Zechariah 9 · Verse 13

Zechariah 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.
Zechariah 9:13, King James Version

Zechariah 9:13 in other translations

BSBFor 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.
WEBFor indeed I bend Judah as a bow for me. I have loaded the bow with Ephraim. I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and will make you like the sword of a mighty man.
ASVFor I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man.
YLTFor I have trodden for Me Judah, A bow I have filled with Ephraim, And I have stirred up thy sons, O Zion, Against thy sons, O Javan, And I have set thee as the sword of a hero.
DARBYFor I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will raise up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and make thee like the sword of a mighty man.
BBEFor I have made Judah a bow bent for my use, I have made Ephraim the arrows of the bow; I will make your sons, O Zion, take up arms against your sons, O Greece, and will make you like the sword of a man of war.
WebsterWhen 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.

What does Zechariah 9:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. bent Judah--made Judah as it were My bow, and "filled" it "with Ephraim," as My arrow, wherewith to overcome the successor of the Grecian Alexander, Antiochus Epiphanes (compare Notes, see on Da 8:9; Da 11:32; 1 Maccabees 1:62; 2:41-43), the oppressor of Judah. Having spoken (Zec 9:1-8) of Alexander's victories, after the parenthesis (Zec 9:9, 10) as to Messiah the infinitely greater King coming, he passes to the victories which God would enable Judah to gain over Alexander's successor, after his temporary oppression of them. O Zion ... O Greece--God on one hand addresses Zion, on the other Greece, showing that He rules all people.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 When I have bent Judah - Judah is the bow, and Ephraim is the arrows; and these are to be shot against the Greeks. I am inclined, with Bp. Newcome, to consider that the language of this prophecy is too strong to point out the only trifling advantage which the Maccabees gained over Antiochus, who was of Macedonian descent; and it is probable that these prophecies remain to be fulfilled against the present possessors of Javan or Greece, Macedonia, and a part of Asia Minor.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Zechariah 9:9-17

The prophet breaks forth into a joyful representation of the coming of the Messiah, of whom the ancient Jews explained this prophecy. He took the character of their King, when he entered Jerusalem amidst the hosannas of the multitude. But his kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. It shall not be advanced by outward force or carnal weapons. His gospel shall be preached to the world, and be received among the heathen. A…

Read the full comment on Zechariah 9:9-17 →

Zechariah 9:13 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.

כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
דָרַ֨כְתִּיda.Rakh.tiI will bendH1869
לִ֜יlifor myself
יְהוּדָ֗הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
קֶ֚שֶׁתKe.sheta bowH7198
מִלֵּ֣אתִיmi.Le.tiI will fillH4390
אֶפְרַ֔יִם'ef.Ra.yimEphraimH669
וְעוֹרַרְתִּ֤יve.'o.rar.Tiand I will rouseH5782
בָנַ֙יִךְ֙va.Na.yikhsons yourH1121
צִיּ֔וֹןtzi.YonO ZionH6726
עַל\־'al-onH5921
בָּנַ֖יִךְba.Na.yikhsons yourH1121
יָוָ֑ןya.VanO GreeceH3120
וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְve.sam.Tikhand I will make youH7760
כְּחֶ֥רֶבke.Che.revlike [the] sword ofH2719
גִּבּֽוֹר\׃gi.Bora warriorH1368

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

Cross references for Zechariah 9:13

  • Revelation 17:14

    These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

  • Isaiah 49:2

    And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

  • Zechariah 10:3-7

    Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the Lord of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle. Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together. And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded. And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them. …

  • Psalms 45:3

    Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

  • Joel 3:6-8

    The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border. Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head: And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it.

  • Hebrews 4:12

    For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

  • Zechariah 12:2-8

    Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God. …

  • Revelation 19:15

    And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

  • Zechariah 1:21

    Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

  • Psalms 144:1

    A Psalm of David. Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:

  • Obadiah 1:21

    And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

  • Daniel 11:32-34

    And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
bent.
1:21; 10:3-7; 12:2-8; Mic 5:4-9; Re 17:14
and raised.
Ps 49:2-9; La 4:2; Am 2:11; Ob 1:21
against.
Da 8:21-25; 11:32-34; Joe 3:6-8; Mic 4:2,3; Mr 16:15-20
Ro 15:16-20; 1Co 1:21-28; 2Co 10:3-5; 2Ti 4:7
made.
12:8; Ps 18:32-35; 45:3; 144:1; 149:6; Isa 41:15,16; 49:2; Eph 6:17
Heb 4:12; Re 1:16; 2:12; 19:15,21

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

Context

  • Zechariah 9:12

    Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

  • Zechariah 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.

  • Zechariah 9:14

    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.

Read all of Zechariah 9

Zechariah 9:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Porque entesado he para mí á Judá como arco, henchí á Ephraim; y despertaré tus hijos, oh Sión, contra tus hijos, oh Grecia, y te pondré como espada de valiente.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Car j’ai bandé pour moi Juda, d’Éphraïm j’ai rempli mon arc, et je réveillerai tes fils, ô Sion, contre tes fils, ô Javan, et je te rendrai telle que l’épée d’un homme fort.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Denn ich habe mir Juda gespannt, den Bogen mit Ephraim gefüllt und ich wecke deine Söhne, Zion, auf wider deine Kinder, Griechenland, und mache dich wie das Schwert eines Helden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quoniam extendi mihi Judam quasi arcum: implevi Ephraim: et suscitabo filios tuos, Sion, super filios tuos, Græcia: et ponam te quasi gladium fortium.