Zechariah
Chapter 9
Against the Nations
Word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus, for the cities of Aram belong to him, as do all the tribes of Israel.
Also, Hamath on its border, along with Tyre and Sidon, known for their good business.
Tyre built herself a stronghold and accumulated silver like dust, gold like the mud in the street.
But the Lord will take away her possessions and topple her power into the sea; she herself will perish by fire.
Ashkelon will tremble with fear; Gaza will also shake, along with Ekron, because her hope will fade. The king will leave Gaza, and Ashkelon will be deserted.
People of low status will take over Ashdod. I will remove the pride of the Philistines.
I will take their meat and blood from their mouths and their unclean food from between their teeth. Only a small group of them will remain, and they will become like a clan among the Judeans. The people of Ekron will be like the Jebusites now.
I will camp nearby, like a guard, to protect my house from everyone who comes and goes. No longer will an oppressor crush them, because I am aware of their suffering.
Peace and War
Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem! For your king is coming —just and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
No more chariots in Ephraim, no more horses in Jerusalem, for he will eliminate them. The warrior’s bow will be broken when he brings peace to the nations. He will rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
As for you, for the sake of your covenant sealed with blood, I shall release your prisoners from the ancient cistern.
The prisoners who wait in expectation will return to you, O Zion; today, I declare that I will repay you double for your exile.
I shall bend my bow—Judah— and Ephraim shall be my arrow. I shall send your sons, O Zion, against the Greeks! For me, you shall be a warrior’s sword.
The Lord will appear above them, his arrows flashing like lightning. He will sound his horn and arrive, in a storm from the south.
The Lord, God of hosts, will protect them; they will triumph and trample the wicked. They will drink blood like wine and be filled with it, like the bowls of the drink offering, like the horns of an altar.
Fruitfulness
On that day, the Lord their God will save them and gather them like a flock.
How happy! How beautiful it will be! The grain will make young men flourish, and new wine will delight the maidens!
Commentaries
Against the Nations.
In the second section (Zechariah 9-14), which many attribute to another prophet, Deutero-Zechariah, we perceive the prophet’s disappointment with the House of David and his descendants, as well as with the lineage and priestly family of Levi. A new king, totally opposed to the bad shepherds (11:4-5), humble and peaceful, “riding on a donkey,” enters Jerusalem victorious (9:9). He is a king who will “reign from sea to sea” (9:10), over all nations. In view of this failure of the descendants of David and Levi, God himself will establish the definitive kingdom and worship (14:16).
In this oracle, the Lord passes judgment on the nations to the north, east, and south of Israel. God presents himself as a warrior who will free his people from foreign threats and eliminate the abomination of the “mouth of the Philistines”; that is, he will purify them so that they adopt the dietary rules of his people (cf. Lev 11:2-47). Thus, even they will become part of the faithful remnant of Israel (v. 7). The Lord will dwell in the temple as a guardian, watching over the protection of his people (v. 8).
Peace and War.
The prophet encourages the returnees to rejoice. After the rebuilding of the temple, the Lord himself will come to reign, breaking the yoke of the oppressed, freeing the captives, and restoring peace and hope to Judah. The image of the king entering on a donkey alludes to a descendant of David, meek and humble, interpreted in the New Testament as a messianic prophecy fulfilled in the person of Jesus, son of David, who made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem before his passion riding on a donkey (cf. Mt 21:2-7).
Fruitfulness.
Israel is precious to the Lord, so He will make it fruitful, overflowing with beauty and joy (9:16-17). Without the guidance of God, the Shepherd-King, the people wander (10:1-2).