The burden upon the land of Hadrach and Damascus; Tyre, that heaped silver as the dust, devoured with fire; 'Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your king comes to you, he is triumphant, and victorious, lowly, and riding upon a donkey' — his dominion from sea to sea; 'I bend Judah for Me, I fill the bow with Ephraim'; Hashem of hosts will defend them.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
The burden of the word of Hashem. In the land of Hadrach, And in Damascus shall be His resting-place; For Hashem’S is the eye of man And all the tribes of Israel.
verse value 3231
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 232: word·of·Hashem, Hadrach. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "Hadrach" (חַדְרָ֔ךְ), "and·Damascus" (וְדַמֶּ֖שֶׂק), "his·resting·place" (מְנֻחָת֑וֹ). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "in·land·of" (root ארץ, 36x in Zechariah); "for" (root כי, 36x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·resting·place', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: מַשָּׂ֤א [burden] (341) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ [word·of·Hashem] (232) + בְּאֶ֣רֶץ [in·land·of] (293) + חַדְרָ֔ךְ [Hadrach] (232) + וְדַמֶּ֖שֶׂק [and·Damascus] (450) + מְנֻחָת֑וֹ [his·resting·place] (504) + כִּ֤י [for] (30) + לַֽיהֹוָה֙ [to·Hashem] (56) + עֵ֣ין [eye] (130) + אָדָ֔ם [man] (45) + וְכֹ֖ל [and·them·of] (56) + שִׁבְטֵ֥י [tribes·of] (321) + יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [Israel] (541) = 3231.
Rashi
“Concerning the land of Hadrach.” Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai expounded: “This refers to the Messiah, who is ‘sharp’ (חד) to the nations of the world and tender (רך) to Israel.” Rabbi Yosi ben Dormaskit said to him: “Yehuda son of Rabbi Ilai, until when will you distort the verses for us? I call heaven and earth to witness against me: I am from Damascus, and there is a place whose name is Hadar. And how do I fulfill the verse, ‘And Damascus shall be her rest’? It teaches that Jerusalem will extend as far as Damascus, and ‘her rest’ refers only to Jerusalem, as it is stated: ‘This is my rest forever’ (Psalms 132:14).” He said to him: “And how do I fulfill the verse, ‘And a city shall be built on its mound’?” He replied to him: “It teaches that it will not move from its place.” Such is the teaching of a baraita stated in the Sifrei.
For the eyes of man are upon the Lord. For on that day, man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look to the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is stated above: “We will go with you,” and they and their cities will be attached to the cities of Israel.
And all the tribes of Israel are precious to the Lord, more than all the ancient nations. Just as it is stated: “And Solomon loved many foreign women” (1 Kings 11:1), and it also says: “and the daughter of Pharaoh.” Now, was not the daughter of Pharaoh included in the category of “many foreign women”? Rather, the daughter of Pharaoh was dear to him in contrast to all the others. So too here: all the nations are [considered] before the Holy One, Blessed be He, and Israel is [considered] in contrast to all of them.
Radak
“The burden of the word of the Lord is on the land of Hadrach.” This prophecy concerns the land of Hadrach and Damascus, where His resting place will be. Alternatively, the meaning is that the prophecy of the Lord will still be in the land of Hadrach, just as it is in the land of Israel, for it originates from the land of Israel; and likewise, Damascus will be His resting place, meaning the dwelling of His glory and His prophecy. We find in the words of our Sages of blessed memory regarding Hadrach: Rabbi Banya says, “This is the Messiah, who is sharp to the nations and gentle to Israel.” Rabbi Yosi ben Dormaskit said to him, “Until when will you distort the verses for us? I testify against you by heaven and earth that I am from Damascus, and there is a place there whose name is Hadrach.” He said to him, “And how do I fulfill the verse, ‘And Damascus shall be His resting place’? Jerusalem is destined to extend as far as Damascus, as it is said, ‘His resting place,’ and there is no ‘resting’ except Jerusalem. And so it says, ‘This is My resting place forever.’” He said to him, “And how do I fulfill the verse, ‘And the city shall be built on its mound’?” He said to him, “That it is not destined to move from its place.” He said to him, “And how do I fulfill the verse, ‘And broad and spreading upward’? Jerusalem is destined to broaden and rise on all its sides, like this fig tree, which is narrow below and broad above. And the gates of Jerusalem are destined to reach as far as Damascus. And so it says, ‘Your nose is like a tower of Lebanon, looking toward Damascus.’ And the exiles will come and encamp within it, as it is said, ‘And Damascus shall be His resting place.’”
"For the eyes of man are to the Lord." For in those days, the eyes of every person will be directed to the Lord, not to idols or to carved images. According to this interpretation, the land of Hadrach, Damascus, and the other places near the Land of Israel, such as Tyre, Sidon, Hamath, and the cities of the Philistines, will be included among the cities of Judah and will be part of the faith of Israel.
“And all the tribes of Israel.” All the more so should the tribes of Israel have their eyes and their hearts set upon the Lord. Alternatively, “and all the tribes of Israel” means that a person’s eye should be set upon the Lord and upon all the tribes of Israel, to walk in their ways, as it stated above: “We will go with you.”
Metzudat David
"The burden of the word of the Lord is upon the land of Hadrach." The prophecy of the Lord will then also be in the land of Hadrach, just as it is in the Land of Israel, for it too will then be considered part of the Land of Israel.
"And Damascus shall be his rest." And also Damascus shall be his rest, and this means the Divine Presence of His Glory, for it too shall be part of the Land of Israel.
