An Oracle
1The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach
and will rest upon Damascus—
the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel
are on the LORD—
2and upon Hamath too, which borders on it,
and upon Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful.
3Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
she has heaped up silver like dust,
and gold like the dirt of the streets.
4But the Lord will take away her possessions
and destroy her power on the sea,
and she will be consumed by fire.
5Ashkelon will see it and fear;
Gaza will writhe in agony,
and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
and Ashkelon will be deserted.
6Foreigners will occupy Ashdod,
and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
7I will take the blood from their mouths,
the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God
and become leaders in Judah,
and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
8But I will defend my house
against marauding forces.
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
for now I am keeping watch.
9Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the war-horses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
12Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
13I will bend Judah as I bend my bow
and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and make you like a warrior’s sword.
14Then the LORD will appear over them;
his arrow will flash like lightning.
The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet;
he will march in the storms of the south,
15and the LORD Almighty will shield them.
They will destroy
and overcome with slingstones.
They will drink and roar as with wine;
they will be full like a bowl
used for sprinkling the corners of the altar.
16The LORD their God will save them on that day
as the flock of his people.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.
17How attractive and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine the young women.
Original Meaning
ZECHARIAH 9 ENVISIONS the triumphant return of God to his residence in Zion, a return that lays the foundation for the reestablishment of his vice-regent and the restoration, triumph, and prosperity of his people. The passage begins with a depiction of God as divine warrior marching north to south in the Levant, defeating Israel’s traditional enemies before returning to his temple in Jerusalem (9:1–8).1 This depiction begins as a prophetic description in the third person (9:1, 4) but transitions into a first-person account of God after 9:6. Following this vision of God’s triumph is a series of exhortations in first-person speech (“I,” God) directed to the city of God (“Zion,” “Jerusalem”) that first announce the reestablishment of royal rule (9:9–10). Next comes the restoration of imprisoned exiles, who become weapons in God’s hand against the nations (9:11–13). The chapter concludes by shifting back into third person (“the LORD”) with a depiction of a future battle in which God’s people triumph and enjoy the blessing of their own land (9:14–17).
These shifts in person have ignited much debate over the literary integrity and historical setting of the various sections of this passage. Many have focused attention on the route of the divine warrior in 9:1–8 and on the reference to Greece in 9:13.2 While there can be no certainty on the issue of literary integrity, evidence from 11:4–16 suggests that the sign-act refers to the end of Zerubbabel’s tenure as governor. In light of the positive view of the royal house as well as of a unity of tribes, I consider it likely that chapters 9–10 arose during Zerubbabel’s governorship when great hopes were attached to this Davidic ruler.3
In other words, I conclude that Zechariah 9 (and 10:3b–12) arose in the late sixth century B.C. (515–510 B.C.) from the prophet Zechariah or at least from the prophetic movement he spawned. The association with chapters 1–8 is demonstrated in the significant links between Zechariah 1–8 and 9–14 as well as the role that chs. 7–8 play in transitioning the reader from chapters 1–6 to chapters 9–14.4
We will approach Zechariah 9 as a prophetic message delivered to the Jewish community in Yehud in the early Persian period. It assumes that a significant portion of the community is still in exile and invites these exiles to return now that God is about to reclaim his temple and city.
God Returns in Triumph (9:1–8)
THE PROPHECY OPENS with the superscription “An Oracle” (maśśaʾ ). As noted in the commentary introduction, this word also occurs at 12:1 and Malachi 1:1 and functions as an editorial signal at the beginning of a section of prophecy. The phrase “for the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel are on the LORD,” while appearing to break up the flow of theme in Zech. 9:1–2, emphasizes the universal character of God’s action within both Israel and the world. “The tribes of Israel” foreshadows a major theme in chapters 9–11, which envisions the reuniting of the tribes (chs. 9–10) before announcing judgment through disunity (ch. 11), while “the eyes of men,” which forms an inclusio with the reference to God’s eye-keeping watch at his temple in 9:8, introduces the global dimension of God’s rule from his temple.
Considering that the focus is on “all the tribes of Israel,” it is appropriate that traditional enemies of both the northern (Syria, Phoenicia) and southern tribes (Philistia) are mentioned.5 Both Hadrach and Hamath are on the northern frontier of Syria, with Hamath situated on the eastern side of the River Orontes, the promised northern boundary of Israel (e.g., Num. 13:21; Josh. 13:5; Ezek. 47:15, 20). Damascus was the key city in this northern territory and during the Persian period served as the seat of the Persian satrapy in which Yehud was located (Abar Nahara, “Beyond the River”).6 In this way it is referred to as “its resting place” (NIV, “will rest upon”), or better yet, capital city. Jeremiah 49:23–27 demonstrates how intertwined were the fates of Hamath and Damascus as news of the fall of Damascus results in the dismay of Hamath.
If Hadrach, Hamath, and Damascus represent the interior of the north with Damascus cast as a place of political power, Tyre and Sidon (Zech. 9:3–4) represent the northern coastal region with these cities cast as centers of commercial enterprise, fostered by their maritime ports and sea vessels (cf. Ezek. 27:3; 28:3–4).7 Tyre is singled out because of its reputation as an impregnable “stronghold,” holding out for five years against the Assyrians (ending 622 B.C.) and for thirteen years against the Babylonians (ending 572 B.C.; cf. Ezek. 29:18). The Persians did gain control of the city but granted the Tyrians home rule through a member of their royal house. Alexander the Great went to great lengths to take Tyre and only succeeded after constructing a causeway to the island. The term “stronghold,” used in the Old Testament for a city that can withstand a siege (e.g., 2 Chron. 8:5; 11:5), aptly fits Tyre with its position on an island, isolated from threatening forces while ensuring safe maritime supply lines.
This “stronghold” was necessary to preserve the quantities of silver and gold amassed from mercantile activity. So plenteous are their precious reserves that they are compared to “dust” and “dirt of the streets.”8 But the Lord will strip the city of its material wealth, a feat accomplished through cutting off the Mediterranean supply lines from the city (“destroy her power on the sea”) and subsequently storming the city and setting it on fire.
This vision of the sack and burning of Tyre sends shock waves down the coast of the Levant in Zech. 9:5–8. To the south along the great coastal highway lie the city states traditionally associated with the Philistines, who realize that they are next in the path of this divine warrior. They know that if invincible Tyre is no match for this warrior, they have little hope.
The Assyrians and the Babylonians dealt a fatal blow to the traditional Philistine culture that had thrived in the cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod.9 By the early Persian period, these cities were considered one of several smaller political entities within the satrapy of Abar Nahara, subsumed under the name Ashdod and distinct from the province of Yehud. Nevertheless, these areas, densely populated in the Persian period,10 were indistinguishable culturally from the rest of Palestine. Zechariah 9 demonstrates that these cities continue as symbols of the early enemies of Israel, who threaten the realization of the promise of land to Israel (Jer. 25:15–17; Amos 1:6–8; Zeph. 2:4).
Through personification, the predicament of these Philistine cities is made vivid, providing a glimpse of their internal disposition. Filled with fear and writhing in agony these people are left without hope—the same reactions of earlier peoples who heard of the arrival of the Israelites (Deut. 2:25), implying that the conquest is finally reaching its completion. The second phrase “writhe in agony” denotes intense emotional anguish (cf. Isa. 26:17–18)11 and produces an overwhelming desire to flee (cf. Ps. 55:4–5). Such internal disposition is justified as the cities are stripped of leadership (Gaza) and inhabitants (Ashkelon). Even Ashdod, the “pride” of the Philistines, will be cut off and a foreigner will occupy the seat of rule.12
Verse 7 concludes this section of the judgment on the Philistines. Continuing in the first-person speech of verse 6, the Lord promises to eradicate pagan Philistine sacrificial practices. In the Old Testament sacrificial system the ingestion of blood is strongly prohibited (e.g., Lev. 17:10–14). The word for “forbidden food” (šiqquṣ, as opposed to the expected term šeqeṣ, e.g., Lev. 7:21) is used elsewhere almost exclusively for idolatry.13 The Philistine eating practices are therefore doubly inappropriate: Not only do they consume inappropriate food, they do so in unacceptable ways (associated with idolatry).
God’s removal of these idolatrous practices is not unexpected in this section on the judgment of the Philistines. But the second part of Zech. 9:7 introduces a surprising twist, revealing that God’s purpose is not merely the cleansing of the land but also the creation of a remnant from the Philistines. In an apparent variation on the Israelite conception of the “ban” (ḥerem), in which the Canaanites were to be “devoted to God alone” through their eradication (Josh. 6:17, 18; cf. 1 Kings 20:42),14 this remnant of the Philistines is destined for the community of God, now cleansed by this judgment. As an example, the remnant from Ekron, the Philistine city closest to Judah’s territory, is compared to the Jebusites of old,15 who, although destined for destruction (e.g., Ex. 23:23), were integrated into the Israelite community (Josh. 15:63; 2 Sam. 24:16–25). This remnant is not granted second-class status in Judah but is honored as leaders in Judah.
In Zech. 9:8 the divine warrior reaches his destination at the temple in Jerusalem.16 There God will “defend” (or, better, “encamp,” using the vocabulary of an army setting up camp at the end of a march; cf. 1 Sam. 13:5) his house “against marauding forces,” that is, from armies that have restricted movement in the land (cf. Zech. 7:14).
The second part of Zech. 9:8 promises that there would never be a return to the conditions of the Exile again. Although “oppressor” can have positive connotations of leadership (Isa. 60:17), it is used of Egyptian oppression of the Israelites in Exodus 3:7 (cf. 5:6–14), where the activity of “slave drivers” (Zech. 9:8, “oppressor”) is “seen” (“keeping watch”) by God. Thus, verse 8 links God’s return to the Exodus from Egypt, preparing the way for the return of his people to the Promised Land later in the chapter. As we saw in chapters 7–8, this assumes that the Exile is an ongoing condition for Israel. By returning to the image of the eye (cf. 9:1), this verse brings closure to this section, which has traced the movements of the divine warrior.17
The King Receives His Kingdom (9:9–10)
HAVING SECURED THE temple precincts and promised protection for his people, the divine warrior now focuses attention on the restoration of the community in two addresses to the personified city of Jerusalem (9:9–10, 11–17).18 The first address concerns the restoration of a king. Some see this as a reference either to the royal rule of Yahweh himself as king or to the return of the entire community of Judah.19 However, because this speech is announced by the Lord to the personified city about a third party saved by God (see below), because this figure is called “your king” (that is, Jerusalem’s), and because there are clear allusions to Psalm 72:8 (see below), this is more likely a reference to the reestablishment of the royal line of David.20
It is not surprising for God to restore Davidic kingship in Jerusalem as the first step after his capture of his capital. During the early Persian Period (520 until around 490 B.C.), governors in the province of Yehud were linked to the Davidic line.21 As Persian-Greek tensions increased after 490, involvement of the Davidic line in the political structure of Yehud was curtailed. If Zechariah 9 arose in the period following the completion of the temple (515–510 B.C.) (see the commentary introduction), then it offers great hope for the line of which Zerubbabel was the reigning member (cf. Hag. 2:20–23; Zech. 3:8–10; 4:6b–10a; 6:9–13).22
The presence of a human king in Jerusalem/Zion is an essential component in God’s rule over the nations of the earth (Ps. 2). The Lord installed a human king on Zion and through him exercised his rule on earth. Unlike other kings in the ancient Near East, this human royal figure is not to be the source of military power, for this is God’s prerogative as king.23
This feature of God’s rule is intimated from the outset of Israel’s existence. Singing of God’s victory over the Egyptians at the Red Sea, Moses begins his song with an exaltation of God as warrior (Ex. 15:1–3) and ends it with praise of God’s kingship (15:18). Such a victory qualifies God as king over Israel and the nations (15:18).24 This connection between war and kingship explains God’s concern over Israel’s request for a king in 1 Samuel (see 1 Sam. 8:20; 12:12), for it was fear of military defeat that prompted the people to request a king rather than to trust in God as their warrior. The Israelites’ conception of a king was a figure like Saul with physical stature of a great warrior (9:2),25 while God’s idea of a royal figure was insignificant David, who faced the giant with sling and stone “in the name of the LORD Almighty” (ch. 17).
