'Ask of Hashem rain in the time of the latter rain' — for the teraphim have spoken vanity and the diviners have seen a lie; the house of Judah made as a mighty man's horse in battle; 'I will hiss for them, and gather them, for I have redeemed them... I will bring them back also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria'; and they shall walk up and down in His name.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Ask you of Hashem rain in the time of the latter rain, Even of Hashem that makes lightnings; And He will give them showers of rain, To every one grass in the field.
verse value 4240
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 57 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "rain" (מָטָר֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·rain·of·shower" (וּמְטַר־גֶּ֙שֶׁם֙, 7 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "ask" (שַׁאֲל֨וּ), "from·Hashem" (מֵיְהֹוָ֤ה), "rain" (מָטָר֙). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "to·man" (root איש, 21x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'thunderbolts', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: שַׁאֲל֨וּ [ask] (337) + מֵיְהֹוָ֤ה [from·Hashem] (66) + מָטָר֙ [rain] (249) + בְּעֵ֣ת [in·time·of] (472) + מַלְק֔וֹשׁ [latter·rain] (476) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + עֹשֶׂ֣ה [doing] (375) + חֲזִיזִ֑ים [thunderbolts] (82) + וּמְטַר־גֶּ֙שֶׁם֙ [and·rain·of·shower] (598) + יִתֵּ֣ן [will·give] (460) + לָהֶ֔ם [to·them] (75) + לְאִ֖ישׁ [to·man] (341) + עֵ֥שֶׂב [herb] (372) + בַּשָּׂדֶֽה [in·the·field] (311) = 4240.
Rashi
They asked of the Lord for rain. If you will need:
Chazizim. Clouds that bring rain:
"For a man, grass in the field." For the sake of one man and for the sake of one blade of grass that requires rain.
Radak
They asked: In that time, if you ask the Holy One, blessed be He, for rain during the time of Malkosh, the Lord makes thunderbolts; immediately He will hear your prayer, and thunderbolts will be made, and He will give rain, and the thunderbolts will accompany the rain. And it is also said: “And the way of thunderbolts is with voices.” These are those that flash at the time of rain, before the thunder comes, and it is derived from the root *chazeh* (to see/flash). And our Sages of blessed memory explained it as being like a cloud. And what is stated “at the time of Malkosh” refers to the last rain, which is in the days of Nisan, meaning: even at the end, if they will need rain, He will give it to them, and the grass will grow quickly.
"And rain of rain." In its proximity to "the earth of dust," it refers to the miry clay; that is to say, an abundance of rain will be given to those who will be in that time.
"To a man, grass in the field." To each of them, He will give him grass in his field. And our Sages of blessed memory explained that when Israel do the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, He will do their will. And if one man alone needs rain and the others do not, He will give rain to him alone. And if a man needs rain for one specific plant in his field or in his garden, and does not need rain for another plant, He will give rain to that specific plant alone, as one of the pious men said: "This plant needs rain, and this plant does not need rain."
Metzudat David
They asked of the Lord for rain. This is as if He said to the people of that generation: Test the matter and ask of the Lord for rain at the time of the descent of the malkosh rains, for then there is great need for them, and you will see that He will respond to you and cause clouds to rise, even though nature does not indicate them, and He will give them rain to cause grass to sprout for every man in his field. And as it were, He says: Behold, by this you will know that you are attached to the Omnipresent, and that He watches over you to fulfill your needs.
Metzudat Zion
They asked. A matter of request:
Malkosh. So is the late rain called, as it is written: "Yoreh and Malkosh" (Deuteronomy 11:14).
Chazizim. Clouds, as it is written: “And a way for the thunderbolts” (Job 28:26):
"and rain, rain." The duplication of the word with synonyms; similarly, "earth [and] dust" (Daniel 12:
Malbim
They asked, "The youths and maidens shall dance and say that they desire only grain and wine; therefore, do not ask of the Lord for precious stones, but rather ask of the Lord for rain in its season. For the Lord will give rain through His providence, and even if nature is not prepared to produce rain, the Lord will cause thunderclaps and send down rain—namely, rain of providence, not only for the needs of the many, but even for a single individual, and even for the sake of a single blade of grass found in the field: if that particular blade of grass requires rain, He will send it down for its sake."