"For the Lord’s sake, the eye of man..." This means that at that time, every person's eye will look to the Lord for himself, even when all the tribes of Israel are gathered together; therefore, that good will come upon them.
Metzudat Zion
“Massa.” The matter of prophecy; and to add further explanation, it says, “The word of the Lord.”
“Hadrach.” It is a place near Damascus, as our Sages of blessed memory have said.
Malbim
“Burden,” it is drawn upward in those days in which ten men will hold on, etc. The “burden” of the word of the Lord will be in the land of Hadrach; then the word of the Lord and prophecy will also be found in the land of Hadrach, which is a land very distant, and even there the “burden” of the word of the Lord will be. The Jew who is found there will be asked by others for the word of the Lord, which will then spread throughout the entire nation (as it is stated in Joel 3:1, “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, etc.”). And in Damascus will be its resting place. What until now has been its resting place in Jerusalem, as it is stated (“For you have not come as yet to the rest” and it is written “This is My rest forever”), will then extend as far as Damascus, so that the northern boundary of the Land of Israel will be as stated in Ezekiel, chapter 47. And it explains the reason: “For to the Lord is the eye of man,” meaning that the eye of all mankind will look to the Lord, together with all the tribes of Israel, who will look to the Lord in particular.
And Hamath also shall border thereon; Tyre and Zidon, for she is very wise.
verse value 1543
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "Tyre" (צֹ֣ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·also·Hamath" (וְגַם־חֲמָ֖ת, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·also·Hamath" (וְגַם־חֲמָ֖ת), "shall·border·thereon" (תִּגְבׇּל־בָּ֑הּ), "and·Zidon" (וְצִיד֔וֹן). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 36x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root צר ("Tyre") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root מאד ("very") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'shall·border·thereon', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְגַם־חֲמָ֖ת [and·also·Hamath] (497) + תִּגְבׇּל־בָּ֑הּ [shall·border·thereon] (442) + צֹ֣ר [Tyre] (290) + וְצִיד֔וֹן [and·Zidon] (166) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + חָֽכְמָ֖ה [was·wise] (73) + מְאֹֽד [very] (45) = 1543.
Rashi
And also Hamath, which borders thereon. its border reaches the border of Jerusalem:
"Tyre and Sidon." They too are her daughters, even though she is exceedingly wise, having become exceedingly cunning, and she assumed that she would forever remain dominant through her wisdom.
Radak
"And also Hamath." It says, "and also Hamath," which is a great city, as it is stated, "Hamath the Great." And it is outside the boundary of the Land of Israel, for it is one of the boundaries of the Land of Israel. And it says that at that time Hamath will be within its boundary; this is what it means when it says, "it shall border thereon. Tyre and Sidon," for it is exceedingly wise. And so Tyre and Sidon, which are close to it, will be within its boundary. And the meaning is:
“For wisdom is exceedingly great.” Concerning Tyre, as mentioned in the portion of Tyre in the Book of Ezekiel, it is explained that wisdom was in her eyes in ancient times, yet her wisdom did not benefit her. But in the Messianic era, she will not trust in her wisdom and will submit before Israel.
Metzudat David
And also Hamath shall border [thereon]. It shall be reckoned from the boundary of the Land of Israel and counted as part of it. This is not the Hamath mentioned in the Torah at the boundary of the Land of Israel, but rather another, a very great one, as it is stated, "and go from there to Hamath Rabbah" (Amos 6:2).
"Tyre and Sidon." Even Tyre and Sidon, which are attached to it, are included within the borders of the Land of Israel.
"for wisdom is very great": This refers to "Tyre," which is the fundamental principle, meaning that it is exceedingly wise, as if to say that its wisdom will not avail her to enter the borders of the Land of Israel.
Metzudat Zion
Tigbal. The word is derived from "gvul" (boundary):
Malbim
And also Hamath will be a boundary for her; namely, Hamath will be a boundary of the Land of Israel to the north. Likewise, Tyre and Sidon, which are currently very wise, will be included within the Land of Israel and will become part of its borders (as explained in Ezekiel, there, verses 15, 16, and 17, that Damascus, Hamath, Tyre, and Sidon will be the northern boundary of the Land of Israel; see there).
And Tyre did build herself a stronghold, And heaped up silver as the dust, And fine gold as the mire of the streets.
verse value 3215
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "Tyre" (צֹ֛ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·heaped·up·silver" (וַתִּצְבׇּר־כֶּ֙סֶף֙, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·she·built" (וַתִּ֥בֶן), "siege" (מָצ֖וֹר), "and·heaped·up·silver" (וַתִּצְבׇּר־כֶּ֙סֶף֙). 9 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·her', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַתִּ֥בֶן [and·she·built] (458) + צֹ֛ר [Tyre] (290) + מָצ֖וֹר [siege] (336) + לָ֑הּ [to·her] (35) + וַתִּצְבׇּר־כֶּ֙סֶף֙ [and·heaped·up·silver] (858) + כֶּֽעָפָ֔ר [as·the·dust] (370) + וְחָר֖וּץ [and·fine·gold] (310) + כְּטִ֥יט [like·mud·of] (48) + חוּצֽוֹת [streets] (510) = 3215.
Rashi
And Tyre built herself a stronghold. And she says: who will bring me down to the ground?
And she gathered silver like dust. And she boasts in her wealth:
And fine gold. A kind of golden appearance:
Radak
“And the straw.” For when Tyre was built in ancient times, and it amassed silver like dust and gold like the clay of the streets, all of this did not benefit it.
Metzudat David
And Tyre built. Although Tyre built for itself a strong fortress to serve as a stronghold, and amassed heaps of silver like dust and gold like the mire cast into the streets — and this is great help for strengthening itself against the enemy.
