Zechariah 9:13

King James Version

When 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.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Judah, I will use you like a bow. Ephraim, I will use you like arrows. Israel, I will use you like a sword to fight against the men of Greece.

New American Standard Bible
For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece; And I will make you like a warrior's sword.

New Century Version
I will use Judah like a bow and Ephraim like the arrows. Jerusalem, I will use your men to fight the men of Greece. I will use you like a warrior's sword.

Update Bible Version
For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and will make you as the sword of a mighty man.

Webster's Bible Translation
When 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.

Amplified Bible
For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fit the bow with Ephraim [as My arrow]. And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, And will make you [Israel] like the sword of a warrior.

English Standard Version
For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword.

World English Bible
For indeed I bend Judah as a bow for me. I have filled the bow with Ephraim; And I will stir up your sons, Zion, Against your sons, Greece, And will make you like the sword of a mighty man.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for Y schal stretche forthe to me Juda as a bowe, Y fillide `the lond of Effraym. And Y schal reise thi sones, thou Sion, on thi sones, thou lond of Grekis, and Y schal sette thee as the swerd of stronge men.

English Revised Version
For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man.

Berean Standard Bible
For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man.

Contemporary English Version
I will use Judah as my bow and Israel as my arrow. I will take the people of Zion as my sword and attack the Greeks.

American Standard Version
For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man.

Bible in Basic English
For I have made Judah a bow bent for my use, I have made Ephraim the arrows of the bow; I will make your sons, O Zion, take up arms against your sons, O Greece, and will make you like the sword of a man of war.

Complete Jewish Bible
For I have bent Y'hudah as my bow and made Efrayim its arrow. I will rouse your sons, Tziyon, and make you like a warrior's sword against your sons, Greece."

Darby Translation
For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will raise up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and make thee like the sword of a mighty man.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For I bend Judah for Me, I fill the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Javan, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man.

King James Version (1611)
When I haue bent Iudah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised vp thy sonnes O Zion, against thy sonnes, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mightie man.

New Living Translation
Judah is my bow, and Israel is my arrow. Jerusalem is my sword, and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks.

New Life Bible
I will use Judah as My bow, and Ephraim as My arrow. I will move your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a soldier's sword.

New Revised Standard
For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will arouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For Iudah haue I bent as a bowe for me: Ephraims hand haue I filled, and I haue raised vp thy sonnes, O Zion, against thy sonnes, O Grecia, and haue made thee as a gyants sword.

George Lamsa Translation
For I have bent my bow over Judah and filled my bow over Ephraim, and I have set your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made Jerusalem like the sword of a mighty man.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For I have bent for me - Judah, As a bow, have I grasped Ephraim, Thus will I rouse up thy sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty one.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Because I have bent Juda for me as a bow, I have filled Ephraim: and I will raise up thy sons, O Sion, above thy sons, O Greece, and I will make thee as the sword of the mighty.

Revised Standard Version
For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made E'phraim its arrow. I will brandish your sons, O Zion, over your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For Iuda haue I bent as a bowe for me, Ephraim [his hande] haue I filled, & thy sonnes O Sion wyl I rayse vp against the Grekes, and make thee as a Giauntes sworde.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For I have bent thee, O Juda, for myself as a bow, I have filled Ephraim; and I will raise up thy children, O Sion, against the children of the Greeks, and I will handle thee as the sword of a warrior.

Good News Translation
I will use Judah like a soldier's bow and Israel like the arrows. I will use the men of Zion like a sword, to fight the men of Greece."

Christian Standard Bible®
For I will bend Judah as my bow;I will fill that bow with Ephraim.I will rouse your sons, Zion,against your sons, Greece.I will make you like a warrior’s sword.

Hebrew Names Version
For indeed I bend Yehudah as a bow for me. I have filled the bow with Efrayim; And I will stir up your sons, Tziyon, Against your sons, Greece, And will make you like the sword of a mighty man.

