Zechariah 12 · Verse 10

Zechariah 12:10

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Zechariah 12:10, King James Version

Zechariah 12:10 in other translations

BSBThen I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
WEBI will pour on David’s house and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication. They will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for his firstborn.
ASVAnd I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look unto me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born.
YLTAnd I have poured on the house of David, And on the inhabitant of Jerusalem, A spirit of grace and supplications, And they have looked unto Me whom they pierced, And they have mourned over it, Like a mourning over the only one, And they have been in bitterness for it, Like a bitterness over the first-born.
DARBYAnd I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall look on me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for an only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
BBEAnd I will send down on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of prayer; and their eyes will be turned to the one who was wounded by their hands: and they will be weeping for him as for an only son, and their grief for him will be bitter, like the grief of one sorrowing for his oldest son.
WebsterAnd I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born.

What does Zechariah 12:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. Future conversion of the Jews is to flow from an extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Jr 31:9, 31-34; Eze 39:29). spirit of grace ... supplications--"spirit" is here not the spirit produced, but THE Holy Spirit producing a "gracious" disposition, and inclination for "supplications." Calvin explains "spirit of grace" as the grace of God itself (whereby He "pours" out His bowels of mercy), "conjoined with the sense of it in man's heart." The "spirit of supplications" is the mercury whose rise or fall is an unerring test of the state of the Church [Moore]. In Hebrew, "grace" and "supplications" are kindred terms; translate, therefore, "gracious supplications." The plural implies suppliant prayers "without ceasing." Herein not merely external help against the foe, as before, but internal grace is promised subsequently. look upon me--with profoundly earnest regard, as the Messiah whom they so long denied. pierced--implying Messiah's humanity: as "I will pour ... spirit" implies His divinity. look ... mourn--True repentance arises from the sight by faith of the crucified Saviour. It is the tear that drops from the eye of faith looking on Him. Terror only produces remorse. The true penitent weeps over his sins in love to Him who in love has suffered for them. me ... him--The change of person is due to Jehovah-Messiah speaking in His own person first, then the prophet speaking of Him. The Jews, to avoid the conclusion that He whom they have "pierced" is Jehovah-Messiah, who says, "I will pour out ... spirit," altered "me" into "him," and represent the "pierced" one to be Messiah Ben (son of) Joseph, who was to suffer in the battle with Cog, before Messiah Ben David should come to reign. But Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic oppose this; and the ancient Jews interpreted it of Messiah. Psa 22:16 also refers to His being "pierced." So Joh 19:37; Re 1:7. The actual piercing of His side was the culminating point of all their insulting treatment of Him. The act of the Roman soldier who pierced Him was their act (Mt 27:25), and is so accounted here in Zechariah. The Hebrew word is always used of a literal piercing (so Zec 13:3); not of a metaphorical piercing, "insulted," as Maurer and other Rationalists (from the Septuagint) represent. as one mourneth for ... son--(Jr 6:26; Am 8:10). A proverbial phrase peculiarly forcible among the Jews, who felt childlessness as a curse and dishonor. Applied with peculiar propriety to mourning for Messiah, "the first-born among many brethren" (Ro 8:29).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 I will pour upon the house of David - This is the way in which the Jews themselves shall be brought into the Christian Church. 1. "They shall have the spirit of grace," God will show them that he yet bears favor to them. 2. They shall be excited to fervent and continual prayer for the restoration of the Divine favor. 3. Christ shall be preached unto them; and they shall look upon and believe in him whom they pierced, whom they crucified at Jerusalem. 4. This shall produce deep and sincere repentance; they shall mourn, and be in bitterness of soul, to think that they had crucified the Lord of life and glory, and so long continued to contradict and blaspheme, since that time.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zechariah 12:9-14

The day here spoken of, is the day of Jerusalem's defence and deliverance, that glorious day when God will appear for the salvation of his people. In Christ's first coming he bruised the serpent's head, and broke all the powers of darkness that fought against God's kingdom among men. In his second coming he will complete their destruction, when he shall put down all opposing rule, principality, and power; and death…