For the teraphim have spoken vanity, And the diviners have seen a lie, And the dreams speak falsely, They comfort in vain; Therefore they go their way like sheep, They are afflicted, because there is no shepherd.
verse value 4212
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 79 letters. Verse gematria: 4212 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֧י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·that·practice·divination" (וְהַקּֽוֹסְמִים֙, 8 letters). 14 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "the·teraphim" (הַתְּרָפִ֣ים), "have·spoken·vanity" (דִּבְּרוּ־אָ֗וֶן), "and·that·practice·divination" (וְהַקּֽוֹסְמִים֙). The root דבר appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 36x in Zechariah); "therefore" (root על, 33x in Zechariah); "have·spoken·vanity" (root דבר, 25x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root רעה ("pasturing") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·comfort', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Rashi
“Concerning the teraphim.” And the diviners saw falsehood, and the dreams which deceived your fathers, saying, “I have dreamed,” and they were supporting their hands to rebel against the Holy One, Blessed be He. They spoke vanity and emptiness; they spoke, saying, “Peace,” when there was no peace.
Therefore they departed. But I, I will prophesy to them in truth:
They shall be afflicted. They shall humble themselves, like the word "to answer" from the root of "poverty":
Radak
“For the teraphim.” Then they will recognize that the teraphim spoke falsehood, and when they see that the prophecies stated by the true prophets have been fulfilled—the disasters were fulfilled in the destruction of the Land, and the consolations were fulfilled in that time—then they will recognize that the owners of the teraphim, who had been misleading them prior to the destruction of the Land, as well as the diviners and the false prophets in their dreams, who used to say to them before the destruction, “Peace shall be yours,” will then recognize that they comforted them with vanity, and that it was all falsehood, deceit, and vanity.
"Therefore they journeyed." They journeyed and were exiled from their land, like sheep that have no shepherd.
"They are afflicted, for there is no shepherd." "'Ya'anu'" means they shall humble themselves; and similarly, "And from their multitude none shall answer" (Isaiah 14:31) refers to a state of humbling.
Metzudat David
"Ki ha-teraphim" – as if to say: It was not well done by your fathers that they resorted to teraphim, diviners, and dreams, for the teraphim speak falsehood and an utterance of vanity, the diviners see lies, and the dreamers speak emptiness.
"Vanity shall comfort them." What they comforted them with, saying, "Peace shall be yours; do not fear"—behold, it is vanity, for it was not so.
Therefore. Since they engaged in them, they were exiled from their land to go into exile, like sheep that the shepherd drives from their place against their will.
They answered. They were subdued to the enemy, because they did not have a good leader to guide them on the straight path; and therefore they clung to their way, and as a result of this retribution they were subdued to the enemy.
Metzudat Zion
The teraphim: They are made in the form of a human being and speak prophecies through sorcery.
Aven. Falsehood and a thing of nothingness.
"And the sorcerers." They are the astrologers.
See. See:
They are afflicted [humbled]. The meaning of "submission" is akin to "refused to submit" (Exodus 10:3):
Shepherd. This means: leader.
Malbim
For they will no longer rely on natural forces, the practices of necromancy, and the ways of diviners, since they will recognize that the teraphim spoke falsehood, and the sorcerers, who declare future events by means of magic, spoke lies. Likewise, they will no longer believe in dreams, for they will know that dreams speak vanity. This alludes to the fact that before the coming of the Messiah, teraphim, sorcerers, and dream-interpreters will arise to lead the people astray with their vanities; and then they will know that there is no truth in them. For this reason, because they believed in these vanities, they wandered like sheep that are distressed, because there was no shepherd. For they had no wise shepherds to guide them according to the Torah and wisdom, but only those who confused them with dreams, vanities, and many words, and they were like sheep that have no faithful shepherd.
Mine anger is kindled against the shepherds, And I will punish the he-goats; For Hashem of hosts has remembered His flock the house of Judah, And makes them as His majestic horse in the battle.
verse value 4909
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 79 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֨ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "was·hot" (חָרָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·upon·the·he-goats" (וְעַל־הָעַתּוּדִ֖ים, 10 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "against·the·shepherds" (עַל־הָֽרֹעִים֙), "was·hot" (חָרָ֣ה), "my·anger" (אַפִּ֔י). The root פקד appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah); "the·house·of" (root בית, 27x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root פקד ("I·will·punish") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·punish', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 11 words.
Rashi
“Against the shepherds My anger is kindled.”—Against the kings of Nebuchadnezzar and Sennacherib (another text reads: the kings of Greece):
"And upon the satyrs." Upon their princes; and so does the Targum [render it]: "And upon their kings was I angry, and upon their rulers I was indignant." The idolaters are likened to satyrs, while the young goat and the he-goat [represent] King Antiochus (Daniel 8). And those who wish to interpret the matter as not referring to the kings of idolaters, they say that "satyrs" is a term for princes, as in: "It has stirred up for you the shades, all the chief ones of the earth" (Isaiah 14).
Like his majestic horse in battle. Like a horse whose majesty is recognized in battle.