Metzudat Zion
And [she] built. From [the word] binyan (building).
Matzor. A matter of fortress and strength:
"And it shall gather." The meaning of "heap" and "mound" is like two heaps (2 Kings 10:8).
And gold. This is a type of fine gold, as it is written: "with yellowish gold" (Psalms 68:14).
Malbim
"And Tyre shall be rebuilt" is a parenthetical remark, incidentally noting what he saw in his vision concerning what would befall Tyre and the Philistines (whose land would also become the inheritance of Israel) in future times: that Tyre would first be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in a definitive destruction (as Ezekiel prophesied regarding this in chapters 26, 27, and 28), and afterward it would be rebuilt a second time, not in its original location, and Alexander the Great came and built a causeway across the sea to the city and destroyed it a second time, forever. And this is what is stated: "And Tyre shall be rebuilt, a fortress," meaning that after it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, she built for herself a fortified wall all around; "and she shall gather silver like dust" through the great trade she had. And all of this will not avail her, for...
Behold, the Lord will impoverish her, And He will smite her power into the sea; And she shall be devoured with fire.
verse value 1613
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "and·he·struck" (וְהִכָּ֥ה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֤ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "shall·hold·it·as·possession" (יֽוֹרִשֶׁ֔נָּה, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "shall·hold·it·as·possession" (יֽוֹרִשֶׁ֔נָּה), "her·valor" (חֵילָ֑הּ), "and·she" (וְהִ֖יא). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she" (root הוא, 31x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root נכה ("and·he·struck") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root ים ("in·the·sea") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·valor', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: הִנֵּ֤ה [they] (60) + אֲדֹנָי֙ [my·lord] (65) + יֽוֹרִשֶׁ֔נָּה [shall·hold·it·as·possession] (571) + וְהִכָּ֥ה [and·he·struck] (36) + בַיָּ֖ם [in·the·sea] (52) + חֵילָ֑הּ [her·valor] (53) + וְהִ֖יא [and·she] (22) + בָּאֵ֥שׁ [in·the·fire] (303) + תֵּאָכֵֽל [shall·be·eaten] (451) = 1613.
Rashi
"Behold, the Lord." He is the One who has dominion over all.
יורישנה – a term denoting one who impoverishes and enriches, as it is stated (1 Samuel 2:7):
“And He smote the sea with His might.” And He will submerge her wealth within the seas; He will raise the sea over her and drown her, as Ezekiel said:
Radak
"Behold, the Lord will dispossess her." That is to say, He will dispossess her of all her greatness.
“And He will smite her wealth in the sea.” As is expounded in Ezekiel: “And when you remember all these things, you will be humbled in the days of the Messiah.” And even though those who dwelled in it at that time were not the ones who dwelled in it in ancient times, the matter of Tzor is known to all, for it was written by the Prophets, and it is written concerning those who dwell in it today, and they were there at that time.
Metzudat David
“he shall dispossess it.” He shall drive it out from its land, and the host of the armies with it shall be smitten in the sea; this means to say, He shall drown them in the waters of the sea.
And it: The city itself shall be burned with fire.
Metzudat Zion
"יורישנה" – The matter of sending away and divorce is like [the verse] "And the Lord drove them out from before them" (Joshua 23:3).
And he shall strike. This means: he shall drown.
"His strength." From the word "chayil" (strength) and "tzvaot" am (armies, hosts of people):
Malbim
Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, so that she may be dispossessed of her wealth; and He will strike her might that is in the sea, and she herself shall be consumed by fire.
Ashkelon shall see it, and fear, Gaza also, and shall be sore pained, And Ekron, for her expectation shall be ashamed; And the king shall perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
verse value 4578
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 65 letters. Notable word values: "and·he·shall·perish" (וְאָ֤בַד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·Ashkelon" (וְאַשְׁקְל֖וֹן, 7 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "will·see" (תֵּרֶ֨א), "Ashkelon" (אַשְׁקְל֜וֹן), "and·will·fear" (וְתִירָ֗א). The root אשקלון appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 36x in Zechariah); "shall·be·inhabited" (root ישב, 23x in Zechariah); "will·see" (root ראה, 22x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·expectation', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
"See, Ashkelon. the downfall of Tyre, and she will fear:"
And Ekron too shall be afraid.
For her gaze was shamed. She (Ekron) had been leaning upon Tyre, which was the head of the children of Esau, and Ekron too belonged to Edom, as our Sages stated in Tractate Megillah (page 6, see there): “And initially she belonged to the Philistines.”
Radak
Tira. The accent is on the final syllable, on the resh. It says: “When you see that Ashkelon has been subdued, Tyre too will be subdued.” And it is possible to explain that the accents for “Tyre” and “Sidon” are at the bottom, connecting them with the following verse.
“And Tyre built.” He said: “Hamath shall border thereon,” but Tyre and Sidon shall be counted as standing against Israel, because wisdom is very precious in her eyes, as it is written in the book of Ezekiel. And Sidon was adjacent to her and followed after her; therefore, it is said that Sidon is adjacent to Tyre. And “the fortress” shall be counted for her as a refuge in the building that she shall build, and in the silver and gold that she shall gather. And all of this shall not benefit her, for behold, the Lord shall desolate her.
Mitzor. A strong tower; so too, “and he built fortified cities” (2 Chronicles 14:5); and so too did Jonathan render it: “and he built for her a strong fortress.” And *charutz* [meaning “hewn” or “cut”] is like [the word] “gold,” as in “greenish gold” (Psalm 68:14); and so too did Jonathan render it: “and gold.”