Lexham English Bible
For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have set Ephraim as an arrow. I will set in motion your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Javan. I will wield you like the sword of a warrior.

Literal Translation
For I have bent Judah for Me as a bow; I filled it with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you as the sword of a mighty man.

Young's Literal Translation
For I have trodden for Me Judah, A bow I have filled [with] Ephraim, And I have stirred up thy sons, O Zion, Against thy sons, O Javan, And I have set thee as the sword of a hero.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For Iuda haue I bent out as a bowe for me, and Ephraim haue I fylled. Thy sonnes (o Sio) wil I rayse vp agaynst the Grekes, and make the as a giauntes swearde:

New English Translation
I will bend Judah as my bow; I will load the bow with Ephraim, my arrow! I will stir up your sons, Zion, against yours, Greece, and I will make you, Zion, like a warrior's sword.

New King James Version
For I have bent Judah, My bow, Fitted the bow with Ephraim, And raised up your sons, O Zion, Against your sons, O Greece, And made you like the sword of a mighty man."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece; And I will make you like a warrior's sword.

Legacy Standard Bible
For I will bend Judah as My bow;I will fill the bow with Ephraim.And I will rouse up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece;And I will make you like a mighty man's sword.

Contextual Overview

¹² Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee; ¹³ When 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. ¹⁴ And 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. ¹⁵ The 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. ¹⁶ And 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. ¹⁷ For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

bent: Zechariah 1:21, Zechariah 10:3-7, Zechariah 12:2-8, Micah 5:4-9, Revelation 17:14

and raised: Psalms 49:2-9, Lamentations 4:2, Amos 2:11, Obadiah 1:21

against: Daniel 8:21-25, Daniel 11:32-34, Joel 3:6-8, Micah 4:2, Micah 4:3, Mark 16:15-20, Romans 15:16-20, 1 Corinthians 1:21-28, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, 2 Timothy 4:7

made: Zechariah 12:8, Psalms 18:32-35, Psalms 45:3, Psalms 144:1, Psalms 149:6, Isaiah 41:15, Isaiah 41:16, Isaiah 49:2, Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12, Revelation 1:16, Revelation 2:12, Revelation 19:15, Revelation 19:21

Reciprocal: Psalms 45:5 - Thine Psalms 110:5 - strike Psalms 149:7 - General Isaiah 27:13 - the great Isaiah 49:25 - I will contend Jeremiah 30:19 - I will Jeremiah 51:20 - art Joel 2:23 - ye children Micah 4:7 - I will Micah 4:13 - thou shalt Micah 5:5 - then Zechariah 4:6 - Not Zechariah 8:13 - O house Zechariah 10:4 - of him came forth Zechariah 10:5 - as Acts 20:2 - Greece

Cross-References

Ezekiel 1:28
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord . And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Revelation 4:3
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

Revelation 10:1
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When I have bent Judah for me,.... By whom are meant the apostles, who were Jews, and whose ministrations were made use of as a bow with arrows, to strike the hearts of men, and bring them into subjection to Christ: they were a bow of the Lord's bending and preparing, and which abode in strength, being made strong and effectual through the hands of the mighty God of Jacob:

filled the bow with Ephraim: or rather, "filled Ephraim with the bow" p; filled his hand with it; meaning, that some out of the ten tribes, as were the apostles, should be employed in drawing the bow of the Gospel, and shooting its arrows, the doctrines of it; which are comparable to them for swiftness, suddenness, and secrecy, and for their piercing and penetrating nature:

and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece; that is, persons of the land of Judea, as such the apostles were, and who belonged to Zion the church of Christ; who were raised up, qualified, and sent forth by him into the Gentile world, with weapons of warfare, not carnal, but spiritual; against the Gentiles in general, and the wise men of Greece, as at Athens, in particular, to confound some, and to conquer others, and bring them to the obedience of Christ. Some understand this of the Maccabees raised up against Antiochus, and the Greeks that possessed the kingdom of Syria:

and made thee as the sword of a mighty man; that is, made the Gospel in the hands of the church, and of her sons, as a sword in the hand of a mighty man, by whom execution is done with it; this is the sword of the Spirit, even the word of God; and is sharp and cutting, and is the power of God unto salvation; as it is girt upon the thigh, and is in the hands of Christ the most Mighty; and as it is accompanied with the Spirit of God, and of power.

