Zechariah 9

This chapter begins the second half (chapters 9–14) of the fourteen-chapter Book of Zechariah. Zechariah 8 ends with the promise that many nations will come to a restored Jerusalem. Chapter 9 opens a new section under the heading "burden" (a weighty pronouncement).

Outline

• Verses 1–8 Judgment is pronounced on Hadrach, Damascus, Hamath, Tyre and Sidon, and the Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod. Even among the Philistines a remnant turns to God, and God encamps about His house to guard it.
• Verses 9–10 A just and lowly king comes to Zion riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey. This king cuts off the chariot and the battle bow and speaks peace to the nations.
• Verses 11–13 Because of the blood of the covenant, the prisoners are set free from the pit. Judah and Ephraim become the bow and arrows that strike the sons of Greece.
• Verses 14–17 The LORD appears, defends His people, and saves them as a flock. The land abounds with grain and new wine.

Key Verses

• Zechariah 9:9 "thy King cometh unto thee … lowly, and riding upon an ass" — The New Testament cites this verse in its account of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
• Zechariah 9:10 "he shall speak peace unto the heathen" — This verse portrays a king who rules not by force but by peace.
• Zechariah 9:11 "by the blood of thy covenant" — The covenant is presented as the basis for release and restoration.

People and Places

• Hadrach and Hamath: a land and a city in the region of Syria. Hadrach is understood to have been near Hamath.
• Tyre and Sidon: Phoenician port cities on the Mediterranean coast.
• Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod of Philistia: Philistine cities on the Mediterranean coast.
• Jebusites: the inhabitants of Jerusalem before David.
• Zion and Jerusalem: the place to which the king comes.
• Greece: refers to the land and people of Greece.

Interpretive Notes

• Traditionally, chapters 9–14 are also attributed to Zechariah. Since the modern period, however, many scholars have regarded chapters 9–14 as a later composition, citing differences in style and the mention of "Greece." Conservative scholars respond that Greece was already known during the Persian period.
• Some interpreters connect verses 1–8 with the campaigns of Alexander the Great, although the text does not name him.
• Verse 9 is quoted in Matthew 21:5 and John 12:15. Because Matthew mentions two animals, a donkey and a colt, interpreters discuss how to understand the Hebrew poetic parallelism, which refers to the same subject twice.
• The phrase "blood of the covenant" in verse 11 appears in Exodus 24:8. The same expression also appears in the words Jesus spoke at the Last Supper.
• The language of drinking blood in verse 15 is generally read as a poetic figure depicting victory.

In the Korean Church

Verse 9 is frequently used, together with Matthew 21, as a text for Palm Sunday sermons.