"Behold, the Lord will dispossess it." The meaning of "driving out" and "sending away" is like "dispossessing them from before you" and similar expressions. And so did Jonathan the Targumist translate it: "He will drive her out."
“And He will smite her wealth in the sea.” All the wealth and money that was in it, wherein it trusted, the sea will come and sweep it away.
“And it shall be consumed by fire.” The phrase “and it” refers to the city, its buildings, and its fortified towers, in which it placed its trust; fire shall break out from within it and burn them up.
2. And when Ashkelon sees that Tyre was destroyed by the hand of God, she will fear and submit before Israel; so too Gaza, and so too Ekron.
For her expectation is put to shame. And it is Tyre, to whom they used to look, thinking to be saved with her because of her strength. [As for] 'mabbatah,' the mem is with a segol. And 'hovish' denotes shame. And the meaning is: together with Tyre, to whom they used to look, they shall be put to shame when God dispossesses her. And Targum Jonathan interpreted 'hovish' as referring to Ekron, and interpreted 'Ekron is put to shame of her expectation'; and it rendered: 'for it is ashamed of the house of its confidence.'
And a king shall perish from Gaza. Its king who was in it at that time shall perish, he and his kingdom, for it shall be for Israel.
"You shall not sit." This applies to men, who will be there at that time, for Israel will be settling it.
Metzudat David
“See, etc.” — Ashkelon will see the downfall of Tyre and will fear for her soul, lest a similar fate befall her; and Gaza too will see it and will be greatly dismayed.
And Ekron. Ekron too shall tremble, for its expectation is put to shame; that is to say, Tyre — upon which it (Ekron) was looking for help — was itself put to shame, for it was driven out of its land.
"And it shall be destroyed, etc." This means that their terror shall come upon them, for a ruler shall be lost from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited by people.
Metzudat Zion
Vatachil. From the terms chil and chalchalah (trembling, writhing).
Hovesh. From the word "boshet" (shame):
“Her gaze.” The word is derived from the root meaning “gaze” and “contemplation.”
Malbim
Behold, and then he also destroyed the cities of the Philistines, which were always allies of Tyre and its supporters (as it is stated in Jeremiah 47 regarding the day coming to plunder all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every remnant of helpers; and in Joel 4:4, “And also, what have you to do with me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of the Philistines?”; and similarly in Amos 1:3, 6). And this is what is meant by the statement that Ashkelon shall see the downfall of Tyre and be afraid; and Gaza shall tremble, and so shall Ekron, for her glory is ashamed; as it is stated in Zephaniah 2 that Ekron shall be uprooted; and the king shall perish from Gaza, for Gaza shall be settled again, only they shall no longer have a king; and Ashkelon shall not be settled at all.
And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
verse value 2483
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. Verse gematria: 2483 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "and·he·shall·remain" (וְיָשַׁ֥ב, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·Ashdod" (בְּאַשְׁדּ֑וֹד, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "bastard" (מַמְזֵ֖ר), "in·Ashdod" (בְּאַשְׁדּ֑וֹד), "and·I·will·cut·off" (וְהִכְרַתִּ֖י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·shall·remain" (root ישב, 23x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root כרת ("and·I·will·cut·off") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root גאון ("pride·of") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Ashdod', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְיָשַׁ֥ב [and·he·shall·remain] (318) + מַמְזֵ֖ר [bastard] (287) + בְּאַשְׁדּ֑וֹד [in·Ashdod] (317) + וְהִכְרַתִּ֖י [and·I·will·cut·off] (641) + גְּא֥וֹן [pride·of] (60) + פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים [Philistines] (860) = 2483.
Rashi
And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod. A foreign people shall dwell in Ashdod — these are Israel, who were as foreigners in it.
Radak
“And the bastard shall dwell in Ashdod.” Some explain that “bastard” refers to a nation; and others say it refers to a bastard born of the forbidden unions of Israel, who dwelt alone in the cities of the Philistines and separated themselves from the congregation. Now, our Sages of blessed memory stated that Elijah will purify the bastards and seat them within the congregation of the Lord. And this should be interpreted as a defective spelling, lacking the letter kaf of comparison, so that “bastard” is akin to “stranger.” Likewise, in the verse “A bastard shall not enter,” the two letters mem are additional, just as the two letters mem in the word “the granaries are broken down” are additional. And the explanation of “he who dwells in Ashdod” is that he dwells there among the Philistines like a stranger and a foreigner, for they will be under the hand of Israel. This is what is stated after it: “And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.”
Metzudat David
"And he sat..." In the time of the redemption, the group of bastards will not sit among the children of Israel, but they will sit alone in Ashdod, for there are our Sages of blessed memory who said that there are no pure bastards in the future, and they expounded this from this verse. Alternatively, "bastard" is a term of foreignness, meaning Israel, who are foreigners to her, they will sit in her.
"And I will cut off..." – They will no longer rule in their land.
Metzudat Zion
Gaon. The matter of exaltation and dominion:
Malbim
"And a mamzer dwelt in Ashdod": In that place, no one dwelled except mamzerim who were expelled from their cities on account of their blemish; they would dwell there. And this is stated as a reproach against the Philistines, whose origin and source is in mamzerut (as our Sages of blessed memory said regarding "from whom the Philistines went forth"): that in their place, another mamzer dwelled.