Radak
“Concerning the shepherds.” The kings of Antiochus, who oppressed Israel before the day that the House of Hashmonai rose up against them; and after likening Israel to sheep, he likened the ruling kings to shepherds, or to the he-goats that go before the flock, with the flock following after them.
"I will visit." Their iniquity upon them:
"For He will have regard." He recalled their poverty and their oppression, and said, "to save them."
“His flock.” He will no longer leave them in the hands of the shepherds.
And He placed them like his majestic horse in battle. Just as a horse displays its strength and might in battle, as it is said concerning it: "He rejoices in his strength, he goes forth to meet the weapons."
Metzudat David
"Concerning the shepherds." This means that at the time of the Redemption, My anger will be kindled against the shepherds, who are the kings of the nations that did evil to them.
And regarding the he-goats: Upon the princes of the nations, I will remember their iniquity to render recompense.
"For He visited." That is, God remembered His flock, namely the House of Judah, to avenge their vengeance from the hands of the Babylonians.
Like his majestic horse in battle. At the time they fight, the Lord will make them courageous of heart, like the horse that displays its glory and goes forth to meet the weapons.
Metzudat Zion
The etudim. They are the male goats. And it is said of the princes figuratively:
"I will remember." This refers to the matter of remembrance:
His splendor. A matter of “splendor and the strengthening of the heart.”
Malbim
Concerning the word "upon" (al), therefore My anger burns against the shepherds, who are their leaders that led the flock astray; and against the he-goats, who are the princes, the wealthy, and the mighty, I will take account, as it is stated (Ezekiel 34:17): "Behold, I am against the shepherds... Behold, I will judge between sheep and sheep, between the rams and the he-goats," for the Lord will take account of His flock, as it is stated there: "And I will seek My sheep, and search for them." And He will set them like horses, whereas they were like a submissive flock; they will resemble horses, whose strength is revealed in battle, for there His might and power are displayed; so too their strength will be revealed in the war of Gog and Magog.
Out of them shall come forth the corner-stone, Out of them the stake, Out of them the battle bow, Out of them every master together.
verse value 2554
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "corner" (פִנָּה֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "every·master" (כׇל־נוֹגֵ֖שׂ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 136: from·them, from·them, from·them, from·them. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "corner" (פִנָּה֙), "pin" (יָתֵ֔ד), "every·master" (כׇל־נוֹגֵ֖שׂ). The root מן appears 4 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "will·go·out" (root יצא, 22x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'battle', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: מִמֶּ֤נּוּ [from·them] (136) + פִנָּה֙ [corner] (135) + מִמֶּ֣נּוּ [from·them] (136) + יָתֵ֔ד [pin] (414) + מִמֶּ֖נּוּ [from·them] (136) + קֶ֣שֶׁת [bow] (800) + מִלְחָמָ֑ה [battle] (123) + מִמֶּ֛נּוּ [from·them] (136) + יֵצֵ֥א [will·go·out] (101) + כׇל־נוֹגֵ֖שׂ [every·master] (409) + יַחְדָּֽו [together] (28) = 2554.
Rashi
From him, the cornerstone. From them were their kings, from them their princes, from them their warriors in their wars.
Radak
From him, a corner. 'Corner' (pinnah) is a metaphor for the head of the people, as it says 'stand here, all the corners of the people' (1 Samuel 14:38) — which means the heads of the people; meaning, there shall be no head over them from Greece.
A peg. It refers to the appointed officer. And similarly it is said: “And I have driven it in as a peg in a sure place” (Isaiah 22:23).
"A bow of war" – so that they would not need the assistance of any other nation, but their own hands would be sufficient for them.
“Every taskmaster shall go forth together.” This teaches that they shall dominate their enemies.
Metzudat David
From him the cornerstone. From Judah will come the distinguished king among the people, like the stone placed in the corner of the house, which is the most distinguished of all, because it is visible from both sides. And in this very language it is said concerning Israel as a whole, as it is written: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Psalms 118:22).
“From Him is the peg.” This term is used to describe an official and appointed one upon whom everything depends. Similarly, it is said of the High Priest, who is in charge of the House: “And I will drive him like a peg into a sure place” (Isaiah 22:23).
“From Him comes a bow of war.” This means that the warriors of His war will be from Him, and He will not need assistance.
Every taskmaster together. All the taskmasters of the nations for labor — all of them together — will come forth from him.