This conception of kingship can be discerned in Zechariah 9:9–10. This king who arrives is not portrayed as a triumphant figure fresh from military success but as an individual faithful to the covenant and reliant on God for salvation.26 The term “righteous” is one that typifies the rule of an appropriate king in Israel (2 Sam. 23:3; cf. Ps. 72).27 This king will judge righteously as God’s representative on earth. The word underlying “having salvation” is one that elsewhere in the Old Testament refers to someone who is saved by another agent, usually God (e.g., Num. 10:9; Deut. 33:29; 2 Sam. 22:4). Thus, rather than a figure who enacts his own salvation, this king is one who has relied on the Lord for salvation.28
In line with the modest description in the first half of Zech. 9:9, the king is depicted as a humble figure (NIV “gentle”), using a term often used for the poor and needy of society (Ex. 22:25; Job 12:5; 24:4), an apt descriptor for the condition of the Israelites both in Egypt (e.g., Ex. 3:7, 17; 4:31) and in Exile (e.g., Ps. 107:41).29 Such a figure enters the city not on stately horse or glorious chariot, symbols of military prowess and success, but rather on lowly donkey.30 This verse appears to assume the royal tradition of Genesis 49:10–11,31 in which Judah will produce a king for Israel who will ride on a “donkey . . . colt.”32 This use of donkey imagery for a royal procession can also be traced into the reign of David (2 Sam. 16:2) and the coronation ceremony of Solomon (1 Kings 1:33, 38), and there is evidence that this imagery is not limited to Israel.33
One should not, however, miss elements of contrast between Genesis 49 and Zechariah 9:9, as Duguid has pointed out. Rather than a figure hailing from the warlike tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:8), whose garments drip with blood from battle (49:11), Zechariah 9 presents a humble king. “The warlike language is still present in Zechariah 9 but it has been transferred from the royal figure to the Lord himself.”34
In line with the use of the donkey for the royal procession, the Lord declares his intention to remove all military equipment from his people. The “chariot,” “horse,” and “battle bow” are all essential for advanced warfare in the ancient Near East, but they will be unnecessary for this king who relies on the divine warrior for his victory and rule.35 The Lord expressed disapproval of any royal attempts to rely on horse and chariot in battle strategy (Deut. 17:16; Isa. 31:1–3), even if evidence is plenteous that this was ignored (2 Sam. 15:1; 1 Kings 4:26; 10:26–29). Likewise, the Israelites were not to fear those who challenged them with horse and chariot (Deut. 20:1; cf. Ex. 14:23).
Without this advanced military equipment, this king will exercise peaceful rule over the entire world. While the march of the divine warrior in Zech. 9:1–8 was limited to the Levant, the ultimate goal of this military exercise is sovereignty over the entire cosmos. This sovereignty, however, will be characterized by “peace,” a feature regularly linked to the rule of God’s future royal representative (Isa. 9:6–7; Mic. 5:4–5).36
This peace will be proclaimed to the “nations” (Zech. 9:10b). That this refers to the rest of the world is apparent because his rule will extend “from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.” This phrase is reminiscent of the Lord’s promise of land in Exodus 23:31 (cf. 1 Kings 4:21), where the Red Sea is the southern border of Israel, the Sea of the Philistines (the Mediterranean) the western border, while the desert is the eastern and the River Euphrates the northern boundary. Zechariah 9:10 appears to generalize (“sea to sea”)37 and to extend (“to the ends of the earth”) the boundaries of Exodus 23:31. The form in Zechariah 9:10 is identical to that found in Psalm 72:8–11, where the extent of the king’s rule reveals global domination.38
Thus, Zechariah 9:10 “has more than just the boundaries of the Promised Land in view. It envisions nothing less than global peace and sovereignty.”39 In this way it continues the international emphasis that was discerned first in the oracle of 2:6–13 and echoed in 8:20–23.
This link to Psalm 72 has been helpful to determine the universal extent of the kingdom. But as with Genesis 49 and Zechariah 9:9, Duguid wisely notes a similar contrast between Psalm 72 and Zechariah 9:10: “Whereas in Psalm 72:13 the Davidic king ‘saves’ (
) the lives of the needy, in Zechariah 9:9 he is himself the object of the Lord’s salvation.”
The People Return to the Kingdom (9:11–17)
WITH VERSE 11 the Lord signals a new section by addressing once again the personified city of Jerusalem (“As for you”). Having secured the Promised Land and having established a political structure, the time has come for the return of a people. The verb “free” is used in the Exodus account to express liberation of the Israelites from Egypt (e.g., Ex. 5:2, “let Israel go”), while the term “prisoners” is used of the exilic community in several texts (e.g., Ps. 107:10; Lam. 3:34) and is thus appropriate for their experience after the fall of Jerusalem.
Most likely Zech. 9:11 is a deliberate reminiscence over the story of Joseph, which is the only section in the Old Testament where one finds the various components of the second line of this verse: “prisoner . . . waterless pit” (Gen. 37:24; 39:20, 22).40 The story of Joseph, with its depiction of the rise of an Israelite within the Egyptian court, would have been a great source of hope for this community living under Persia. They would need no less of a miracle in their time.