And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, And his detestable things from between his teeth, And he also shall be a remnant for our God; And he shall be as a chief in Judah, And Ekron as a Jebusite.
verse value 3330
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 71 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3330 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "his·blood" (דָמָ֜יו, 4 letters) and the longest is "for·our·God" (לֵֽאלֹהֵ֑ינוּ, 7 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·I·will·remove" (וַהֲסִרֹתִ֨י), "his·blood" (דָמָ֜יו), "from·his·mouth" (מִפִּ֗יו). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 66x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root שאר ("and·will·be·remained") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·our·God', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַהֲסִרֹתִ֨י [and·I·will·remove] (681) + דָמָ֜יו [his·blood] (60) + מִפִּ֗יו [from·his·mouth] (136) + וְשִׁקֻּצָיו֙ [and·his·detestable·things] (512) + מִבֵּ֣ין [between] (102) + שִׁנָּ֔יו [his·teeth] (366) + וְנִשְׁאַ֥ר [and·will·be·remained] (557) + גַּם־ה֖וּא [also·he] (55) + לֵֽאלֹהֵ֑ינוּ [for·our·God] (132) + וְהָיָה֙ [and·it·shall·be] (26) + כְּאַלֻּ֣ף [as·chief] (131) + בִּֽיהוּדָ֔ה [in·Judah] (32) + וְעֶקְר֖וֹן [and·Ekron] (432) + כִּיבוּסִֽי [as·a·Jebusite] (108) = 3330.
Rashi
"And I will wipe away the blood from His mouth." This refers to Esau's blood, namely their house of Beima, where they used to throw the blood of their sacrifices. And there are those who interpret it as the shedding of blood, referring to the blood of Israel that he shed.
"And they shall remain for our God" – this refers to the synagogues and study houses that are in the diaspora.
“And he shall be like a chief in Judah.” These are the theaters and circuses that the princes of Judah are destined to teach Torah in them publicly.
“And he shall be as a prince.” This is the language of “prince” and “learned one.”
And Ekron: it shall be for Israel:
"Kiivusi." Jerusalem:
Radak
"And I will remove his blood from his mouth." This is a parable, meaning: that which Israel consumed and finished off is his blood and his abominations, meaning I will burn away the wicked-hearted among them, and he himself remains for his God. And as for those who remain of them, whose hearts will be right toward the Lord, I will leave them, and they will be like a prince in Judah. And the explanation of "and he himself" is like the other strangers who attach themselves to the Lord, concerning whom it is said, "And I will bring them to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer" (Isaiah 56:7). Behold, they are like a prince and like a great man in Judah.
And Ekron as a Jebusite. Ekron shall be like the Jebusite who dwelt in Jerusalem, who lived among the Children of Israel and was a tributary laborer to them; so too it shall be in the days of the Messiah. And 'Judah' is mentioned because there are the Holy Mount and the House of Prayer. And my master and father, of blessed memory, explained that 'his blood and his abominations' refers to the foul speech that idol-worshippers are accustomed to.
Metzudat David
"And I will remove..." – This means that I will place in his heart [the resolve] that he will no longer drink blood and no longer eat meat, to which he has become accustomed, for he will return to believe in the Lord and in His Torah.
"And he shall remain..." — Likewise, he shall remain in the faith of our God, like the other converts.
"And it shall be." All the Philistines are included in this, that they will be like a person studying Torah in Judah, for they too will study the Torah.
And Ekron shall be like a Jebusite. Ekron shall return to be like Jebus — that is, Jerusalem; meaning, its people will be refined in mind like the people of Jerusalem.
Metzudat Zion
And its abominations. The language of "shaketz" and "sheretz" (detestable creatures and creeping things).
Like "to teach." The matter of learning is similar to [the verse] "Lest you learn his ways" (Proverbs 22:25):
“Ki’vusi.” This is Jerusalem:
Malbim
“And I will remove” — and through the destruction with which I will destroy them, I will remove from his mouth the blood that he shed from Israel, as it is stated in Amos 1:3, “And I will remove”; “and his abominations” — this refers to his idolatry; and then, “and he too shall remain for our God” — just as Damascus and Tyre shall belong to Israel, so too shall the places of the Philistines. “And he shall be like a chief in Judah” — it shall belong to the tribe of Judah, “among the great cities” — namely, those cities where Torah is studied; “and Ekron shall be like the Jebusite” — for just as the Jebusite dwelt in Jerusalem, and thereafter it became the city of God, so too shall Ekron become holy to the Lord.
And I will encamp about My house against the army, That none pass through or return; And no oppressor shall pass through them any more; For now have I seen with Mine eyes.
verse value 3908
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·he·shall·pass" (וְלֹֽא־יַעֲבֹ֧ר, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·I·will·encamp" (וְחָנִ֨יתִי), "for·my·house" (לְבֵיתִ֤י), "pillar" (מִצָּבָה֙). The root עבר appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 36x in Zechariah); "over·them" (root על, 33x in Zechariah); "for·my·house" (root בית, 27x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'taskmaster', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְחָנִ֨יתִי [and·I·will·encamp] (484) + לְבֵיתִ֤י [for·my·house] (452) + מִצָּבָה֙ [pillar] (137) + מֵעֹבֵ֣ר [from·passing] (312) + וּמִשָּׁ֔ב [and·from·returning] (348) + וְלֹֽא־יַעֲבֹ֧ר [not·he·shall·pass] (319) + עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם [over·them] (155) + ע֖וֹד [any·more] (80) + נֹגֵ֑שׂ [taskmaster] (353) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + עַתָּ֖ה [now] (475) + רָאִ֥יתִי [I·have·seen] (621) + בְעֵינָֽי [in·my·eyes] (142) = 3908.
