Bible Commentaries
Zechariah 9

Verse 1

Zec 9:1. Burden means that the Lord has something to say about certain places and it is recorded here. Hadrach refers to Assyria and Damnswas the capital of ancient Syria. The prediction pertains to the fact that the eyes of mankind will be toward the Lord. This situation will be the result of God's triumph for his people over all other nations.

Verse 2

Zec 9:2, Hamath was an important city of Syria and Tyrm and Zidon were cities of the Phoenicians. All these places were destined to see and recognize the greatness of God's people after he has rescued them from the effects of the captivity.

Verse 3

Zec 9:3. Turns (Tyre) was a strong commercial city which is signified by the words heaped up silver as the dust. But this proud city felt the sting of defeat.

Verse 4

Zec 9:4. Power in the sea refers to the traffic carried on by Tyre on the Mediterranean Sea because the city was situated on the coast of that body of water, and that gave her good shipping accommodations in connection with the principal ports of the world in which to exchange her manufactured products for raw materials.

Verse 5

Zec 9:5. Ail of the towns named in this verse were in the land of the Philistines. They were destined to witness the defeat of heathen nations and the success of Israel,

Verse 6

Zec 9:6. Bastard is from MAMZOB which Strong defines, "From an unused root meaning to alienate: a mongrel i.e., born of a Jewish father and a heathen mother." The verse means that the proud heathen city of Ashdod would have to tolerate the presence of a half-breed, one with Jewish blood in his veins which would be humiliating to the high minded heathen people.

Verse 7

Zec 9:7, Even this half-breed will be reformed from his practice of bloodshed. He will not talk about such acts but will Imitate the principles of the rulers in Judah. The people of Ekron (a Philistine city) will act as if they were citizens of Jerusalem which is meant by a Jebusite.

Verse 8

Zec 9:8. The gist of this verse is that God would be a sure protection against any passing group that might seek to disturb His people.

Verse 9

Zec 9:9. This prediction was cited and fulfilled in Mat 21:1-11. The significant phase of the event was to be that the King would ride on both mother and colt. There would have been nothing unusual in the mere act of riding on one beast as that was a oommon means of transportation in those days.

Verse 10

Zec 9:10. Ephraim, stands for the 10-tribe kingdom or Israel, and Jerusalem is for the 2-tribe kingdom or Judah. Chariot and battle-bow signifies war and the prediction is that it was to be cut off. The verse is a prediction that temporal warfare will not be used in defence of the spiritual kingdom of Christ. The prophecy also includes the spreading of the new kingdom among the Gentiles.

Verse 11

Zec 9:11. The pronoun thee stands for Zion in verse 9. Blood of thy covenant is rendered “whose covenant is by blood" in the margin which is correct. God had made a covenant with Abraham that his seed (blood descendants) were to be HiB people and that he would never entirely cast them off. That is why God caused them to be released from captivity. Pit ... no water. A pit with water in it would have destroyed those cast therein, but a dry pit could serve as a prison but permit the victims to live. That is why God sent his people into Babylon, so they would be In bondage but not destroyed.

Verse 12

Zec 9:12. The strong hold means the city of Jerusalem and its country, for God was throwing great defences about that place and the people were encouraged to trust them.

Verse 13

Zec 9:13. The bow and arrow are used figuratively to represent Judah and Ephraim. Judah (the 2 tribes) and Ephraim (the 10 tribes) are illustrated by a bow and arrow. This is another proof that the 12 tribes all returned from the captivity and God was using them to overthrow ail opposition from the heathen.

Verse 14

Zec 9:14. Be seen over them denotes that the Lord will be in evidence in sight of the heathen who have been against His people.

Verse 15

Zec 9:15. Subdue with sling-stones does not necessarily mean literally, but when God fights for his people it is as victorious as if it had been done with carnal weapons.

Verse 16

Zec 9:16. Stones of a crown refers to the ornaments on the head piece that denotes victory. God’s people were given assurance that they would surmount all difficulties that the enemies raised in their path.

Verse 17

Zec 9:17. Corn and wine were products of a fertile field that has been left undisturbed while the owners were cultivating it. During the captivity the land could not be cultivated by the people of Israel and hence it lay idle through that period.