Zechariah 9 · Verse 15

Zechariah 9:15

The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.
Zechariah 9:15, King James Version

Zechariah 9:15 in other translations

BSBThe 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.
WEBThe LORD of Armies will defend them. They will destroy and overcome with sling stones. They will drink, and roar as through wine. They will be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar.
ASVJehovah of hosts will defend them; and they shall devour, and shall tread down the sling-stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar.
YLTJehovah of Hosts doth cover them over, And they consumed, and subdued sling-stones, Yea, they have drunk, They have made a noise as wine, And they have been full as a bowl, As corners of an altar.
DARBYJehovah of hosts will defend them; and they shall devour, and shall tread down the sling-stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as from wine; and they shall be filled like a bowl, like the corners of the altar.
BBEThe Lord of armies will be a cover for them; and they will overcome, crushing under foot the armed men; they will take their blood for drink like wine: they will be full like the sides of the altar.
WebsterThe LORD of hosts will defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling-stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.

What does Zechariah 9:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. devour--the flesh of their foes. drink--the blood of their foes; that is, utterly destroy them. Image (as Jr 46:10) from a sacrifice, wherein part of the flesh was eaten, and the blood poured in libation (compare Is 63:1, &c.). subdue with sling-stones--or, "tread under foot the sling-stones" hurled by the foe at them; that is, will contemptuously trample on the hostile missiles which shall fall harmless under their feet (compare Job 41:28). Probably, too, it is implied that their foes are as impotent as the common stones used in slinging when they have fallen under foot: in contrast to the people of God (Zec 9:16), "the (precious) stones of a crown" (compare 1Sa 25:29) [Maurer]. English Version is good sense: The Jews shall subdue the foe at the first onset, with the mere slingers who stood in front of the line of battle and began the engagement. Though armed with but sling-stones, like David against Goliath, they shall subdue the foe (Jud 20:16; 1Ch 12:2) [Grotius]. noise--the battle shout. through wine--(Zec 10:7). The Spirit of God fills them with triumph (Ep 5:18). filled--with blood. like bowls--the bowls used to receive the blood of the sacrifices. as ... corners--or "horns" of the altar, which used to be sprinkled with blood from the bowls (Ex 29:12; Le 4:18).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 The Lord of hosts shall defend then - He alone is the sure trust of his Church. Subdue with sling-stones - This was an ancient and powerful instrument in the hands of the Hebrews. See the note on Jdg 20:16. They shall drink - After the victory gained as above, thy people shall hold a feast, and drink and be filled with wine. There is no intimation here that they shall drink the blood of their enemies, as some barbarous nations were accustomed to do. When they have gained the victory, they shall banquet abundantly on the spoils taken from the enemy. As the corners of the altar - They shall pour out libations of wine at the foot of the altar, as the priests were accustomed to pour out the blood of the victims.

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 9:15 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.

יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָאוֹת֮tze.va.'Otof hostsH6635
יָגֵ֣ןya.Genhe will defendH1598
עֲלֵיהֶם֒'a.lei.Hem<on> themH5921
וְאָכְל֗וּve.'a.khe.Luand they will eatH398
וְכָֽבְשׁוּ֙ve.kha.ve.Shuand they will subdueH3533
אַבְנֵי\־'av.nei-stones ofH68
קֶ֔לַעKe.la'a slingH7050
וְשָׁת֥וּve.sha.Tuand they will drinkH8354
הָמ֖וּha.Muthey will be in an uproarH1993
כְּמוֹ\־ke.mov-likeH3644
יָ֑יִןYa.yinwineH3196
וּמָֽלְאוּ֙u.mal.'Uand they will be fullH4390
כַּמִּזְרָ֔קka.miz.Raklike <the> bowlH4219
כְּזָוִיּ֖וֹתke.za.vi.Yotlike [the] corners ofH2106
מִזְבֵּֽחַ\׃miz.Be.ach[the] altarH4196

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

Cross references for Zechariah 9:15

  • Zechariah 12:6

    In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

  • Zechariah 10:7

    And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.

  • Zechariah 12:8

    In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.

  • Psalms 78:65

    Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

  • Exodus 27:2

    And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.

  • Zechariah 10:5

    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.

  • Revelation 19:13-21

    And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 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. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. …

  • Leviticus 4:18

    And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

  • Leviticus 4:25

    And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering.

  • Leviticus 4:7

    And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

  • Song of Solomon 1:4

    Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

  • Isaiah 37:35

    For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they shall devour.
10:5; 12:6; Mic 5:8; Re 19:13-21
subdue.
1Sa 17:45; 1Co 1:18
with sling stones. or, with the stones of the sling. shalldrink.
17; 10:7; Ps 78:65; So 1:4; 5:1; 7:9; Isa 55:1; Ac 2:13-18; Eph 5:18
filled like bowls. or, fill both the bowls, etc.
14:20
the corners.
Ex 27:2; Le 4:7,18,25

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Zechariah 9:15

    The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.

  • Zechariah 9:16

    And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.

Read all of Zechariah 9

Zechariah 9:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Jehová de los ejércitos los amparará, y ellos devorarán, y sujetarán á las piedras de la honda, y beberán, y harán estrépito como tomados del vino; y se llenarán como cuenco, ó como los lados del altar.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		L’ Éternel des armées les protégera, et ils dévoreront, et ils fouleront les pierres de fronde, et ils boiront, et bruiront comme par le vin, et ils seront remplis comme un bassin, comme les coins de l’autel.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jehova der Heerscharen wird sie beschirmen; und sie werden die Schleudersteine verzehren und niedertreten; und sie werden trinken, lärmen wie vom Wein und voll werden wie die Opferschalen, wie die Ecken des Altars.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dominus exercituum proteget eos: et devorabunt, et subjicient lapidibus fundæ: et bibentes inebriabuntur quasi a vino, et replebuntur ut phialæ, et quasi cornua altaris.