Rashi
“And I will encamp at my house as a garrison.” I will encamp beside my house to protect it from those who establish a stronghold and destroy it, so that they will not set up a fortress against it. A similar usage is found in “And all its beauty and its fortresses” (Isaiah 29:7). There is also another interpretation: “her fortress” is to be read like “army” with an aleph.
"For now I have seen." Their distress is before My eyes, even though until now I have hidden My face from them.
Radak
"And I will encamp for My house as a fortress." I will be like a camp for the House of Israel, which is My house; My Name will be for them as if a great camp were with them, so that they will no longer fear an army that will encamp against them, nor a passerby and wanderer who will harm them. "As a fortress" is written with a heh in place of an aleph.
"For now I have seen with my eyes." "Now" – at this time, when all this promise will be fulfilled – I have seen with my eyes the afflicted and their being carried into exile among the nations, and I will save them and bring upon them all this good. "I have seen" – like [the verse] "And God saw the children of Israel." And the wise Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, of blessed memory, explained that these are the words of the prophet: "Now I have seen with my eyes, in the visions of the night, in prophecy, all this."
Metzudat David
“And I will encamp about My house.” I will dwell around My house to protect it from the army of the host of nations that pass by on their way, and no oppressor for labor shall pass over Israel any longer, as was the case of old. For now I have seen with My eyes to watch over them with an eye of compassion, even though until now I have hidden My face from them.
Metzudat Zion
Matzavah. Like *matzava* (a host) with an aleph:
nogesh: He pushes and presses.
Malbim
“And I will encamp over My house”: Then I will encamp like a military camp, with men of war to guard My house, from an army that passes through and from an army that returns. That is to say, from an army passing through and from an army returning, so that no army will pass through the Land of Israel, and also the army that has already passed through and wishes to return via that route—I will not permit it to pass there. For it is explained in Ezekiel that in the middle of the Land of Israel there will be a wide strip, seventy-five mil wide and as long as the Land of Israel from east to west, in the middle of which strip the Holy Temple will stand, and the Lord will encamp there permanently, for all of this strip will be holy to the Lord, and He will not allow a war army to pass through it. And therefore, no oppressor will again pass over them, for they will be guarded by the Lord. For “now I have seen with My eyes” means that I will watch over them—this is the explanation of the commentator. And in my opinion, what it says, “now I have seen with My eyes,” refers back to what was stated above, “Behold, your king shall come to you.” (And what it says
Matzavah (a garrison), like matzava (an army):
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; Behold, your king comes to you, He is triumphant, and victorious, Lowly, and riding upon an ass, Even upon a colt the foal of an ass.
verse value 4833
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 77 letters. The shortest word is "daughter" (בַּ֣ת, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·foal·of·a·she-ass" (בֶּן־אֲתֹנֽוֹת, 7 letters). 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "my·gladness" (גִּילִ֨י), "shout" (הָרִ֙יעִי֙), "daughter" (בַּ֣ת). The root בת appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "he" (root הוא, 31x in Zechariah); "Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 29x in Zechariah); "will·go·in" (root בוא, 21x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 5 words.
Rashi
"Behold, your king comes to you." It cannot be interpreted except in reference to the Messiah, King, about whom it is stated, "And his dominion shall be from sea to sea," and we have not found any ruler over Israel like this during the Second Temple period.
“The righteous shall be saved.” In the word “by” (ba’H):
Poor. Humble:
"And he rode on a donkey." This is a measure of humility:
"And upon a young donkey." This is analogous to the verse "and ten young donkeys" (Genesis 32:16),
Radak
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion.” “Rejoice” is accented on the final syllable, as in “the fact that it mentions Zion and Jerusalem,” for it is the head of the kingdom.
“He is righteous and shall be saved.” He is righteous, and through his righteousness he shall be saved. From the sword of Gog and Magog he shall be saved. The verb “is saved” is in the past tense, but it refers to the future because of the vav.
Ani. Like "aniyut" (affliction/distress). And so does the Targum render it as "anutan" (affliction). And so it is stated in the prophecy of Isaiah: "He shall not cry out, nor lift up; a bruised reed he shall not break" etc.
“And he shall ride upon a donkey.” This is not due to a lack of resources, for the entire world will be under his dominion; rather, it is an act of humility that he will ride upon a donkey. Furthermore, it serves to indicate that Israel will have no need for horses and chariots. Therefore, immediately following this, it states: “And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem.”
And upon a colt, the foal of she-asses. The matter is doubled with different words; and further it mentioned 'ayir' (a colt), which is young in years, for it is the one chosen for riding. And likewise it said of the sons of Ibzan, 'riding on thirty ass-colts.'
“Son of asses”: This means the son of one of the asses. Similarly, “and he was buried in the cities of Gilead” means in one of the cities of Gilead.
Metzudat David
“Make a loud sound.” A blast of joy:
"Behold, your king" – this refers to the Messiah King.
"Righteous." Through his deeds he shall be righteous, and through his wars he shall be saved and successful.
The poor man: He should be humble and ride on a donkey or on a foal of a she-donkey, and this is the measure of humility.
Metzudat Zion
"Shout." The term is derived from the word for "teruah" (a blast of the shofar).
Ani. This means humble and meek; so too, “You will save a humble people” (Psalms 18:28).
City. So too, a donkey is called an "ir" while it is still young, as it is written: "and ten he-donkeys" (Genesis 32:15).
"Asses." So you call the female of the donkey, and so [it says], "and one of the asses" (2 Kings 4:22).