Metzudat Zion
Corner. Corners:
Yated. Masmer:
nogesh. Pressing and squeezing:
Malbim
From him [comes] the corner: "The corner" refers to the cornerstone, which is the foundation and the head of the building of the house, and it is an allegory for the king. And the peg is that which holds up the entire tent, for the tent is an allegory for the seat of the shepherd, who is the High Priest or the head of the Sanhedrin, shepherding them in matters of religion. As it is stated, "And I will drive it in like a peg in a sure place" (Isaiah 22:23). Correspondingly, the monarchy is depicted in the image of a house, as it is stated, "The Lord will make you a house" (2 Samuel 7:11). The meaning is that the king and the religious authority will emerge from him, unlike in the Second Temple period, when they were appointed according to the kings of Persia, Greece, and Rome, under whose dominion they were subjugated. And also from him shall come forth the bow of war: they will not need the aid of other nations in their wars, for their mighty warriors will arise from within the people. And thereby, from him shall come forth every striker together, meaning that foreigners will no longer rule over them.
And they shall be as mighty men, Treading down in the mire of the streets in the battle, And they shall fight, because Hashem is with them; And the riders on horses shall be confounded.
verse value 2168
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 60 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·because" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "as·mighty·men" (כְגִבֹּרִ֜ים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: in·mud·of, and·because. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "as·mighty·men" (כְגִבֹּרִ֜ים), "treading·down" (בּוֹסִ֨ים), "in·mud·of" (בְּטִ֤יט). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 66x in Zechariah); "and·because" (root כי, 36x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root לחם ("and·they·will·fight") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root יבש ("and·will·be·put·to·shame") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהָי֨וּ [and·they·shall·be] (27) + כְגִבֹּרִ֜ים [as·mighty·men] (275) + בּוֹסִ֨ים [treading·down] (118) + בְּטִ֤יט [in·mud·of] (30) + חוּצוֹת֙ [streets] (510) + בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה [battle] (125) + וְנִ֨לְחֲמ֔וּ [and·they·will·fight] (140) + כִּ֥י [and·because] (30) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + עִמָּ֑ם [with] (150) + וְהֹבִ֖ישׁוּ [and·will·be·put·to·shame] (329) + רֹכְבֵ֥י [riders·of] (232) + סוּסִֽים [horses] (176) = 2168.
Rashi
"And they were like mighty men trampling in the mud of the streets in battle." This verse is inverted; it should be read: "In battle, they went and trod, people like mighty men trampling the mud of the streets." The word "trampling" (bosim) means treading, as in: "They trampled (yavusu) upon us" (Psalms 44:6), and "They trampled (bassu) my vineyard" (Jeremiah 12:10).
And they shall put to shame. The House of Judah shall put to shame the horsemen who come to fight against them:
Radak
"And they shall be like mighty men treading in the mud of the streets": Israel shall be like the mighty men of Greece who were formerly; and they shall tread down and crush their enemies in the mud of the streets.
"In war." In that war in which they will fight against them:
“And the riders of horses shall be put to shame.” The enemies who came against them were horsemen; it will be a shame for them that Israel, who were on foot, will defeat them.
Metzudat David
"And they shall be like mighty men" etc. This means that even though they are weak, they shall be like mighty men who trample in battle through the mud thrown in the streets.
“And they shall fight.” This means that even though they are not trained in warfare, they shall nevertheless fight like warriors, for the Lord is with them, and He will teach their hands to wage war and their fingers to fight.
And they shall be put to shame. Even though they are men on foot, they shall put the enemy to shame, those who ride on horses, for they shall overcome them.
Metzudat Zion
Bosim. The matter of trampling with the foot, as in "He shall trample our enemies" (Psalms 60:14):
"And they were ashamed." From the language of shame:
Malbim
"And they shall be," even though they will not have chariots and horses, but rather will be in battle like warriors who go on foot and trample the mud of the streets with their feet; nevertheless, they will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put to shame those who ride on horses, for they will overpower them.
And I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph, And I will bring them back, for I have compassion upon them, And they shall be as though I had not cast them off; For I am Hashem their God, and I will hear them.
verse value 5798
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 84 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 5798 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·bring·them·back" (וְהֽוֹשְׁבוֹתִים֙, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: Judah, for, for. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·I·will·strengthen" (וְגִבַּרְתִּ֣י), "Joseph" (יוֹסֵף֙), "and·I·will·bring·them·back" (וְהֽוֹשְׁבוֹתִים֙). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 66x in Zechariah); "as" (root אשר, 44x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'not·I·had·cast·them·off', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Rashi
"And I will strengthen the house of Judah." In the war against the Greeks:
"And the house of Joseph I will save." In the place where they were exiled, namely in Halah and in Habor, during the days of Sennacherib.
And I will settle them. It is like "and I will settle them," an expression of dwelling.
“And they shall be as if you had not neglected them.” As if you had never neglected them at all.
