Zechariah 14 · Verse 2

Zechariah 14:2

For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Zechariah 14:2, King James Version

Zechariah 14:2 in other translations

BSBFor I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.
WEBFor I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city will be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go out into captivity, and the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.
ASVFor I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
YLTAnd I have gathered all the nations unto Jerusalem to battle, And captured hath been the city, And spoiled have been the houses, And the women are lain with, Gone forth hath half the city in a removal, And the remnant of the people are not cut off from the city.
DARBYAnd I will assemble all the nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity; and the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
BBEFor I will get all the nations together to make war against Jerusalem; and the town will be overcome, and the goods taken from the houses, and the women taken by force: and half the town will go away as prisoners, and the rest of the people will not be cut off from the town.
WebsterFor I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

What does Zechariah 14:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. gather all nations, &c.--The prophecy seems literal (compare Joe 3:2). If Antichrist be the leader of the nations, it seems inconsistent with the statement that he will at this time be sitting in the temple as God at Jerusalem (2Th 2:4); thus Antichrist outside would be made to besiege Antichrist within the city. But difficulties do not set aside revelations: the event will clear up seeming difficulties. Compare the complicated movements, Da 11:1-45. half ... the residue--In Zec 13:8, 9, it is "two-thirds" that perish, and "the third" escapes. There, however, it is "in all the land"; here it is "half of the city." Two-thirds of the "whole people" perish, one-third survives. One-half of the citizens are led captive, the residue are not cut off. Perhaps, too, we ought to translate, "a (not 'the') residue."

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 I will gather all nations - The Romans, whose armies were composed of all the nations of the world. In this verse there is a pitiful account given of the horrible outrages which should be committed during the siege of Jerusalem, and at its capture. The residue of the people shad not be cut off - Many were preserved for slaves, and for exhibition in the provincial theatres.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zechariah 14:1-7

The Lord Jesus often stood upon the Mount of Olives when on earth. He ascended from thence to heaven, and then desolations and distresses came upon the Jewish nation. Such is the view taken of this figuratively; but many consider it as a notice of events yet unfulfilled, and that it relates to troubles of which we cannot now form a full idea. Every believer, being related to God as his God, may triumph in the…

Read the full comment on Zechariah 14:1-7 →

Zechariah 14:2 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.

וְאָסַפְתִּ֨יve.'a.saf.Tiand I will gatherH622
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הַגּוֹיִ֥ם\׀ha.go.Yimthe nationsH1471
אֶֽל\־'el-toH413
יְרוּשָׁלִַם֮ye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389
לַמִּלְחָמָה֒la.mil.cha.Mahfor <the> battleH4421
וְנִלְכְּדָ֣הve.nil.ke.Dahand it will be capturedH3920
הָעִ֗ירha.'Irthe cityH5892
וְנָשַׁ֙סּוּ֙ve.na.Sha.suand they will be plunderedH8155
הַבָּ֣תִּ֔יםha.Ba.Timthe housesH1004
וְהַנָּשִׁ֖יםve.ha.na.Shimand the womenH802
תִּשָּׁכַ֑בְנָהti.sha.khab.nahthey will be lain withH7901
וְיָצָ֞אve.ya.Tza'and it will go outH3318
חֲצִ֤יcha.Tzi<the> half ofH2677
הָעִיר֙ha.'Irthe cityH5892
בַּגּוֹלָ֔הba.go.Lahin <the> exileH1473
וְיֶ֣תֶרve.Ye.terand [the] rest ofH3499
הָעָ֔םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
יִכָּרֵ֖תyi.ka.Retit will be cut offH3772
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הָעִֽיר\׃ha.'Irthe cityH5892

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

Cross references for Zechariah 14:2

  • Luke 21:20-24

    And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. …

  • Isaiah 13:16

    Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

  • Romans 9:27-29

    Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

  • Matthew 24:19-22

    And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

  • Mark 13:14

    But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains:

  • Matthew 24:15-16

    When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains:

  • Isaiah 65:6-9

    Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom. Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all. And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

  • Galatians 4:26-27

    But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

  • Luke 19:43-44

    For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

  • Amos 7:17

    Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.

  • Zechariah 13:8-9

    And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

  • Deuteronomy 28:9-14

    The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
gather.
De 28:9-14; Isa 5:26; Jer 34:1; Da 2:40-43; Joe 3:2; Mt 22:7; Lu 2:1
the city.
Mt 23:37,38; 24:15,16; Mr 13:14,19; Lu 19:43,44; 21:20-24
the houses.
Isa 13:16; La 1:10; 5:11,12; Am 7:17; Mt 24:19-21
the residue.
Lu 21:24
shall not.
13:8,9; Isa 65:6-9,18; Mt 24:22; Ro 9:27-29; Ga 4:26,27

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

Context

  • Zechariah 14:1

    Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

  • Zechariah 14:2

    For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

  • Zechariah 14:3

    Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Read all of Zechariah 14

Zechariah 14:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Porque yo reuniré todas las gentes en batalla contra Jerusalem; y la ciudad será tomada, y saqueadas serán las casas, y forzadas las mujeres: y la mitad de la ciudad irá en cautiverio, mas el resto del pueblo no será talado de la ciudad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et j’assemblerai toutes les nations contre Jérusalem, pour le combat; et la ville sera prise, et les maisons seront pillées, et les femmes violées, et la moitié de la ville s’en ira en captivité; et le reste du peuple ne sera pas retranché de la ville.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und ich werde alle Nationen nach Jerusalem zum Kriege versammeln; und die Stadt wird eingenommen und die Häuser werden geplündert und die Weiber geschändet werden; und die Hälfte der Stadt wird in die Gefangenschaft ausziehen, aber das übrige Volk wird nicht aus der Stadt ausgerottet werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et congregabo omnes gentes ad Jerusalem in prælium: et capietur civitas, et vastabuntur domus, et mulieres violabuntur: et egredietur media pars civitatis in captivitatem, et reliquum populi non auferetur ex urbe.