Malbim
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion,” is a parenthetical remark. The proper parsing of the verse is as follows: The prophet now beholds the Messiah-King standing before the Holy One, blessed be He, and he declares in the name of the Lord: “Now I have seen with my eyes that your King is coming to you.” This indicates that both the Lord and the prophet speaking perceive Him in the vision of prophecy, seeing how He comes to redeem Israel. And regarding this it says: “Daughter of Zion, rejoice greatly,” over the miracles that will be renewed there at all times; and “daughter of Jerusalem,” where the multitude of the people reside, “shout aloud with joy” at the sight of the face of their King. The text then elucidates that she will rejoice because “I have seen with my eyes that your King is coming to you,” and He is righteous and saved through the Lord. He is not saved by abundant might, but rather through His righteousness, for He will be poor and humble. This is the opposite of “pride and strength of a king saved by abundant might.” Furthermore, He rides on a donkey, which is the opposite of riding on a horse prepared for the day of battle. Moreover, even if He were to ride on a foal, which is younger in days and thus represents greater honor (as it is stated: “Riding on thirty ass-colts,” Judges 10:4), it would not be a foal of a horse, but rather a foal of a she-donkey.
And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from Jerusalem, And the battle bow shall be cut off, And he shall speak peace to the nations; And his dominion shall be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
verse value 5686
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 79 letters. The shortest word is "bow" (קֶ֣שֶׁת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·cut·off·the·chariot" (וְהִכְרַתִּי־רֶ֣כֶב, 9 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·I·will·cut·off·the·chariot" (וְהִכְרַתִּי־רֶ֣כֶב), "from·Ephraim" (מֵאֶפְרַ֗יִם), "and·horse" (וְסוּס֙). The root כרת appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 29x in Zechariah); "and·he·will·speak" (root דבר, 25x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root אפרים ("from·Ephraim") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root קשת ("bow") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·nations', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
"And I will cut off the chariot" – meaning that they will no longer be in need of it.
And his dominion. And the dominion of his:
“From the waters to the sea.” From the eastern sea to the western sea, to the end of the world.
And from the River. The Euphrates:
Radak
And I will cut off. Likewise it is stated in the prophecy of Micah: "And I will cut off your horses from among you, and I will destroy your chariots" (Micah 5:9). And it mentioned 'from Ephraim and from Jerusalem' because the kingdom was divided in the early days, but in the days of the Messiah they will be one.
"And he shall speak peace to the nations." He will make peace between one nation and another, if there is war between them, for all the nations will listen to him.
And from the Sea to the Sea. Ibn Ezra, the sage Rabbi Abraham, of blessed memory, explained: From the southern sea, which is called the Red Sea, to the northern sea, which is the Ocean.
And from the river to the ends of the earth. From the river that flows out of Eden, which is in the east, to the ends of the earth, which is the west, and behold, he will rule over the entire world.
Metzudat David
"I will cut off." Then I will abolish the chariot, the horse, and the bow of war, for there will be no war then, and there is no need for the bow, nor for the chariot and horse.
And he will speak peace to the nations. The King Messiah will not subdue all of them through warfare; rather, he will subdue them through words of peace, so that they submit to his authority. And this [peace] will be the primary element, while warfare will be secondary to it.
And his dominion. His dominion will extend from the southern sea, which is called the Red Sea, to the northern sea, which is the Ocean.
"And from the river"—that which flows forth from Eden, which is the beginning of the east.
“Until the ends of the earth.” Until the end of the west.
Metzudat Zion
“Even at the ends.” [This teaches that] at the ends of the earth, it is nothing and ceases.
Malbim
"And I will cut off" – similarly, "I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim," for the chariot was prepared for war; and "I will cut off the horse from Jerusalem," for they will not ride upon horses, but will go on foot to ascend for the pilgrimage, and no unclean thing will enter there. Consequently, the bow of war will be cut off, so that they will not need a bow, as it is stated, "And He will judge between the nations, etc., and no nation will lift up a sword against another nation." And this is what it says, "And He will speak peace to the nations." Nevertheless, His dominion will extend "from the sea to the sea," namely, from the eastern sea to the western sea, and "from the River that flows out of Eden to the ends of the earth," from south to north.
As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant I send forth your prisoners out of the pit Wherein is no water.
verse value 2578
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "in·it" (בּֽוֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·blood·of·your·covenant" (בְּדַם־בְּרִיתֵ֗ךְ, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "also·you" (גַּם־אַ֣תְּ), "in·blood·of·your·covenant" (בְּדַם־בְּרִיתֵ֗ךְ), "I·send·forth" (שִׁלַּ֤חְתִּי). 8 unique roots are used. Full calculation: גַּם־אַ֣תְּ [also·you] (444) + בְּדַם־בְּרִיתֵ֗ךְ [in·blood·of·your·covenant] (678) + שִׁלַּ֤חְתִּי [I·send·forth] (748) + אֲסִירַ֙יִךְ֙ [your·prisoners] (301) + מִבּ֔וֹר [from·pit] (248) + אֵ֥ין [nothing] (61) + מַ֖יִם [water] (90) + בּֽוֹ [in·it] (8) = 2578.
Rashi
“Also you.” You will be saved together with him, just as he is righteous and is saved, for “with the blood of your covenant” I have prophesied to you for the future, and also now, from the exile of Babylon in which you are currently situated.
"With the blood of your covenant." By the merit of the blood of the covenant that was sprinkled upon you at Sinai, as it is stated: "Behold the blood of the covenant which He made."
"I have sent your prisoners" – from exile:
Radak
“Also you.” This is stated in parallel to the Assembly of Israel, just as it was said regarding the Messiah King that he will be saved through his righteousness, so too it is said, “Also you shall be saved through the blood of your covenant,” and this is the blood of circumcision, which Israel maintained during the exile more than all other commandments.