Radak
And I will strengthen them. I will grant them might against their enemies:
“ve-hoshavotim” – a compound word, from “ve-hoshavtim” from the root y-sh-v (to sit/settle) and from “hashivotim” from the root sh-v (to return). Both meanings are appropriate here: namely, that He will return them to their land and settle them there in tranquility and security.
“And they shall be as though you had not forsaken them.” They shall be in great honor and in peace, as though you had never forsaken them, for due to the abundance of goodness, they will not remember their past troubles.
Metzudat David
“And the house of Joseph.” They are the sons of the Ten Tribes.
And they shall be restored. “I will set them in their land, and they shall dwell therein in quietness and tranquility, for I will have mercy upon them, and it shall be as though I had never forsaken them; for due to the abundance of good, the days of exile shall not be remembered.”
"For I, etc." – That the power is in My hand to multiply goodness.
“And I will answer them.” Likewise, I will answer them at every time they call upon Me.
Metzudat Zion
"and the returning" – this is a compound word consisting of "the returning" and "the dwelling," [derived from] the concept of tranquility, as in the phrase "in return and rest" (Isaiah 30:15).
Zanechatim. The matter of abandonment, as in “Why have You abandoned us?” (Psalms 43:2):
And I answered them. From the root of "answering" and "responding."
Malbim
“And I will strengthen the house of Judah, for they are weak and oppressed; I will strengthen them. And the house of Joseph, who are mighty, yet they are rejected and lost—I will save them and restore them to their place, to the Land of Israel. And although I cast them off from their land in anger and fury, and I abandoned them, now I have shown them mercy, and they shall be as though I had not abandoned them. For although until now I was not their God, nor did I heed their prayer, now I am the Lord, their God, watching over them and answering them.”
And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, And their heart shall rejoice as through wine; Indeed, their children shall see it, And rejoice, their heart shall be glad in Hashem.
verse value 1984
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "their·heart" (לִבָּ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "as·wine" (כְּמוֹ־יָ֑יִן, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 72: their·heart, their·heart. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "as·a·mighty·man" (כְגִבּוֹר֙), "and·will·rejoice" (וְשָׂמַ֥ח), "and·their·sons" (וּבְנֵיהֶם֙). The root שמח appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 66x in Zechariah); "they·will·see" (root ראה, 22x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·wine', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְהָי֤וּ [and·they·shall·be] (27) + כְגִבּוֹר֙ [as·a·mighty·man] (231) + אֶפְרַ֔יִם [Ephraim] (331) + וְשָׂמַ֥ח [and·will·rejoice] (354) + לִבָּ֖ם [their·heart] (72) + כְּמוֹ־יָ֑יִן [as·wine] (136) + וּבְנֵיהֶם֙ [and·their·sons] (113) + יִרְא֣וּ [they·will·see] (217) + וְשָׂמֵ֔חוּ [and·they·will·rejoice] (360) + יָגֵ֥ל [let·him·rejoice] (43) + לִבָּ֖ם [their·heart] (72) + בַּיהֹוָֽה [in·Hashem] (28) = 1984.
Radak
“And they shall be like a mighty man of Ephraim.” All of Ephraim shall be in battle like a mighty man, as it is stated above, “And they shall be like mighty men.”
"And He will make their hearts glad." He will make their hearts glad in their triumph over their enemies.
Like wine. Explanation: Just as one drinks wine; and so did Jonathan render it: “like those who drink wine.” And likewise, “for you are greatly beloved,” “a man greatly beloved,” “a scoffer at wine,” “a drinker of wine,” and there are many similar expressions.
And their sons shall see and rejoice. The young children and youths, who are not accustomed to go to war, shall see their fathers’ war, that they will defeat their enemies in battle, and they shall rejoice.
Metzudat David
"And they shall be like a mighty man of Ephraim." Even though they are not mighty men, they shall slay like a mighty man; and when they see their success, their hearts shall rejoice, as with wine that gladdens the heart. And their children shall see the successes of their fathers, and their hearts shall rejoice and be glad in the salvation of the Lord.
Malbim
"And they shall be like a mighty man of Ephraim": The Ten Tribes are included in the name Ephraim; they will then be aroused with might to wage the war of the Lord. And their heart shall rejoice like wine: joy will be aroused in their hearts, like the joy aroused by drinking wine. And their children, the generation after that generation, will no longer need to engage in war; rather, they will see the salvation with which their fathers were saved, and they will rejoice with perpetual joy over that past salvation. Moreover, their heart will exult with a new exultation at all times in the Lord, through the miracles that the Lord will renew for them, and through the Divine manifestation that will be continually added, for this is the definition of exultation that arises from something newly occurring.
