TEXT [Commentary]

black diamond   2.   Zion’s coming king (9:9-17)

9 Rejoice, O people of Zion![*]

Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!

Look, your king is coming to you.

He is righteous and victorious,[*]

yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—

riding on a donkey’s colt.

10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel[*]

and the warhorses from Jerusalem.

I will destroy all the weapons used in battle,

and your king will bring peace to the nations.

His realm will stretch from sea to sea

and from the Euphrates River[*] to the ends of the earth.[*]

11 Because of the covenant I made with you,

sealed with blood,

I will free your prisoners

from death in a waterless dungeon.

12 Come back to the place of safety,

all you prisoners who still have hope!

I promise this very day

that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.

13 Judah is my bow,

and Israel is my arrow.

Jerusalem[*] is my sword,

and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks.[*]

14 The LORD will appear above his people;

his arrows will fly like lightning!

The Sovereign LORD will sound the ram’s horn

and attack like a whirlwind from the southern desert.

15 The LORD of Heaven’s Armies will protect his people,

and they will defeat their enemies by hurling great stones.

They will shout in battle as though drunk with wine.

They will be filled with blood like a bowl,

drenched with blood like the corners of the altar.

16 On that day the LORD their God will rescue his people,

just as a shepherd rescues his sheep.

They will sparkle in his land

like jewels in a crown.

17 How wonderful and beautiful they will be!

The young men will thrive on abundant grain,

and the young women will flourish on new wine.

NOTES

9:9 your king. This is a reference to a future Davidic king, presumably the Messiah figure described earlier by Zechariah as the Branch (3:8; 6:12).

riding on a donkey. The donkey was a humble animal and a royal mount in the biblical world (cf. Judg 10:4; 12:14). The act symbolized the rider’s intentions to come in peace. The Gospel writers cited the verse as predictive of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem at the beginning of his Passion Week (Matt 21:5; John 12:15). Although the NT writers understood the “Palm Sunday event” as a messianic fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy about the “coming king,” they appropriately quoted only portions of 9:9 consonant with the First Advent of Jesus Christ (see further Merrill 1994:256).

9:10 battle chariots . . . warhorses . . . . weapons. The kingdoms of Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, and even the Israelite kingdom of David, were established by military conquest. By contrast, the Kingdom of God will dismantle the machinery of war and eradicate arsenals of stockpiled weapons. Other OT prophets predicted a similar era of disarmament (cf. Isa 2:4; 9:5; Mic 5:10-11).

Israel. Lit., “Ephraim”; this was a designation for the northern Hebrew tribes. The pairing of Israel (or Ephraim) and Jerusalem (9:10) or Judah (9:13) signified a reunited Israel and the land of covenant promise regained.

the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. The expression connotes the universal character of the peace established by the righteous king. The Euphrates River (nahar [TH5104A, ZH5643], lit., “the river”) was the northern boundary of the Promised Land (Gen 15:18).

9:11 covenant I made with you, sealed with blood. This is probably a reference to the sacrifice and the “blood” of the “covenant” that sealed the Mosaic covenant (Exod 24:8).

free your prisoners. This is a reference to those Hebrews still living in the Mesopotamian Diaspora after the Babylonian exile and repatriation of the land of Israel. In one sense, those Hebrews who remained in Persia were “exiles” spiritually because they lived outside the Promised Land—the land of spiritual blessing and rest (cf. Deut 12:10). The freeing of prisoners was one of the defining activities of Messiah (Isa 61:1; cf. Luke 4:17-22).

9:13 Greeks. The Hebrew is yawan [TH3120, ZH3430] (or “Javan”). The Persians and Greeks were engaged in a titanic struggle for control of the east at the time of Zechariah’s ministry (see the Introduction). The prophet forecasted a future day when God would execute divine judgment against the Greeks (or perhaps “the nations” if the “Greeks” were representative of all the Gentiles). It is possible that Zechariah alludes to Daniel’s vision of the “goat with the large horn” in anticipation of the rise to power of Alexander the Great and its implications for the people of Israel (Dan 8:21-22).