The basis of this promised liberation is the “blood of my covenant with you.” This combination of “blood” and “covenant” constitutes an allusion to Exodus 24:8, which describes the ceremony in which, after the reading of the Book of the Law and the acceptance of the commandments by the congregation, blood was sprinkled on the people to ratify the covenant between God and his people.41 On the basis of this ancient covenant agreement, God promises salvation for his exiled people.
For a brief moment the speech is directed away from the personified city and onto these released prisoners.42 As “prisoners of hope” their freedom is a signal of hope for a nation that has experienced the bitter disappointment of the exilic era. Their newfound freedom will result in a return to the city-fortress (Jerusalem), and it is to this personified city that the speech is addressed in the second half of verse 12.43
Emphasizing the dawning of a new day through the phrase “even now,” God announces that the return to the city of these prisoners will be accompanied by incredible blessing, for the city will receive twice what they had before the Exile. The language here is that of recompense (e.g., Ex. 21:34), compensating for the pain of exile,44 through the practice of double blessing (as Isa. 61:7), which reflects the custom of rewarding the firstborn of a family with a double inheritance. In this we may have an allusion again to the Joseph narrative, for it was Joseph, the one who endured the waterless pit and imprisonment, who was rewarded with a double inheritance among the tribes (Gen. 48:5; cf. 48:22; 49:22–26). Specific details of this double blessing are not offered, but the reference to the tribes of “Judah” and “Ephraim” and “sons [of] Zion” in Zechariah 9:13 suggests that it is people who are in view.
Throughout the history of Israel the two tribes of Ephraim and Judah represent the two main power blocks within the nation. Ephraim, as first among the Joseph clans (see Gen. 48:20), represents the northern tribes,45 with Judah as the inhabitant of the southern region of Israel. Tension between these two tribal groups is discernible throughout the monarchy, whether in the civil war after Saul’s death (2 Sam. 2–5) or the schism after Solomon’s death (1 Kings 12). David’s choice of Jerusalem as his royal seat was most likely related to its position straddling the southern and northern tribal blocks. According to Zechariah 9:11, the royal city of Jerusalem, rejected by Ephraim in an earlier era and abandoned by Judah in the devastation by the Babylonians in 587–586 B.C., will once again overflow with inhabitants.46 Both north and south will return together to Zion to form a united kingdom under a Davidic monarch.
These freed prisoners will become weapons in God’s hands for fighting battles. The imagery in the first half of verse 13 is that of an archer’s bow and arrow. God as divine warrior is the archer who bends his bow (Judah) and places his arrows (Ephraim) against the string,47 an image of unity in the hands of God. This united community is referred to as the “sons [of] Zion,” signaling a return to the ideal of David and Solomon’s reign. Together these sons of Zion will form another piece of military equipment for the divine warrior: his sword.
One feature of verse 13 that has long mystified interpreters is the reference to “Greece,” which many have treated either as a later gloss inserted after the conquest of Asia by Alexander the Great or as evidence that Zechariah 9 was written in the period after Alexander. There is no need to date this text that late. On the one hand, this reference could easily reflect the early Persian period (ca. 539–400 B.C.), when the Persians strove with limited success to incorporate Greece into their empire.48 On the other hand, the reference here to “sons” of Greece may be an allusion to the ancient Israelite tradition of the table of nations found in Genesis 10.49 There, among the Japhethites are listed the “sons of Javan”:50 “Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim” (Gen. 10:4), who are the forerunners of the “maritime peoples” (v. 5). Three of these names appear elsewhere in key prophetic attacks on Tyre: Elishah, Tarshish, and Kittim/Cyprus (Isa. 23; Ezek. 27). Although in Genesis 10 the Phoenicians (Sidon and presumably Tyre) are traced through Ham’s son Canaan (10:15) and the Philistines are traced through his other son Mizraim (Egypt; 10:14), the mention of the sons of Javan (Greece) refers to the Phoenicians’ allies who will come from the west via the sea.
These two views are not mutually exclusive. The allusion to the “sons of Javan” here links together the historical tensions of the early Persian period with traditional enemy language in the Old Testament.
With Zech. 9:14 the prophecy switches from the first-person address of the Lord to third-person description of a battle involving the Lord and his people. The focus at the outset is on the military action of the divine warrior. He will appear over “them,” that is, the sons of Zion of the previous verse. The language here is drawn from traditional formulations of the appearance and activity of the divine warrior, which was known throughout the ancient Near East and prevalent in Israelite literature (Ex. 24; Deut. 33:2; Judg. 5; 2 Sam. 22; Ps. 29; 68; Hab. 3).51 In these formulations God’s march is likened to an approaching storm in which lightning is seen as God’s arrow and thunder as God’s trumpet.
But there is also a minor role for God’s people in this battle. Protected by God, the people gain victory, not with the sophisticated weapons that have been removed from the kingdom (Zech. 9:10) but with the lowly sling, an allusion to David’s victory over Goliath (1 Sam. 17:40, 50).
The latter half of Zech. 9:15 describes the victory in battle through images drawn from drinking and sacrifice. The first image portrays a group of drunken revelers (Prov. 20:1; NIV “brawler”), for which the wine has flowed in great quantities,52 while the second image draws from the sacrificial realm, where blood is collected in a special bowl for use during cultic ceremonies.53 The use of drinking and sacrificial imagery is not surprising in a description of battle where blood flows from wounded and dying soldiers (e.g., Deut. 32:42; Isa. 34:1–8).54
The beginning of verse 16 is a summary of what God has accomplished in the previous verses: He has saved his people. The phrase “on that day” lends this passage an eschatological tone even as it refers to the day of battle described in 9:14–15. This saved and victorious people are described as the “flock of his people,” reliant on God their shepherd. The people are also described as sparkling “jewels in a crown,” items of worth and beauty, as 9:17 reads: “attractive and beautiful” or “good [quality] and beautiful” (cf. Song 4:10). The passage closes with images of vitality as the land brings forth plenty (grain, new wine) to sustain a new generation (“young men . . . young women”).
In sum, at the outset of this prophecy, the prophet grants us a vision of victory and blessing. God will march to his temple to reestablish his royal rule, gaining victory over the enemy and including a remnant from the conquered nations into his kingdom. After installing his human king who will express God’s rule over all nations, the Lord will restore his community from their exile. This restoration will include both northern and southern tribes, who will unite in the city of Zion. They will become God’s instruments for battle and experience blessed provision in their new land. This prophecy was directed originally to the Jewish community in Yehud during the tenure of Zerubbabel as governor and looked with great hope to the ultimate reunification of the tribes under Davidic kingship.
Bridging Contexts
HERMENEUTICS AND PROPHECY. Zechariah 9, as all of chapters 9–14, presents considerable challenges to those interested in finding out its contemporary relevance. While modern biblical scholars have struggled to discover a historical context that gave rise to the imagery of this passage, contemporary preachers have often erred in trying to establish a future context for this imagery, in particular as it relates to the events of the eschaton. This search for the fulfillment of this vision in Zechariah 9 is informed by hermeneutical presuppositions concerning the passage.
These hermeneutical presuppositions are difficult to disentangle, but they involve at least two issues. (1) Does this passage describe a literal fulfillment at a particular time of each of its features or is it speaking in figurative language of God’s victory over the cosmos and reestablishment of his kingdom? (2) Are the events spoken of here to be fulfilled during the Persian or Greek periods or do they look to future eschatological events?
Zechariah 9 and fulfillment. Some scholars identify the literal fulfillment of this prophecy as the conquest of the ancient Near East by the young Alexander the Great between 333 and 323 B.C.55 He is the one who brought Tyre to its knees. But this does not do justice to the message of Zechariah 9, which envisions the conquest of God, the reestablishment of a Davidic monarch, and the restoration of the exilic community. Other scholars, noting the incongruity between Alexander’s conquest and Zechariah 9, look to a literal future event in the eschaton.56
The New Testament offers some guidance on this matter as each of the Gospel writers either alludes to or cites Zechariah 9 in their description of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem prior to Passion Week (Matt. 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–10; Luke 19:28–38; John 12:12–15).57 As Jesus approached Jerusalem, he sent two of his disciples to find a donkey for him to ride on as he entered the city. The recorded shouts of the people during his entrance made it clear that the royal connection was not lost on them: “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” (Mark 11:10); “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 19:38); “Blessed is the King of Israel!” (John 12:13).
In other words, the New Testament community saw in Jesus the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9–10 in this arrival in Jerusalem. The enigmatic allusion to the humble and saved Davidic ruler is made clear in the suffering that Jesus endured as he entrusted himself into the hands of his Father in order to bring redemption to the world and to establish God’s rule on earth (Phil. 2). God’s great victory is not accomplished in its first installment in the way one might have expected by reading Zechariah 9:1–8 literally but rather through the suffering of his royal figure on behalf of the nation.
The New Testament, however, presents Jesus not only as faithful Davidic ruler but also as the divine warrior Yahweh, who will vanquish his foes.58 In his review of the war tradition in the Old and New Testaments, Sherlock highlights two aspects to this divine warrior tradition. On the one side Yahweh fights for Israel against their enemies, displayed in his rescue from Egypt and conquest of Canaan. On the other side, however, Yahweh fights against Israel when she does not respond as the obedient army of the Lord. These two aspects are also evident in the prophets who presaged the Exile, which “demonstrated the converse of the exodus, what it meant to suffer defeat at Yahweh’s hands.”59
Turning to the New Testament, Sherlock argues that the same two aspects can be discerned in the ministry of Jesus as Messiah, who “recapitulated the exodus and conquest as the (actively) obedient Messiah, and the exilic experience as the (passively) obedient Servant. He lived and died not only as ‘priest’ and ‘victim,’ but also as ‘victor’ and ‘vanquished.’ ”60
Thus, the New Testament interprets the Old Testament divine warrior theology as fulfilled ultimately in and through the work of Christ. Christ, as representative of Israel, receives the punishment of the divine warrior for the sins of the people and yet also experiences victory through his actions. Moreover, Christ assumes the role of divine warrior and takes up residence in his temple in Zion. In New Testament theology the location of this residence transcends the physical site of Jerusalem (John 4; Heb. 12). The church with its origins in Jerusalem in the events of Passion Week and the subsequent Pentecost Feast now embodies the values of Zion as the Spirit resides within this redeemed community. From here God’s rule extends to all nations.
LaRondelle notes how Christ, rather than “spiritualizing” the kingdom, extends the boundaries of the Davidic kingdom globally in his Sermon on the Mount as he applies Psalm 37:11, 29 to his followers: “Christ is definitely not spiritualizing away Israel’s territorial promise when He includes His universal Church. On the contrary, He widened the scope of the territory until it extended to the whole world.”61
Not only is Zion equated with the church in the New Testament, but so also are the “sons of Zion.” In the New Testament the church as the body of Christ assumes the status of Israel of old and is even addressed as the “twelve tribes” (James 1:1; cf. Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30). The church is established from the remnant seed of Israel represented first of all in the twelve apostles and then in the community of exiles who returned to the Feast of Pentecost in Acts 2 to receive the full blessing of God. The history of the church is the progressive extension of the rule of God through the community of this Davidic ruler to the ends of the earth, which will reach its fulfillment at the return of Christ.
Thus, Zechariah 9 is relevant to the church fundamentally as a prophecy that has been fulfilled in and through Christ and his community. This redemptive-historical foundation, however, leads us to a secondary relevance of this passage as this prophecy calls us to theological values essential for sustaining this community as they pursue the mission begun at Pentecost. In this we need to transcend chronological speculation and focus on the theological message of this passage. A clue to this is to listen to this prophecy from the perspective of those who first encountered it in the Persian period, most likely in the final decades of the sixth century B.C. Of course, we do this in light of Christ’s coming in redemptive history, but as we apply this passage to our community today, we must do so with a view as to its significance to its first hearers. What then is that message in its ancient context?
A message for its time. Zechariah 9 speaks into a particular historical context of Israel’s experience. In a world controlled by the greatest empire the ancient Near East had ever known, this chapter reminds God’s people of the true ruler of the world. It also reminds them that the capital of the world is not Ecbatana, Susa, Pasargadae, or even Persepolis, the royal cities of the Persian empire, but rather Zion, the seat of the Lord’s rule in his temple.
This prophetic message was delivered to a community uncertain about the future of kingship, especially in light of the failure to sustain Davidic rule in this tiny Persian province. This depiction of the king in verses 9–10 is an important reminder to the people that their king will be established by and rule for Yahweh, not the Persians. His rule will transcend the tiny domain of Yehud and exceed even the realm of the Persians. But this will be accomplished by God’s work, not their own feeble efforts.
Zechariah 9 also speaks to a community struggling with their own weakness and poverty, living between the ideal of the prophetic promises of old and the reality of their lives. (1) They are called to return to their fortress, Zion. The place of safety for them is in the presence of God in Zion. (2) God’s word to them is one of comfort, promising to use them in his restoration, granting victory and prosperity.
This prophetic message also speaks to a community struggling with issues of identity and community. A key issue in the early Persian period is concern over the purity of the remnant of Israel. Throughout the books of Ezra and Nehemiah one reads of struggles between this remnant and the surrounding peoples—not only Gentile nations but also groups with Yahwistic backgrounds who may have assumed non-Yahwistic religious aspects. Ezra 4 stands as evidence in the early Persian period from at least Cyrus (539 B.C.) until Xerxes (465 B.C.) that there was considerable potential for sectarian fears, especially suspicions between those living in the former northern and southern kingdoms.
Into this context (most likely the late sixth century B.C.), Zechariah 9 introduces the theme of inclusivity. (1) God will transform a remnant from Philistia into his people. Former enemies of Israelite tribes will become full-fledged participants in the life of the Israelite community. (2) This prophecy envisions a remnant that consists of exiles from both the northern and southern tribes. This unity of the tribes has been demonstrated throughout this chapter by subtle allusions to the story and tradition of Joseph. The arrival of the king uses language reminiscent of Jacob’s blessing to Judah in Genesis 49 (Zech. 9:9). Ephraim becomes the arrow filling the bow of Judah and joins with Judah as “sons of Zion” (9:13). The release of the exiles is described in terms reminiscent of the imprisonment of Joseph (9:11–12) and possibly of the double blessing of children in Jacob’s blessing of Joseph (9:12). (3) Finally, an allusion to Amos 6:6 reminds the reader of the sins of the former generation that had little regard for the imprisonment of the tribes of “Joseph” (Zech. 9:15).
These connections suggest that Zechariah 9 is emphasizing the unity of the tribes and calls the community to consider the plight of the Joseph tribes in exile. Clearly Judah is given a prominent role throughout the chapter with the installation of the king and the role of that tribe as the archer’s bow. However, Joseph joins with Judah under this new king, unites with Judah in battle, and assumes the title “son of Zion.” By reminding the audience of the Joseph tradition, this chapter is reminding them of the key role that Joseph played in the preservation of the entire Israelite community during an earlier period of “exile” in a foreign land.
The inclusion of the Judah-Tamar narrative in the Joseph novella shows Joseph’s special role in rescuing Judah from further disaster in the land of Canaan (Gen. 38). If Zechariah 9 arose in the late sixth century after the first major waves of exiles had returned to the land, it stands as a timely reminder of their need to care about other tribes who are either in exile or who remained in the land. Former enemies, whether from the surrounding nations or from the northern kingdom, will form a united society with the Lord as King and the Davidic monarch as vice-regent, centered around the holy city Jerusalem.
Thus, Zechariah 9 reflects a mediating voice in the clash between Yehud and the peoples around them and between Yehud and Samaria as reflected throughout Ezra and Nehemiah.62 There is no compromise of the values of purity, for the Philistine remnant is cleansed from its idolatry and all tribes are united around Zion, temple, and king. Nevertheless, God plans to include all peoples in the community he will establish.
Contemporary Significance
AFFIRMING GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY over the nations and expanding our vision of God and his purposes. I caught a glimpse of the photograph on the front cover of Time while waiting for a dentist appointment. All I can remember is a picture of burning cars, smashed windows, and tear gas, not shocking scenes to a North American reader barraged daily with images from the war-torn Third World. However, a closer look revealed a surprise: These were scenes from a North American city, rocked by riots over the gathering of major world leaders for discussions on trade. In recent years we have seen a burgeoning youth movement that, frustrated with the processes of government and the influence of industry, has taken to the streets in protest. These young people are demonstrating against two basic problems in our global village: economic injustice and military oppression. In a world run by political and economic systems seemingly beyond their control, these demonstrators are taking their message to the leaders of these systems.
This kind of frustration reflects the powerlessness that many feel today. Does this reflect our own feelings in the church? How do we live in the midst of such a world run by systems propelled by greed and power? In this kind of world the message of Zechariah 9 grants us an eternal perspective. Tyre, representative of the ancient world’s material splendor and military prowess, will ultimately collapse before the sovereign Lord.
Zechariah 9 calls us to recognize God’s sovereign plan and power, to return to a theme that has often been ignored in the message of a church searching for “relevance.” God is in control, and his past record and future promise reveal that he has no patience for the material splendor and military prowess of the nations.
This mention of Tyre should expand our view of God’s purposes in this world. It is easy to spiritualize this text away as a reference to the “world,” but we should not ignore the military and material aspects of this image. The church should not leave protest to the student movements with their humanistic values but should be at the forefront of the battle against the systems of the world that encourage injustice and oppression. This may involve peaceful protest or political pursuit, but it also will involve the transforming example of Christian business people, the patient labors of social service personnel, and the relevant voice of Christian ministers.
The focus on Philistia highlights a second aspect of God’s impatience with this world. He will not tolerate the idolatrous practices of the nations but will purify the Philistines’ idolatry before including their remnant in Israel. The message of Zechariah 9 is highly relevant to the present generation living in a cultural context that values tolerance above all else. Fearful to be labeled “fundamentalists” and desirous to win a hearing in our culture, we are tempted to compromise on issues of truth that are not negotiable in Old and New Testament revelation. Of course, “speaking the truth” must always be done “in love” (Eph. 4:15), but it does mean expressing one’s own convictions with sincerity and realizing that God desires to purify people of their idolatry as he draws them to worship the one true God.
God’s sovereign plan, however, should not be construed in an exclusively negative manner. Zechariah 9 echoes the end of Zechariah 8, namely, that God envisions a community that transcends Israel’s borders and ethnicity. The surprising inclusion of Philistines among the tribes of Israel is evidence of God’s intention to bless all nations through Abraham’s seed.
This was not an easy message for those Jews in the Persian period who had suffered at the hands of foreigners for generations and were struggling to define their identity within the Persian empire. The natural reaction during this period appears to have been exclusion rather than inclusion. God, however, shocks the Israelite community and reminds them of his original intention to bring blessing to all nations.
The same is true for Christians today. In our pursuit of truth, justice, and redemption, we can villainize enemies of the faith to the point that we revel in their damnation. This has been most evident in recent evangelical responses to the homosexual community in North America. Recently as I left my church to drive home, I discovered a pamphlet under the windshield wiper of my van. It was an invitation to a heterosexual pride day in my city. While I did not have a problem with this kind of public expression of biblical values, I was shocked at the tone of the message and the promotion of hatred of the homosexual community throughout the pamphlet.
A far better response was demonstrated to me by a church I once attended in Philadelphia that reached out to the large local homosexual community through a counseling help line and through a regular visitation program to people suffering with AIDS. In this way they incarnated the truth of God in acts of love and compassion. Some may feel ambivalent about implying “acceptance” of lifestyle through compassion, but from God’s perspective we possess no moral superiority—that has been given to us by God. As Christ associated with those considered far less than holy, so also we need to reach out in love. We cannot lose sight of God’s desire to bring blessing through us to all people.
Celebrating the suffering Messiah and emulating his example. God’s methods are not those of the world system. God extends his mighty rule through the weakness of a Davidic king who died on a cross. This message is as shocking to us today as it was to the apostles who first witnessed it and who asked impatiently for the realization of the kingdom (Acts 1:6).
(1) Such a message calls us to stand in awe and wonder at this mysterious feature of redemptive history. When considering the message of the suffering Messiah, we move too quickly to application without pausing for adoration; that is, we are more apt to ask how this will change my patterns of behavior than to be consumed by praise of this divine mystery. I think Christ knew of this temptation when he instituted that central event of Christian worship, the Lord’s Supper. In this event we are called regularly as a community to stop and reflect on the wonder of God’s grace expressed through Jesus Christ.
(2) This motif of humble suffering is also to inform our methodology as the church. 1 Peter 2:21 teaches us that Christ’s humble suffering is an example that guides us as Christians. As the suffering of Christ brings about the redemption of the world, so the application of that redemption in subsequent generations is through the suffering Christian community.
Evangelicalism, a child of fundamentalism, has sought to move from the periphery to the center of society. This move reflects a healthy growth in the church’s conception of mission, from a “come-out-and-be-separate” exclusivism to a movement bringing salt and light into all areas of cultural experience. The danger, however, lies in the subtle tone of arrogance and power, bolstered by financial depth and political weight. We have become “wise as serpents,” learning the political systems of this world, while forgetting to be “innocent as doves,” portraying the humility of Christ (Matt. 10:16). In local communities as well as on the national scene, churches need to be known for their servanthood and humility, assuming the functions of society abandoned by others and communicating the values of Christ in love.
Why is the church known more for its arrogant demands for tax cuts, military spending, and defense of individual rights and property than for its humble cries for social justice, protection of the poor, and rejuvenation of social conscience? We risk the accusation of God that we are defending the values of Tyre rather than pursuing the suffering servant values of God. As Tyre created an arrogant self-sufficiency, so we are easily enticed to rely on our many financial and technological resources to sustain our ministries and lifestyle. The difficulty is that we become deluded into believing that such resources are signs of God’s blessing, even as our hearts are blinded to how much such resources have displaced God as the object of faith.
The greatest challenge for this generation of Christians in the West will be to sustain faith in God in the midst of such plenty. The demographic shift of Christianity from the Western world to the Two-Thirds World is related at least in part, if not in whole, to the power of suffering to nurture faith.
Craving for God’s presence and trusting in God’s power. Zechariah 9 exhorts the exiled community to return to Zion, their fortress, because it has been secured by their divine warrior God, who has taken up residence in his temple. Confidence for this community, based on God’s presence in their midst, catapults them forward as a victorious people among the nations.
For Christians, God’s presence now transcends the physical location of Zion, as Zion is now identified as the church, the community of believers (Heb. 12:22–23). For weary Christian “exiles” who long for God’s victory in their lives, the first step is the experience of his presence as individuals and communities. In recent years many churches have undergone a transformation in their rhythms of worship with far greater time and thought devoted to these communal experiences. This is an important transformation, for it places recognition of God’s presence as a priority in the life of the church. However, these can descend into sentimental celebrations of our “experience of God” rather than adoring encounters with the “God of experience.”
This said, we desperately need this focus on God’s presence in our church communities. We cannot engineer this through advanced technology or professional creativity. God must show up, and when he does, he may surprise us. A. W. Tozer once spoke of the fear we have about things getting out of control, words written decades ago and yet as relevant today:
Stamping our feet to start the circulation and blowing on our hands to limber them up, we have emerged shivering from the long period of the theological deep-freeze, but the influence of the frosty years is still felt among us to such an extent that the words witness, experience and feeling are cautiously avoided by the rank and file of evangelical teachers. In spite of the undeniable lukewarmness of most of us we still fear that unless we keep a careful check on ourselves we shall surely lose our dignity and become howling fanatics by this time next week. We set a watch upon our emotions day and night lest we become over-spiritual and bring reproach upon the cause of Christ. Which all, if I may say so, is for most of us about as sensible as throwing a cordon of police around a cemetery to prevent a wild political demonstration by the inhabitants.63
God communicates his presence to us through his Spirit, which enlivens his community. Openness to God’s presence is just the beginning; we need also to invite the Spirit’s work into our midst both as individuals and communities of faith.
It is not surprising that not only the king but also the people are linked to David in Zechariah 9 as the prophet limits their military action to slinging stones. As David of old, this community must rely on God for victory. The key element here is trust in our sovereign Lord. It is easy to trust in our deep resources as a church or to look on our carefully crafted vision and mission statements as the key to the success of the church. The apostle Paul lived his life with clear vision and mission for his life of ministry: “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28). But he was quick to remind us of the key to the fulfillment of his calling: “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Col. 1:29).
It was not Paul’s strength but rather God’s energy communicated through his presence that enabled the apostle to accomplish his mission. As the church we must experience life with the confidence that only God can grant us success. Responding to this truth means incorporating subtle rhythms into our lives and leadership. It may mean introducing into our busy lives, families, and ministries rhythms of prayer in which we are reminded that our lives are reliant on God’s grace and action. It may mean setting aside a week or month of prayer and fasting as we embark on a period of strategic planning or begin a new year of ministry.
The need for the power of God through his Spirit is emphasized by Tozer in his book The Divine Conquest. Commenting on the work of the church in his day, he writes:
The Spirit of God may use a song, a sermon, a good deed, a text or the mystery and majesty of nature, but always the final work will be done by the pressure of the inliving Spirit upon the human heart. In light of this it will be seen how empty and meaningless is the average church service today. All the means are in evidence; the one ominous weakness is the absence of the Spirit’s power. The form of godliness is there, and often the form is perfected till it is an aesthetic triumph. Music and poetry, art and oratory, symbolic vesture and solemn tones combine to charm the mind of the worshipper, but too often the supernatural afflatus is not there. The power from on high is neither known nor desired by pastor or people. This is nothing less than tragic, and all the more so because it falls within the field of religion where the eternal destinies of men are involved.64
Tozer’s words are as relevant today as they were in his own. It is easy for the church to rely on its own strength and expertise and forget that they are but “slinging stones” in the great battle for human society and souls. Often we have constructed the most beautiful buildings with the latest technology, and we have attended the hottest ministry seminars offering up-to-date strategies from charismatic leaders. Rather than running to the latest seminar or constructing the most audacious building, Zechariah 9 reminds us that the foundation for all ministry and life lies in God’s presence and power in our lives and communities as we pursue his kingdom work.
Striving for unity and enjoying God’s blessing. In subtle ways we have recognized the call of Zechariah 9 to unity within the restoration community. There is no place in God’s kingdom for the division and animosity displayed between tribes throughout the history of Israel. This unity is based on God’s use of his people to accomplish his purposes. It is God who strings the bow and fills it with arrows. As a community we are called to work together as we defeat our foes by God’s strength and power.
The New Testament record makes it abundantly clear that unity was crucial to the life of the church and the completion of its mission. It is also obvious that disunity threatened its very existence. Each of the New Testament letters addresses this issue in one form or another, rating “love” as the highest value for the redeemed community (cf. 1 Cor. 13). The threat of disunity came from diverse issues: ethnic background (Gal. 2; 3:26), generational insensitivity (1 Peter 5:1–6), gender difference (Gal. 3:28), economic status (Gal. 3:28; James 2:1–9; 5:1–6), spiritual gifting and experience (1 Cor. 12–14), theological affiliation (1 Cor. 1:11–17; 3:4–9), and behavioral patterns (1 Cor. 10).
We are called to unity, but such unity is based not on humanistic values but on our common bond in the Spirit, shared faith in Christ, and mutual worship of God. The picture of the redeemed community in Revelation 7:9 is one that reflects the kind of unity we should long for in the church today—“a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.”
To this end we should strive in the church today. We need churches that express the diversity of human life and experience, a goal that will mark communities as countercultural. In a society segmented along ethnic, gender, generational, and economic lines, the church has the potential to showcase God’s ultimate design for humanity through the power of the Spirit. Rather than isolating themselves from the poor, affluent congregations should welcome and support ministry alongside the poor of their community. Instead of creating separate worship experiences for various age groups, the church should encourage diverse expressions within a common experience.65 Church life should account for the perspective and experience of both genders in their hiring of professional staff as well as in the tone and content of their communal experiences. Rather than separating off members of a particular ethnic group within their faith community to plant a church among fellow immigrants, these members should be granted full participation within the church and be encouraged to continue to impact their friends.66
The picture of blessing at the end of Zechariah 9 reveals God’s intention for his people. He desires that they experience the fullness of life promised to Abraham at the outset of Israel’s history and to Adam at the beginning of world history. In each of these instances of blessing, particular emphasis is placed on the blessing of an abundance of people. As already mentioned, this promised blessing is fulfilled ultimately in that “great multitude” of diversity pictured in Revelation 7. Interestingly the members of that great multitude were “holding palm branches in their hands,” reminiscent of the entry of Christ in the Gospel at the first fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9–10. The image of abundance is one that sustains the community of God even through times of distress and pain and motivates them to a life of relationship and mission.