I will hiss for them, and gather them, For I have redeemed them; And they shall increase as they have increased.
verse value 1982
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·gather·them" (וַאֲקַבְּצֵ֖ם, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "I·will·hiss" (אֶשְׁרְקָ֥ה), "and·I·will·gather·them" (וַאֲקַבְּצֵ֖ם), "I·ransomed·them" (פְדִיתִ֑ים). The root רבה appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 36x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·ransomed·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֶשְׁרְקָ֥ה [I·will·hiss] (606) + לָהֶ֛ם [to·them] (75) + וַאֲקַבְּצֵ֖ם [and·I·will·gather·them] (239) + כִּ֣י [for] (30) + פְדִיתִ֑ים [I·ransomed·them] (544) + וְרָב֖וּ [and·increase] (214) + כְּמ֥וֹ [like] (66) + רָבֽוּ [be or become great] (208) = 1982.
Rashi
"I will whistle to them." Just as one whistles as a signal for someone who has strayed on the road to come to him.
"And I will gather them." At the end of days, in the future.
"For I have redeemed them." When I redeem them:
And they multiplied. In exile, just as they multiplied in Egypt.
Radak
“Whistling to them”: This refers to the action of moving the lips to produce a loud sound, which serves as a signal for calling. Similarly, it is written, “He whistled to him from the end of the earth.” Regarding the phrase “I will gather them,” some say that because of the persecutions inflicted upon them by the kings of Greece, they were scattered among the nations, and in the days of the Hasmoneans they returned to the Land of Israel. And others say that this verse refers to the future.
"And they shall multiply as they multiplied." Just as they multiplied in Egypt, so too will they multiply in that time.
Metzudat David
“Whistling to them.” I will whistle to the exiles as a signal that they should come, and by this means I will gather them. That is to say, I will awaken their hearts to return to their land. For then I will redeem them from exile, and they will increase in sons and daughters, just as they multiplied since then in Egypt.
Metzudat Zion
I will whistle. A matter of a whistling sound produced by gathering the lips together, and similarly, "and He shall whistle unto them from the end of the earth" (Isaiah 5:26).
Malbim
“I will whistle” — regarding Judah, who are scattered among the nations and enslaved in exile. He will make a sound for them as a sign that they will return to the Land of Israel, and through this I will gather them, for I have redeemed them from exile. Whereas in exile they were constantly diminished due to false accusations and killings, now they will multiply, just as they multiplied in former times.
And I will sow them among the peoples, And they shall remember Me in far countries; And they shall live with their children, and shall return.
verse value 2047
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "and·they·may·live" (וְחָי֥וּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·in·the·distant·places" (וּבַמֶּרְחַקִּ֖ים, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·I·will·sow·them" (וְאֶזְרָעֵם֙), "among·the·peoples" (בָּעַמִּ֔ים), "and·in·the·distant·places" (וּבַמֶּרְחַקִּ֖ים). 7 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·remember·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְאֶזְרָעֵם֙ [and·I·will·sow·them] (324) + בָּעַמִּ֔ים [among·the·peoples] (162) + וּבַמֶּרְחַקִּ֖ים [and·in·the·distant·places] (406) + יִזְכְּר֑וּנִי [they·will·remember·me] (303) + וְחָי֥וּ [and·they·may·live] (30) + אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֖ם [with·their·children] (508) + וָשָֽׁבוּ [and·they·will·return] (314) = 2047.
Rashi
"And I will sow them." Initially among the nations, like a person who sows a seah in order to bring in many kors.
“And they caused their sons to live.” “With their sons”:
Radak
"And I will scatter them among the nations." Some say that this refers to their being scattered among the nations when they were dispersed among the peoples due to the persecutions of the kings of Greece, and there they remembered the Lord and His commandments.
“And they shall live with their children and return.” And there they shall dwell with their children and return to their land in the days of the Hasmoneans, and some interpret: “And I will sow them among the nations.” After they are saved in the days of the Hasmoneans, they will go to trade or to travel among the nations, and they will be honored among them because of the salvation that the Lord, blessed be He, performed for them.
"And they shall live with their children, and they shall return." When they return to their land, they shall return with great wealth, by means of which they shall live with their children.
Metzudat David
“And I will sow them among the nations.” Even though I have scattered them like one who scatters seed for sowing, yet despite the distances, in the places where they have been scattered, they will remember Me; therefore, they will live with their children and return to their land.
Metzudat Zion
"ואזרעם" – The word is from the root of sowing, and it conveys the idea of scattering and dispersal.