9:14 appear above his people. It is possible that Zechariah had in mind the idea that Yahweh would go before Israel like a military banner or battle standard guaranteeing victory for his people (cf. Merrill 1994:261). It seems more likely that the prophet envisions a theophany of Yahweh over Israel, much like the image of the winged sun disk that hovered over and protected the Persian king (see further Hill 1982:350, 362).

sound the ram’s horn. This is either an allusion to the blowing of a ram’s horn by an angelic being (cf. Exod 19:19; 20:18; Isa 27:13) or a metaphor for thunder (cf. Isa 29:6; Jer 25:30; Joel 3:16).

whirlwind. The whirlwind as a military image depicts God’s devastating power and unpredictable swiftness as a divine warrior (Ps 77:18; Isa 66:15). Zechariah’s references to the trumpet and lightning (9:14) call to mind Israel’s experience at Mount Sinai (Exod 19:16).

9:15 hurling great stones. Lit., “sling-stones” (’abne-qela‘ [TH68/7050, ZH74/7845]) hurled at defenders on city walls and catapulted onto the inhabitants inside. David’s victory over the Philistine champion Goliath attests to the deadly efficiency of the sling as a weapon in the biblical world (cf. 1 Sam 17:49). The Maccabean triumph over the Hellenistic Seleucids in the second century BC may be a partial fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy of Israel’s defeat of the Greeks (9:13-15; cf. 1 Macc 3:16-24; 4:6-16; 7:40-50).

filled with blood like a bowl. This is a reference to the ceremonial “sprinkling bowls” filled with animal blood that were used in the rituals associated with animal sacrifice (cf. Exod 24:6; 27:3; Lev 1:5; 16:18; Num 4:7).

9:16 On that day. The phrase is prophetic “shorthand” for the Day of the Lord, the eschatological “day” of an unspecified duration in which God judges the wicked, delivers the righteous, and restores all of creation.

shepherd. The OT prophets portrayed the Messiah not only as a king, but also as a faithful shepherd (Ezek 34:12, 16, 23). Zechariah may have had Ezekiel’s “shepherd-king” in mind in his use of both messianic titles (cf. Ezek 37:24). Jesus identified himself as the Good Shepherd in fulfillment of Ezekiel’s messianic ideal (John 10:11), and the NT ascribes to Jesus the titles of “great Shepherd” (Heb 13:20) and “chief Shepherd” (1 Pet 5:4, NASB).

sparkle . . . like jewels. The word “sparkle” (a participle based on the root nasas [TH5264, ZH5824], “to raise a banner/standard”) is a rare term in the OT, occurring only in 9:16 and Ps 60:4 [6]. The translation “sparkle” or “shine” fits the context of jewels set in a crown (so Merrill 1994:263-264), but see the discussion in Mason (1977:94-95), who suggests that the restored people of Judah will “serve as a standard by which others may find their way to seek God.”

9:17 abundant grain . . . new wine. Agricultural prosperity is a sign of God’s blessing and a tangible indication of divine restoration in the OT prophets (e.g., Joel 2:19; Amos 9:13; cf. Hag 1:11).

COMMENTARY [Text]

The second message (9:9-17) of Zechariah’s first oracle (chs 9–11) confronts his audience with the “coincidence of opposites.” The first of the “polar pairs” is the portrayal of Judah’s coming deliverer as both a “king” who is “victorious” in battle, yet “righteous” and “humble” (9:9). This king will bring peace to the nations and enjoy a universal reign (9:10). The second of the “polar pairs” is the dual reality of warfare and peace that has defined the course of human history. Our concern is the theological implications of these “coincidences of opposites” in Zechariah.

The Messiah in Zechariah. Like Isaiah and Amos, Zechariah stands in the tradition of the Hebrew prophets who announced a rejuvenated Davidic kingship (cf. Isa 9:6-7; 11:1; Amos 9:11). Specifically, Zechariah’s messianic expectations were probably colored by the messages of Jeremiah and Ezekiel who predicted the coming of a shepherd-king after the manner of David (Jer 23:5; 30:9; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24). Oddly, Zechariah does not use the term “messiah” (mashiakh [TH4899, ZH5431], “anointed one”) in his visions or oracles. Yet biblical scholars have labeled Zechariah the “little Isaiah” due to his extensive predictions about the Messiah, which the New Testament writers recognized as fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. For example, Zechariah’s predictions about the Messiah include

No doubt, the dual portrayals of Messiah as both king and servant-shepherd in the Old Testament proved difficult for the Hebrew faithful to reconcile. How could Messiah defeat the nations and rule as king in righteousness and yet die as a rejected shepherd-priest? How could one Messiah represent the kingship and priesthood that historically belonged to two different Hebrew tribes? The seeming incongruity of a Messiah who would hold both the offices of king and priest and possibly even die was resolved by some of the sects of intertestamental Judaism by speculating there would be two Messiahs. The one from the tribe of Levi would serve as priest, and the other, from the tribe of Judah, would rule as king (cf. 2 Esdr 12:32; Testament of Levi 18; Testament of Judah 24; CD 12:22–13:1; 14:19).

Reacting to the Christian gospel, some religious Jews today have adopted a similar “two messiah” theology. They willingly admit that Jesus is the Messiah for the Gentiles, but they contend that the Jews still await their Messiah. Given the perspective of New Testament teachings, we now know that there is but one Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth (Matt 1:16; 16:16). And further, we now know that there will be two advents of Messiah in human history. His first appearance was as suffering servant and slain shepherd, as recorded in the New Testament (John 1:29; 10:11, 28; 1 Cor 5:7). The church, the bride of Jesus the Messiah, still awaits his second appearance as ruling king and Lord of all, as promised in other New Testament texts (Acts 1:11; Rev 19:7-8).

Zechariah’s dual understanding of Messiah as both ruling king and humble servant (9:9; as well as slain shepherd, cf. 12:10; 13:7) challenges us to develop a balanced Christology in our preaching and theological instruction. The portrayal of the Messiah as both humble servant and ruling king in Zechariah anticipates what we now know are the two advents or comings of Messiah. The first was fulfilled in the incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth, and the second promised by the risen Lord to his disciples. Naturally, Zechariah’s foreshadowing of the Messiah has implications for understanding the Messiah as both the offspring of the woman (Gen 3:15) and Immanuel (or “God is with us,” Isa 7:14). With the help and illumination of the Holy Spirit, we must somehow hold in tension the paradoxical truths of Jesus’ full humanity and full deity (cf. Heb 1:1-3; 2:5-10).

One practical way to affirm the divinity and humanity of Jesus the Messiah is to return to the recitation of the historic creeds of the church. The purpose of a creed is to compress historical events into a summary statement. The recitation of the creeds is one type of enactment in worship that dramatizes the relationship the Christian has with God. (On the place of the historic Christian creeds in worship and their catechetical value, see Webber 1994:73-76.) The Creed of Chalcedon (AD 451), for example, addressed the very issue of the two natures (divine and human) in the one person of Jesus Christ and substantially completed the orthodox Christology of the ancient church. How else to combat the “peril of the pendulum” as the relativistic and pluralistic trends of popular culture are bent on shaping the theology of the Christian subculture?

In addition, Zechariah’s predictions concerning Messiah should foster a spirit of charity in our assessment of Jewish interpretation of the Hebrew Bible at the time of Jesus. It seems Christian interpreters have been quick to indict the religious leaders of first-century Judaism (and even Jesus’ own disciples at times) for their lack of theological perception. In our smugness, however, we have failed to appreciate our privileged position on the “AD side” of the First Advent of Jesus Christ on the continuum of salvation history. Those biblical scholars and theologians who bring an irenic spirit to their scholarship, preaching, and teaching are to be commended. Thankfully, recent trends do suggest a nascent spirit of Christian charity stirring afresh in evangelical scholarship, even to the point of entertaining the idea that one’s view may be wrong—how novel! (See Webb 2001:236-244.)

