Zechariah 9

Zechariah · Chapter 9

Zechariah 9:16

1The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD.2And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise.3And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.4Behold, the LORD will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.5Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.6And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.7And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.8And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes.9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.10And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.11As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.12Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;13When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.14And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the LORD God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.15The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.16And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.17For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
16And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.On that day the LORD their God will save them as the flock of His people; for like jewels in a crown they will sparkle over His land.And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted on high over his land.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

After promising Zion's lowly king (9:9) and victory for Judah and Ephraim over their enemies (9:13-15), the oracle says the LORD will save his people like a shepherd saves his flock. They will be like jewels in a crown, lifted up over his land. The next verse praises his goodness and the plenty that follows (9:17). Zechariah 9:9Zechariah 9:13Zechariah 9:14Zechariah 9:15Zechariah 9:16Zechariah 9:17

SpeakingThe words come as "the burden of the word of the LORD" (9:1), and here the speaker talks about the LORD in the third person. Chapter 9 names no prophet. Traditional: Zechariah wrote it. Scholarly: many assign chapters 9-14 to a later writer or writers, while others hold Zechariah wrote the whole book. Zechariah 9:1Zechariah 9:16Zechariah overview

ToThe book is addressed to the people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. Zechariah overview

Also involved"Them" are God's people, Judah and Ephraim, the "sons" of Zion whom the LORD defends in battle. Zechariah 9:13Zechariah 9:15Zechariah 9:16

The LORD their God will rescue his people in that day, caring for them as his own flock. He will treat them as precious, like stones set in a crown and lifted up for all to see on his land. Zechariah 9:16Strong's H3467Strong's H6629GStrong's H5145HStrong's H5264

The promise centers on Zion and Jerusalem and on the LORD's own land, where his people will be lifted up. The book is addressed to Jerusalem and Judah. Zechariah 9:9Zechariah 9:16Zechariah overview

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The events"In that day" points ahead to the time of the victory just described, when Zion's sons rise against the sons of Greece (9:13). The verse gives no date. Zechariah 9:13Zechariah 9:16Strong's H3117G

WrittenTraditional: written by Zechariah, whose dated messages run from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: chapters 9-14 carry no dates, and many assign them to a later writer or writers, while others hold Zechariah wrote the whole book. Zechariah overview

HereTo assure God's people that the LORD himself would defend and rescue them, and would treat them as precious to him. Zechariah 9:8Zechariah 9:15Zechariah 9:16Zechariah overview

In the whole of ScriptureThe chapter moves from judgment on neighboring nations (9:1-7) to Zion's coming king (9:9-10) and God's rescue of his people (9:11-17). Other prophets use the same pictures: God saves his flock (Ezekiel 34:22) and makes his people "a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD" (Isaiah 62:3). Zechariah 9:1Zechariah 9:9Zechariah 9:10Zechariah 9:11Ezekiel 34:22Isaiah 62:3

For readersThe LORD defends his people and saves them as the flock of his people, and they are like the stones of a crown to him. Ezekiel calls them God's flock (Ezekiel 34:31), and Jesus uses the same flock language for his followers (Luke 12:32; John 10:27). Zechariah 9:15Zechariah 9:16Ezekiel 34:31Luke 12:32John 10:27

  • flockצֹאן
    Hebrew · tson · H6629G

    The word means sheep and goats, small cattle. It pictures God as a shepherd saving his sheep, the same picture as Ezekiel 34:22 and 34:31. Strong's H6629GEzekiel 34:22Ezekiel 34:31

  • crownנֵ֫זֶר
    Hebrew · ne.zer · H5145H

    This word means consecration or separation, and a crown as a sign of consecration; it is used of the high priest and the Nazarite. So the people are pictured as set apart to God, not only as decoration. Strong's H5145H

  • lifted upנָסַס
    Hebrew · na.sas · H5264

    The word means to be lifted up or displayed, though the lexicon notes its meaning is uncertain. Either way, God's people are shown openly on his land like an ensign. Strong's H5264Zechariah 9:16

  • saveיָשַׁע
    Hebrew · ya.sah · H3467

    The word means to save, deliver, or give victory. In this battle setting (9:13-15), it is rescue that God himself carries out. Strong's H3467Zechariah 9:13Zechariah 9:15

Takeaway

The LORD rescues his people like a shepherd and prizes them like jewels in a crown. Their safety and worth come from him, not from their own might. Zechariah 9:16Zechariah 9:15Isaiah 62:3Zechariah overview

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.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he will deliver themוְֽהוֹשִׁיעָ֞םve-ho-shi-'AMH3467
to save

יָשַׁע (ya.sah) 1) to save, be saved, be delivered 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to be liberated, be saved, be delivered 1a2) to be saved (in battle), be victorious 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to save, deliver 1b2) to save from moral troubles 1b3) to give victory to

Yahwehיְהוָ֧הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (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)

God theirאֱלֹהֵיהֶ֛ם'e-lo-hei-HEMH0430G
God

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

on the dayבַּיּ֥וֹםbai-YOMH3117G
day

יוֹם (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 thatהַה֖וּאha-HU'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (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)

like [the] flock ofכְּצֹ֣אןke-TZONH6629G
flock

צֹאן (tson) 1) small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks 1a) small cattle (usually of sheep and goats) 1b) of multitude (simile) 1c) of multitude (metaphor)

people hisעַמּ֑וֹa-MOH5971A
people

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

forכִּ֚יkiH3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

stones ofאַבְנֵי־'av-nei-H0068G
stone

אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) : stone 1) stone (large or small) 1a) common stone (in natural state) 1b) stone, as material 1b1) of tablets 1b2) marble, hewn stones 1c) precious stones, stones of fire 1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon 1e) weight 1f) plummet (stones of destruction) also made of metal 1g) stonelike objects, eg hailstones, stony heart, ice 1h) sacred object, as memorial Samuel set up to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines 1i) (simile) 1i1) sinking in water, motionlessness 1i2) strength, firmness, solidity 1i3) commonness 1j) (metaph) 1j1) petrified with terror …

a crownנֵ֔זֶרNE-zerH5145H
consecration: Nazirite vow

נֵ֫זֶר (ne.zer) 1) consecration, crown, separation, Nazariteship 1a) crown (as sign of consecration), earring 1a1) stones of a crown, diadem, stones of charming 1b) woman's hair 1c) consecration 1c1) of high priest 1c2) of Nazarite

[will] display themselvesמִֽתְנוֹסְס֖וֹתmit-no-SOTH5264
to shine

נָסַס (na.sas) 1) to be lifted up (meaning uncertain) 1a) (Hithpoel) to be lifted up, be displayed

onעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (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) …

land hisאַדְמָתֽוֹ׃'ad-ma-TOH0127G
land: soil

אֲדָמָה (a.da.mah) : soil 1) ground, land 1a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance) 1b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land 1c) earth substance (for building or constructing) 1d) ground as earth's visible surface 1e) land, territory, country 1f) whole inhabited earth 1g) city in Naphtali

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