Malbim
“And I will sow them among the peoples”—even those from the children of Judah who, due to the persecutions, retreated from the Lord and mingled with the nations, will be likened to sowing; just as when the seed rots in the earth, it sprouts forth in multiplied abundance, so too, through them, many nations will be added in the World to Come, recognizing the true religion, until they become like a sowing. For even from distant places they will remember Me: although in their bodies they will be far from Me, in their hearts they will remember the faith of the One, and they will not die the death of the soul—neither they nor their children whom they will bear—because they will live with their children and return to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
I will bring them back also out of the land of Egypt, And gather them out of Assyria; And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; And place shall not suffice them.
verse value 3152
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֥א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·bring·them·back" (וַהֲשִֽׁבוֹתִים֙, 8 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·I·will·bring·them·back" (וַהֲשִֽׁבוֹתִים֙), "and·from·Assyria" (וּמֵאַשּׁ֖וּר), "I·will·gather·them" (אֲקַבְּצֵ֑ם). The root ארץ appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·land·of" (root ארץ, 36x in Zechariah); "and·not" (root לא, 36x in Zechariah); "I·will·bring·them" (root בוא, 21x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root מצרים ("Egypt") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·gather·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַהֲשִֽׁבוֹתִים֙ [and·I·will·bring·them·back] (769) + מֵאֶ֣רֶץ [from·land·of] (331) + מִצְרַ֔יִם [Egypt] (380) + וּמֵאַשּׁ֖וּר [and·from·Assyria] (553) + אֲקַבְּצֵ֑ם [I·will·gather·them] (233) + וְאֶל־אֶ֨רֶץ [and·to·land·of] (328) + גִּלְעָ֤ד [Gilead] (107) + וּלְבָנוֹן֙ [and·Lebanon] (144) + אֲבִיאֵ֔ם [I·will·bring·them] (54) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + יִמָּצֵ֖א [is·found] (141) + לָהֶֽם [to·them] (75) = 3152.
Rashi
“And Lebanon.” This refers to the Temple.
"And it shall not be found for them." – "And it shall not be provided for them."
Radak
"And I will bring them back from the land of Egypt and from Assyria." This teaches that they departed from there on account of distress:
And to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon. Gilead is on the other side of the Jordan, to the east, and Lebanon includes all of the Land of Israel on this side, as it says, “This good mountain and Lebanon.”
"And they shall not find for them." They will not suffice for them due to their great number. And the Targum translates: "And for Lebanon and for the Sanctuary," as Onkelos translated.
Metzudat David
And I will bring them back. I will return them to their land from the land of Egypt, and I will gather them from Assyria, the place where the Ten Tribes were exiled.
The land of Gilead. It is the region beyond the Jordan:
"And to Lebanon." This refers to the Land of Israel west of the Jordan.
"And they shall not find." They will not be able to sustain them all.
Metzudat Zion
"And to Lebanon." Lebanon is the name of a forest in the Land of Israel, and after this one the entire Land of Israel is called by the name "Lebanon," as it is stated: "this good mountain and the Lebanon" (Deuteronomy 2:3).
He shall find. The matter of the word "sufficient" is like [the verse] "the mountain shall not be found for us" (Joshua 17:16).
Malbim
And I will bring them back: then I will return the outcasts from the land of Egypt, and also the lost ones from the land of Ashur, which is even further away; and also those scattered there, in their dispersion, I will gather them. And to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon I will bring them, so that they will return to the inheritance of their fathers that they had on the eastern side of the Jordan in Gilead, and on the western side in Lebanon. And they will not lack [space], for then the borders of the land will be expanded from every side (as has been explained in Ezekiel, chapter 47).
And over the sea affliction shall pass, And the waves shall be smitten in the sea, And all the depths of the Nile shall dry up; And the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, And the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away. .
verse value 3719
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "and·he·struck" (וְהִכָּ֤ה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·will·dry·up" (וְהֹבִ֕ישׁוּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 52: in·the·sea, in·the·sea. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·it·will·pass" (וְעָבַ֨ר), "trouble" (צָרָ֗ה), "waves" (גַּלִּ֔ים). The root ים appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Nile', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Rashi
"And He passed through the sea" — this refers to distress. And distress passed through Tyre, which sits within the sea, and it is the head of the kingdom of Tyre.
"And He smote." The Holy One, blessed be He, who is the Smiter, smote the sea with waves to sink Tyre.
"All the depths of the Nile." This refers to Egypt.
Radak
"And distress shall pass through the sea." The nations, which are numerous like the sea, will pass through them a distress; and it says "He passed" in the masculine form, meaning the matter of the distress.