Read the full comment on Zechariah 12:9-14 →

Zechariah 12:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְשָׁפַכְתִּי֩ve.sha.fakh.Tiand I will pour outH8210
עַל\־'al-onH5921
בֵּ֨יתbeit[the] house ofH1004
דָּוִ֜ידda.VidDavidH1732
וְעַ֣ל\׀ve.'Aland onH5921
יוֹשֵׁ֣בyo.Shev[the] inhabitant[s] ofH3427
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗םye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389
ר֤וּחַRu.acha spirit ofH7307
חֵן֙chenfavorH2580
וְתַ֣חֲנוּנִ֔יםve.Ta.cha.nu.Nimand supplicationsH8469
וְהִבִּ֥יטוּve.hi.Bi.tuand they will lookH5027
אֵלַ֖י'e.Laito meH413
אֵ֣ת'et<obj.>H853
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-[the one] whomH834
דָּקָ֑רוּda.Ka.ruthey have pierced throughH1856
וְסָפְד֣וּve.sa.fe.Duand they will mournH5594
עָלָ֗יו'a.Lavon himH5921
כְּמִסְפֵּד֙ke.mis.Pedlike mourningH4553
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הַיָּחִ֔ידhai.ya.Chid<the> only [son]H3173
וְהָמֵ֥רve.ha.Merand they will show bitternessH4843
עָלָ֖יו'a.Lavon himH5921
כְּהָמֵ֥רke.ha.Meras shows bitternessH4843
עַֽל\־'al-onH5921
הַבְּכֽוֹר\׃ha.be.Khor<the> firstbornH1060

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Zechariah 12:10

  • Revelation 1:7

    Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

  • Ezekiel 39:29

    Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

  • John 19:34-37

    But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

  • Joel 2:28-29

    And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

  • Jeremiah 6:26

    O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.

  • Acts 2:33

    Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

  • Romans 8:26

    Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

  • Romans 8:15

    For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

  • Ephesians 6:18

    Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

  • Matthew 24:30

    And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

  • Amos 8:10

    And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

  • Hebrews 12:2

    Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I will pour.
Pr 1:23; Isa 32:15; 44:3,4; 59:19-21; Eze 39:29; Joe 2:28,29
Ac 2:17,33; 10:45; 11:15; Tit 3:5,6
the house.
7
the spirit.
Ps 51:12
of supplications.
Jer 31:9; 50:4; Ro 8:15,26; Eph 6:18; Jude 1:20
they shall look.That this relates to the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, and to his being pierced by the soldier's spear, we have the authority of the inspired apostle John for affirming; and this application agrees with the opinion of some of the ancient Jews, who interpret it of Messiah the son of David, as Moses Hadarson, on Ge ch. 28, though Jarchi and Abarbanel refer it to the death of Messiah the son of Joseph, whom they say was to be the suffering Messiah, while the former is to be the triumphant Messiah.
Ps 22:16,17; Joh 1:29; 19:34-37; Heb 12:2; Re 1:7
they shall mourn.
Jer 6:26; Am 8:10; Mt 24:30; 26:75; Ac 2:37; 2Co 7:9-11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Zechariah 12:9

    And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

  • Zechariah 12:10

    And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

  • Zechariah 12:11

    In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

Read all of Zechariah 12

Zechariah 12:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y derramaré sobre la casa de David, y sobre los moradores de Jerusalem, espíritu de gracia y de oración; y mirarán á mí, á quien traspasaron, y harán llanto sobre él, como llanto sobre unigénito, afligiéndose sobre él como quien se aflige sobre primogénito.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et je répandrai sur la maison de David et sur les habitants de Jérusalem un esprit de grâce et de supplications; et ils regarderont vers moi, celui qu’ils auront percé, et ils se lamenteront sur lui, comme on se lamente sur un fils unique, et il y aura de l’amertume pour lui, comme on a de l’amertume pour un premier-né.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und ich werde über das Haus Davids und über die Bewohner von Jerusalem den Geist der Gnade und des Flehens ausgießen; und sie werden auf mich blicken, den sie durchbohrt haben, und werden über ihn wehklagen gleich der Wehklage über den Eingeborenen, und bitterlich über ihn leidtragen, wie man bitterlich über den Erstgeborenen leidträgt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et effundam super domum David et super habitatores Jerusalem spiritum gratiæ et precum: et aspicient ad me quem confixerunt, et plangent eum planctu quasi super unigenitum, et dolebunt super eum, ut doleri solet in morte primogeniti.