Zechariah 14 · Verse 17

Zechariah 14:17

And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
Zechariah 14:17, King James Version

Zechariah 14:17 in other translations

BSBAnd should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, then the rain will not fall on them.
WEBIt will be that whoever of all the families of the earth doesn’t go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Armies, on them there will be no rain.
ASVAnd it shall be, that whoso of all the families of the earth goeth not up unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, upon them there shall be no rain.
YLTAnd it hath come to pass, That he who doth not go up of the families of the land unto Jerusalem, To bow himself to the King, Jehovah of Hosts, Even on them there is no shower.
DARBYAnd it shall be, that whoso goeth not up of the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, upon them shall be no rain.
BBEAnd it will be that if any one of all the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to give worship to the King, the Lord of armies, on them there will be no rain.
WebsterAnd it shall be, that whoever will not come up of all the families of the earth to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

What does Zechariah 14:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. no rain--including every calamity which usually follows in the East from want of rain, namely, scarcity of provisions, famine, pestilence, &c. Rain is the symbol also of God's favor (Ho 6:3). That there shall be unconverted men under the millennium appears from the outbreak of Gog and Magog at the end of it (Re 20:7-9); but they, like Satan their master, shall be restrained during the thousand years. Note, too, from this verse that the Gentiles shall come up to Jerusalem, rather than the Jews go as missionaries to the Gentiles (Is 2:2; Mi 5:7). However, Is 66:19 may imply the converse.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 Upon them shall be no rain - Those who do not worship God shall not have his blessing; and those who do not attend Divine ordinances cannot have the graces and blessings which God usually dispenses by them. On such slothful, idle Christians, there shall be no rain!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zechariah 14:16-21

As it is impossible for all nations literally to come to Jerusalem once a year, to keep a feast, it is evident that a figurative meaning must here be applied. Gospel worship is represented by the keeping of the feast of tabernacles. Every day of a Christian's life is a day of the feast of tabernacles; every Lord's day especially is the great day of the feast; therefore every day let us worship the Lord of hosts, and…

Read the full comment on Zechariah 14:16-21 →

Zechariah 14:17 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.

וְ֠הָיָהVe.ha.yahand it will beH1961
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sher[one] whoH834
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
יַעֲלֶ֜הya.'a.Lehhe will go upH5927
מֵאֵ֨תme.'Etfrom withH854
מִשְׁפְּח֤וֹתmish.pe.Chot[the] clans ofH4940
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ha.'A.retzthe earthH776
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םye.Ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389
לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֔תle.hish.ta.cha.Votto bow downH7812
לְמֶ֖לֶךְle.Me.lekhto [the] kingH4428
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָא֑וֹתtze.va.'otof hostsH6635
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם'a.lei.Hemon themH5921
יִהְיֶ֥הyih.Yehit will beH1961
הַגָּֽשֶׁם\׃ha.Ga.shem<the> rainH1653

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

Cross references for Zechariah 14:17

  • Jeremiah 14:4

    Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

  • Isaiah 60:12

    For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

  • Amos 4:7-8

    And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

  • James 5:17

    Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

  • Revelation 11:6

    These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

  • Genesis 12:3

    And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

  • Deuteronomy 11:17

    And then the Lord’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.

  • 1 Kings 17:1

    And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

  • Genesis 10:32

    These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

  • Deuteronomy 28:23-24

    And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

  • 2 Chronicles 6:26

    When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;

  • Genesis 28:14

    And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
that.
Ps 2:8-12; 110:5,6; Isa 45:23; 60:12; Jer 10:25; Ro 14:10,11
all.
Ge 10:32; 12:3; 28:14; Am 3:2; Ac 17:26,27
even.
De 11:17; 28:23,24; 1Ki 8:35; 17:1; 2Ch 6:26; 7:13; Isa 5:6
Jer 14:4,22; Am 4:7,8; Jas 5:17; Re 11:6

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

Context

  • Zechariah 14:16

    And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

  • Zechariah 14:17

    And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

  • Zechariah 14:18

    And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Read all of Zechariah 14

Zechariah 14:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y acontecerá, que los de las familias de la tierra que no subieren á Jerusalem á adorar al Rey, Jehová de los ejércitos, no vendrá sobre ellos lluvia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il arrivera que, celle des familles de la terre qui ne montera pas à Jérusalem pour se prosterner devant le roi, l’ Éternel des armées,… sur celle-là, il n’y aura pas de pluie;
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und es wird geschehen, wenn eines von den Geschlechtern der Erde nicht nach Jerusalem hinaufziehen wird, um den König, Jehova der Heerscharen, anzubeten: über dasselbe wird kein Regen kommen;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et erit: qui non ascenderit de familiis terræ ad Jerusalem ut adoret regem, Dominum exercituum, non erit super eos imber.