“And He smote the waves in the sea.” The Holy One, blessed be He, will smite the sea and its waves, and dry them up. This refers to the multitude of the nations. And this is what is meant by “and all the depths of the river shall dry up,” as he goes on to say, “and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down” — both phrases are the continuation of this very same verse (Zechariah 10:11) under comment, not citations from Isaiah. He mentions Assyria and Egypt, for they harmed Israel more than the other nations.
Metzudat David
"And He passed through the sea in distress." Then distress will pass over Egypt, [which is] numerous like the waters of the sea, and that distress will strike the waves that are in the sea, meaning the lofty and arrogant princes.
“And they shall be ashamed, etc.” All the deep places of the Nile shall dry up; that is to say, the entire multitude of Egypt shall perish. And since the praise of Egypt is in the Nile, which rises and waters the fields, therefore He compares the destruction of its people to the drying up of the waters of the Nile.
And it shall be brought down. The glory of Assyria shall be brought low, and the dominion of Egypt shall be removed.
Metzudat Zion
And they shall dry up. From the word "yavesh" (dryness).
Mitzlot. The depth of the waters, as it says: "They went down into the depths" (Exodus 15:5).
Yeor. So is the River of Egypt called:
And it shall be brought down. A matter of descent and lowering:
Gaon. A matter of exaltation and loftiness:
And the scepter. The meaning is that of dominion, as it is said: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah” (Genesis 49:10).
Malbim
"And He passed through the sea of distress" – this depicts the distress as a raging sea. Even though when one is in the sea of distress, the troubles will intensify at that time, the sufferings of the Messiah will pass through this sea in peace. "And He struck the sea of waves" – this refers to the sea itself, which has waves; namely, He will destroy the sea to pass through it from exile, as it is written, "And the Lord will destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and wave His hand over the Nile with His fierce wind" (Isaiah 11:15), and as it says, "And all the depths of the Nile shall dry up" – this refers to the Nile of Egypt. Then the pride of Assyria shall descend, and the rod of Egypt shall be removed, for they ruled over Israel formerly, and they will fall among the nations that will gather for the war of Gog and Magog (as has been explained in Ezekiel, chapters 32 and 38).
And I will strengthen them in Hashem; And they shall walk up and down in His name, Says Hashem.
verse value 1631
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "utterance" (נְאֻ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·strengthen·them" (וְגִבַּרְתִּים֙, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·I·will·strengthen·them" (וְגִבַּרְתִּים֙), "and·by·his·name" (וּבִשְׁמ֖וֹ), "went·about" (יִתְהַלָּ֑כוּ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'went·about', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְגִבַּרְתִּים֙ [and·I·will·strengthen·them] (661) + בַּיהֹוָ֔ה [in·Hashem] (28) + וּבִשְׁמ֖וֹ [and·by·his·name] (354) + יִתְהַלָּ֑כוּ [went·about] (471) + נְאֻ֖ם [utterance] (91) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 1631.
Radak
And 'I will strengthen them in the Lord.' Just as it is written, 'And to Moses He said, come up to the Lord' (Exodus 24:1). We have already explained this passage according to the opinion of the commentators regarding the Second Temple period; but the correct view in my eyes is that it refers entirely to the future, like the preceding [prophecies]. And the mention of Judah and Ephraim fits properly, for in the days of the Messiah all Israel will return to their land — Judah and Ephraim — who did not return in the Second Temple period; rather [only] the Babylonian exile, which was Judah and Benjamin. And when Judah is mentioned anywhere, it is as if Benjamin is mentioned with him, for Benjamin is subsumed under Judah. And the mention of Greece is as if it referred to Gog and Magog, for they were brothers, descendants of Japheth, and all of them will come in the days of the Messiah. And Targum Jonathan renders 'against your sons, O Greece' as 'against the sons of the nations,' as we have written. And the entire passage is clarified by this interpretation. And what it says, 'And I will sow them among the nations,' its meaning is according to the view of the Targum, as we have written. And the explanation of 'And he shall pass through the sea of distress' is as we have explained. Or perhaps its meaning is literal, as it says in the prophecy of Isaiah, 'And the Lord will dry up the tongue of the sea of Egypt' (Isaiah 11:15), etc.
Metzudat David
“And I will strengthen them in the Lord.” I will strengthen Israel through the salvation of the Lord. And even though the Lord is the One speaking, He said “in the Lord,” as if referring to another speaker. A similar case is: “And to Moses He said, ‘Come up to the Lord’” (Exodus 24:1), even though the Lord was the One speaking. And this is the manner of Scripture.
And in His Name. In the support of His Name they will walk securely to fight against Assyria and Egypt.
Malbim
"And the mighty ones in the Lord" – their might shall be through the Lord, not through military might and strength; and in His name they shall go forth to emerge from exile.
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim