Zechariah 9:14

Verse

Then the LORD will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will sound the ram’s horn and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Jehovah shall be seen over them; and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord Jehovah will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.

Bible in Basic English

And the Lord will be seen over them, and his arrow will go out like the thunder-flame: and the Lord God, sounding the war-horn, will go in the storm-winds of the South.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And the Lord God shall be seen over them, and his dart shall go forth as lightning: and the Lord God will sound the trumpet, and go in the whirlwind of the south.

Free Bible Version

Then the Lord will appear over his people and his arrow will flash like lightning! The Lord God will blow the trumpet and march out like a windstorm from the south.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the Lord shalbe seene ouer them, and his arrowe shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blowe the trumpet, and shall come forth with the whirlewindes of the South.

King James (Authorized) Version

And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

Translation for Translators

Some day Yahweh will appear in the sky above his people, and the arrows that he shoots will be like [SIM] lightning. Yahweh our Lord will blow his trumpet, and he will march fiercely like [MET] the storms from the south.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Yahweh will appear to them, and his arrows will shoot out like lightning! For my Lord Yahweh will blow the trumpet and will advance with the storms from Teman.

Noah Webster Bible

And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.

World English Bible

Yahweh will be seen over them. His arrow will flash like lightning. The Lord Yahweh will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.

Young's Literal Translation

And Jehovah doth appear for them, And gone forth as lightning hath His arrow, And the Lord Jehovah with a trumpet bloweth, And He hath gone with whirlwinds of the south.

Context

The LORD Will Save His People

¹³For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man. ¹⁴Then the LORD will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will sound the ram’s horn and advance in the whirlwinds of the south. ¹⁵The LORD of Hosts will shield them. They will destroy and conquer with slingstones; they will drink and roar as with wine. And they will be filled like sprinkling bowls, drenched like the corners of the altar.

Summary

Zechariah 9:14 speaks of the Lord's protection and deliverance of His people in times of trouble. The imagery of a warrior leading his people into battle symbolizes God's strength and victory over their enemies. This verse conveys the assurance that God will empower His followers to overcome adversity and establish His kingdom on earth. It serves as a reminder of the Lord's faithfulness and sovereignty, inspiring hope and trust in His divine protection.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

The Lord shall be seen over them - Shadowing and refreshing them, as the cloud did the camp in the wilderness. His arrow shall go forth as the lightning - They shall be conquered in a way that will show that God fights for his followers. The description here is very sublime; we have a good imitation of it in Nonnus: - Και τοτε γαιαν ἁπασαν επεκλυσεν ὑετιος Ζευς, Πυκνωσας νεφεεσσιν ὁλον πολον· ουρανιη γαρ Βρονταιοις παταγοισι Διος μυκησατο σαλπιγξ. Nonn. Dionys., lib. 6. ver. 229. "When heaven's dread trumpet, sounding from on high, Breaks forth in thunders through the darken'd sky; The pregnant clouds to floods of rain give birth. And stormy Jove o'erwhelms the solid earth." J. B. B. C. In these two verses there is a fine image, and an allusion to a particular fact, which have escaped the notice of every commentator. I must repeat the verses: Zac 9:13 : When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. Zac 9:14 : And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrows shall go forth like lightning. The reader will consult what is said on Hos 7:16, relative to the oriental bow, which resembles a [figure C] in its quiescent state, and must be recurved in order to be strung. Here, Judah is represented as the recurved bow; Ephraim, as an arrow placed on the string, and then discharged against the Javanites or Greeks with the momentum of lightning; the arrow kindling in its course through the air, and thus becoming the bolt of death to them against whom it was directed. Volat illud, et incandescit eundo, Et quos non habuit, sub nubibus invenit ignes. "It flies apace; and, heating, mounts on high, Glows in its course, and burns along the sky."

John Gill Bible Commentary

And the Lord shall be seen over them,.... His apostles and ministers: or, "shall appear to them" (q); and be seen by them, as he was in the days of his flesh; they saw his person, his miracles, his sorrows, and sufferings; they saw him after his resurrection, and some have seen him since his ascension, with the eyes of their bodies, as well as with the eyes of their understandings; and so were fit to be witnesses of him: or, "the Lord shall appear over them", or "upon them" (r); he was seen over, and above them, when he ascended up to heaven; and upon them, by the descent of his Spirit on them at the day of Pentecost, and in other miraculous gifts bestowed upon them: or, "the Lord shall appear unto", or "for them" (s); by giving strength of body, and fortitude of mind; by protecting and preserving them, and by succeeding their labours: and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: meaning the Gospel, and the swift progress of it, as well as the light it communicates, and the glory that goes along with it, and the efficacy of it: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet; of the Gospel, so called, in allusion to the jubilee trumpet, which proclaimed liberty to servants, and restoration of inheritances: or to the trumpets made for the congregation of Israel to gather them together, and to express their joy at feasts: or to the trumpet used to proclaim war, and as an alarm for it; and this was blown by the Lord himself in person when here on earth, and by his ministers in his name: and shall go with whirlwinds of the south; that is, the Lord in the ministration of the Gospel shall go forth with the efficacy and energy of the Spirit: the Spirit is compared to "wind", because he works in a sovereign way where he listeth, and oftentimes imperceptibly, and ever powerfully; and to the "south" wind, because that brings warmth, serenity, and calmness, produces rain, and makes fruitful; and he it is which makes the Gospel efficacious; see Sol 4:16. (q) "aderit illis", Vatablus, Drusius. (r) "Super cos", V. L. Calvin; "super eis", Montanus, Piscator; "super illis", Cocceius. (s) So the particle is sometimes used; see Noldius, p. 690, 703.

Zechariah 9:14

The LORD Will Save His People

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

Then the LORD will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will sound the ram’s horn and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Jehovah shall be seen over them; and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord Jehovah will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.

Bible in Basic English

And the Lord will be seen over them, and his arrow will go out like the thunder-flame: and the Lord God, sounding the war-horn, will go in the storm-winds of the South.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And the Lord God shall be seen over them, and his dart shall go forth as lightning: and the Lord God will sound the trumpet, and go in the whirlwind of the south.

Free Bible Version

Then the Lord will appear over his people and his arrow will flash like lightning! The Lord God will blow the trumpet and march out like a windstorm from the south.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the Lord shalbe seene ouer them, and his arrowe shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blowe the trumpet, and shall come forth with the whirlewindes of the South.

King James (Authorized) Version

And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

Yahweh will appear to them, and his arrows will shoot out like lightning! For my Lord Yahweh will blow the trumpet and will advance with the storms from Teman.

Noah Webster Bible

And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.

World English Bible

Yahweh will be seen over them. His arrow will flash like lightning. The Lord Yahweh will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.

Young's Literal Translation

And Jehovah doth appear for them, And gone forth as lightning hath His arrow, And the Lord Jehovah with a trumpet bloweth, And He hath gone with whirlwinds of the south.

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Zechariah 9:14

Verse

Context

The LORD Will Save His People

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Zechariah 9:14

The LORD Will Save His People

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes