward to "that day," the day of the LORD described through the chapter. The text does not give a date for it. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:6Zechariah 14:8Zechariah 14:9
WrittenTraditional: written by Zechariah, whose 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 are undated, and many assign them to a later writer, while others hold Zechariah wrote the whole book. Zechariah overview
HereThe book was given to returned exiles rebuilding the temple. Part of its purpose is to promise the day when "the LORD shall be king over all the earth." Zechariah overview
In the whole of ScriptureThis verse completes the book's hope of Zion's coming king (9:9) and of God dwelling in Jerusalem. Other Scripture shares the same hope: God will set up a kingdom that "shall stand for ever," all nations will flow to the LORD's house, and "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord." Zechariah overviewDaniel 2:44Isaiah 2:2Isaiah 2:4Revelation 11:15
For readersReaders are called to trust that God's rule will fill the whole earth, however things look now. They are also called to worship him alone, as the verse says there shall be "one LORD," and as Ephesians 4:5-6 also speaks of "One Lord" and "One God and Father of all." Zechariah 14:9Daniel 7:27Ephesians 4:5Ephesians 4:6
Christians read this differently
The text does not say how or when the events of "that day" are fulfilled. Some read Zechariah 14 as a literal future reign of the LORD from Jerusalem, with the nations coming up each year. Others read it as a picture of God's kingdom filling the earth, which they link to passages like Daniel 2:44 and Revelation 11:15. Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:16Daniel 2:44Revelation 11:15
- shall beהָיָה
The lexicon glosses this form as "and he will become," with meanings that include "to become" and "to come to pass." The verse points to something that will come about in that day. Strong's H1961Zechariah 14:9
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְ
The word means "king." The chapter repeats the title when the nations go up "to worship the King, the LORD of hosts." Strong's H4428GZechariah 14:16Zechariah 14:17
- earthאֶ֫רֶץ
The word can mean a land or country, or the whole earth. Here it is joined with "all," and the chapter speaks of "all the families of the earth," so the rule reaches beyond Israel. Strong's H0776GStrong's H3605Zechariah 14:17
- oneאֶחָד
The word means "one," and can also mean "only." It is used twice here: one LORD, and his name one. Ephesians 4:5-6 uses the same language of "One Lord" and "One God and Father of all." Strong's H0259Zechariah 14:9Ephesians 4:5Ephesians 4:6
- nameשֵׁם
The word means name, and also reputation and glory, and is used for "the Name" as a designation of God. In this chapter all nations come to worship the LORD, so his name alone is honored. Strong's H8034Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:16
Takeaway
Zechariah 14:9 promises that the LORD will one day be king over all the earth, worshipped as the one LORD. Other Scripture shares this hope: God's kingdom will "stand for ever," and "all nations shall flow" to the mountain of the LORD's house. Zechariah 14:9Daniel 2:44Isaiah 2:2Daniel 7:27
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 he will become | וְהָיָ֧ה | ve-ha-YAH | 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) … |
| Yahweh | יְהוָ֛ה | YAH-weh | H3068G | Lordאֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G) |
| into king | לְמֶ֖לֶךְ | le-ME-lekh | H4428G | kingמֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430) |
| over | 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) … |
| 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 earth | הָאָ֑רֶץ | ha-'A-retz | H0776G | land: country/planetאֶ֫רֶץ (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 … |
| on the day | בַּיּ֣וֹם | 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 | הַה֗וּא | 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) |
| he will be | יִהְיֶ֧ה | 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) … |
| Yahweh | יְהוָ֛ה | YAH-weh | H3068G | Lordאֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G) |
| one | אֶחָ֖ד | 'e-CHAD | H0259 | oneאֶחָד (e.chad) 1) one (number) 1a) one (number) 1b) each, every 1c) a certain 1d) an (indefinite article) 1e) only, once, once for all 1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one 1g) first 1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal) |
| and name his | וּשְׁמ֥וֹ | u-she-MO | H8034 | nameשֵׁם (shem) 1) name 1a) name 1b) reputation, fame, glory 1c) the Name (as designation of God) 1d) memorial, monument Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036) |
| one | אֶחָֽד׃ | 'e-CHAD | H0259 | oneאֶחָד (e.chad) 1) one (number) 1a) one (number) 1b) each, every 1c) a certain 1d) an (indefinite article) 1e) only, once, once for all 1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one 1g) first 1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.