p קשת מלאתי אפרים "arcu implebo [manum] Ephraim", Vatablus; so Ben Melech.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When - or For I have bent Judah for me As a mighty bow which is only drawn at full human strength, the foot being placed to steady it. It becomes a strong instrument, but only at God’s Will. God Himself bends it. It cannot bend itself. “And filled the bow with Ephraim.” The bow is filled, when the arrow is laid upon it. God would employ both in their different offices, as one. “And raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece.” Let people place this prophecy where they will, nothing in the history of the world was more contradictory to what was in human sight possible. “Greece was, until Alexander, a colonizing, not a conquering, nation. The Hebrews had no human knowledge of the site or circumstances of Greece. There was not a little cloud, like a man’s hand, when Zechariah thus absolutely foretold the conflict and its issue. Yet here we have a definite prophecy later than Daniel, fitting in with his temporal prophecy, expanding part of it, reaching on beyond the time of Antiochus, and fore-announcing the help of God in two definite ways of protection;

(1) “without war,” against the army of Alexander Zechariah 9:1-8;

(2) “in the war” of the Maccabees; and these, two of the most critical periods in their history after the captivity Zech. 9-16.

Yet, being expansions of part of the prophecy of Daniel, the period, to which they belong, becomes clearer in the event by aid of the more comprehensive prophecies. They were two points in Daniel’s larger prediction of the 3rd empire.”

And I will make thee as the sword of a mighty man - The strength is still not their own. In the whole history of Israel, they had only once met in battle an army, of one of the world-empires and defeated it, at a time, when Asa’s whole population which could bear arms were 580,000 (2 Chronicles 14:8-10 ff), and he met Zerah the Ethiopian with his million of combatants, besides his 500 chariots, and defeated him. And this, in reliance on the “Lord his God, to whom he cried, Lord, it is nothing to Thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power; help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go against this multitude” 2 Chronicles 14:11. Asa’s words found an echo in Judas Maccabaeus (1 Macc. 3:16-19), when the “small company with him asked him, How shall we be able, being so few, to fight against so great a multitude and so strong?” “It is no hard matter,” Judas answered, “for many to be shut up in the hands of a few, and with Heaven it is all one to deliver with a great multitude or a small company. For the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an host; but strength cometh from Heaven.” But his armies were but a handful; 3,000, on three occasions (1 Macc. 4:6; 7:40; 9:5), on one of which they are reduced by fear to 800 (1 Macc. 9:6); 10,000 on two occasions (1 Macc. 4:29; 10:74); on another, two armies of 8,000 and 3,000, with a garrison, not trusted to fight in the open field (1 Macc. 5:17-20); on one, 20,000 (1 Macc. 16:4); once only 40,000, which Tryphon treacherously persuaded Jonathan to disperse ; these were the numbers with which, always against “great hosts,” God gave the victory to the lion-hearted Judas and his brothers. But who except He, in whose hands are the hearts of people, could foresee that He, at that critical moment, would raise up that devoted family, or inspire that faith, through which they “out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens?” Hebrews 11:34.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zechariah 9:13. When I have bent Judah — Judah is the bow, and Ephraim is the arrows; and these are to be shot against the Greeks. I am inclined, with Bp. Newcome, to consider that the language of this prophecy is too strong to point out the only trifling advantage which the Maccabees gained over Antiochus, who was of Macedonian descent; and it is probable that these prophecies remain to be fulfilled against the present possessors of Javan or Greece, Macedonia, and a part of Asia Minor.