Finally, the complexity of Zechariah’s visions and the manifold interpretations of those visions by biblical scholars through the 20 centuries of church history should prompt an attitude of humility in our own understandings and expositions of biblical texts. The Dutch theologian Herman Ridderbos has remarked that “God speaks to us through the Scriptures not in order to make us scholars, but to make us Christians. . . . what Scripture does intend is to place us as humans in right position to God, even in our scientific studies and efforts” (1978:23-24). We would do well to bring such Christian humility to bear in our scholarship!

War and Peace in Zechariah. The patterns of social and political conflict that characterize the human experience, whether in the biblical world or our own, may be traced to the sin of the first human pair (Gen 3). Their rebellion against the Creator fractured theological, sociological, and ecological relationships that God had originally established as good and right (Gen 3:14-19). As a result, adversarial relationships subverted God’s good creation and humanity was set at odds with God, itself, and the natural order. The first divine promise (Gen 3:15) and the “gospel” message of the rest of the Bible are aimed at overcoming the dislocation of humanity and restoring all creation to proper relationship with God.

The abrupt shifts in tone and theme in Zechariah 9 from a king who brings universal peace (9:9-10) to a God who brandishes a sword against the nations and attacks like the whirlwind (9:13-14) are a stark reminder that the dual reality of war and peace persists into the eschaton. Craigie has noted that Zechariah 9 may be the welding together of separate sermons on the themes of war and peace for the purpose of accenting the Sovereign God as the divine warrior whose victories would ultimately establish permanent and worldwide peace (1984:200). According to a Christian interpretation, Jesus is identified as the “king” depicted in Zechariah 9:9, and his arrival in Jerusalem is the advent of peace on earth (Luke 2:14; cf. Matt 21:5).

Craigie aptly points out the reversal of ancient principles in the Gospel narrative, in that war is the exercise of the political monopoly of force, while the heavenly kingdom of Jesus the Messiah was established by the Godhead’s receipt of violence in the form of Roman crucifixion. Like ancient Israel, the Christian church admits the tragic reality of war in a fallen world. Unlike the kingdom of ancient Israel that served as God’s “bow” and “arrow” and “sword” (9:13), in the Kingdom of God, “war on the battlefield is to be exchanged for the warfare of the spirit” (Craigie 1984:202). The eschatological hope remains the same, however: God intervening in history to rescue his people from their enemies, abolish warfare forever, and establish universal peace (9:10, 16).

The question Craigie posed (1984:200) as to what we are to make of Zechariah’s dark visions of savage warfare punctuated with a vision of universal peace remains pertinent. The New Testament also confronts the reader with the dual reality of war and peace. At the individual level we learn from Jesus that “here on earth [we] will have many trials and sorrows,” and yet we can take heart because Jesus has “overcome the world” (John 16:33). On a national level, we learn from Jesus that wars will break out near and far, but we are not to panic (Matt 24:6). Perhaps even more troubling are Jesus’ words that he did not come to bring peace to the earth—but a sword to sever even the most fundamental familial relationships (Matt 10:34-39)! Zechariah is a disquieting reminder that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not always a panacea—there is a cross to bear, a cost to Christian discipleship.

Beyond this, Zechariah’s message points us to Paul’s exhortation to put on God’s armor since we wage battle in a spiritual war against “the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world” (Eph 6:11-12). Finally, Zechariah’s visions of “war and peace” call the Christian to “work for peace” (Matt 5:9) and the Christian church to be Christ’s ambassador—pleading with the world to “come back to God” (2 Cor 5:20). Happily (though mysteriously), by the power of the Holy Spirit the Christian has already received the gift of God’s peace—the “peace of mind and heart” granted by Jesus to all who love him and obey his teachings (John 14:27).