"A cistern without water in it." This refers to the exile. And some say it refers to "the blood of your covenant," the blood of the covenant that the Lord made with Israel at Sinai. And my master and father, of blessed and holy memory, explained that "water" is a metaphor for prophecy, meaning that prophecy was sealed off during the exile, and there was no prophet after Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. And we likewise find him saying regarding prophecy: "Let everyone who thirsts come to the waters."
Metzudat David
“Even you.” This means: Just as the Messiah, on account of his righteousness, will be saved and successful in his wars, so too you, Israel in general, on account of the merit of the blood of your covenant—that is, the commandment of circumcision, which you have maintained while in exile—by this merit I will send forth your prisoners. “From a place without water.” This means: I will bring you out from the depths of exile. The exile of Babylon is likened to a pit without water, because in such a pit are found snakes and scorpions that cause harm; so too in the exile, among the nations, there were those who harmed them.
Metzudat Zion
"I sent." Like "I will send," the past tense is used in place of the future tense, as is the manner of prophecy in many places.
Your prisoners. The matter of binding:
Malbim
“Also you” refers back to “daughter of Zion” and “daughter of Jerusalem” mentioned earlier, which denote the nation as a whole. “In blood” – the meaning of the verse is: “In the blood of your covenant, I have sent forth your prisoners from the pit in which there is no water.” This was because you surrendered your life for the sanctification of God’s Name throughout the period of exile, and you guarded the blood of the covenant of circumcision, refusing to exchange blood for water. For they would say to you, “Immersion in water or sprinkling with water suffices, and one thereby enters under the category of the blood of circumcision.” But you guarded your religion and preserved the blood of the covenant, which contains no waters of sprinkling, only the blood of circumcision. That is to say, you did not change your religion. And by virtue of this merit, I sent forth your prisoners from the pit. You were imprisoned in the pit throughout the days of exile, and now you have gone out free. And some interpret it simply: “By the blood of the covenant, I have sent forth your prisoners from the pit in which there is no water.” For in the Babylonian exile, they were in a pit full of water, for Babylon is a deep place full of water. But now I have sent you forth from the second pit, which is dry – namely, the Roman exile.
Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope; Even to-day do I declare That I will render double to you.
verse value 2408
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 40 letters. Verse gematria: 2408 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָֽךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·stronghold" (לְבִצָּר֔וֹן, 6 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "to·stronghold" (לְבִצָּר֔וֹן), "prisoners·of" (אֲסִירֵ֖י), "the·hope" (הַתִּקְוָ֑ה). The root שוב appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "also·day" (root יום, 40x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·hope', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: שׁ֚וּבוּ [return] (314) + לְבִצָּר֔וֹן [to·stronghold] (378) + אֲסִירֵ֖י [prisoners·of] (281) + הַתִּקְוָ֑ה [the·hope] (516) + גַּם־הַיּ֕וֹם [also·day] (104) + מַגִּ֥יד [declares] (57) + מִשְׁנֶ֖ה [double] (395) + אָשִׁ֥יב [I·will·restore] (313) + לָֽךְ [to·you] (50) = 2408.
Rashi
“Return to the fortress.” To your strength and to your honor, even though you are now under the dominion of the kings of Persia, you are prisoners of hope. You have hoped in Me until now, to fulfill My words at the end of seventy years.
Today also I declare: I will repay you double. Still today, I am announcing to you a second tidings, besides this one concerning the building, and what is the second announcement? That I am returning to teach you anew.
Radak
“Return to the fortress.” The commentators interpreted this passage as referring to the Second Temple period. My revered father, of blessed memory, also interpreted the passage as referring to the Second Temple period, but he explained that this half-verse refers to the future time mentioned above. He interpreted “Return to the fortress” as “Return to God, blessed be He, Who is a fortress and a tower of strength.”
“Prisoners of hope.” Because they were in exile and were imprisoned, and they had hoped for redemption for many years, today also [the verse] declares double, 'I will restore to you' — “I will answer you.” The Holy One, blessed be He, will announce to you in a different, near tidings. The prophet who announces the second [event] after the first that he announced, which was destined to occur, is what the Holy One, blessed be He, saved Israel from the hands of the Greeks in the Second Temple period, through Mattathias ben Yochanan the High Priest and his sons. And according to my opinion, the entire portion is yet to come, and I will first explain it according to the opinion of the commentators regarding the Second Temple period.
Metzudat David
“Return to the stronghold.” And thus He says to them: “Return to Jerusalem, your city of stronghold.” You are those bound by hope, meaning those who hope in the Lord at all times, as if they are tied to hope and it does not separate from them; and this is a matter of eloquent expression.
“Even today”: This means that just as I promised you redemption and vengeance upon them in the redemption from Egypt, so too will I answer and repay you today with a double portion of redemption and vengeance upon the nations.
Metzudat Zion
For the stronghold. From [the word] mivtzar (fortress).
Mishnah. The matter of doubling is like “and double silver” (Genesis 43:15).
I will answer. From the words "return" and "answer":
Malbim
“Return to the fortress, return from the pit of exile to the fortress, so that Zion shall be fortified; then you shall be prisoners of hope, for you have long awaited the redemption. Even today, ‘I will declare double to you’—I have something to declare double to you, namely, double miracles that will occur at two different times: for He will inform them of the wars of the Hasmoneans against the Greeks in the days of Antiochus, and of the war of the sons of Ephraim against Gog and Magog in the future, both of which are prophecies concerning the future. And He says ‘even today,’ thereby including within this one narrative an event that will take place today, in this present time, prior to the future redemption, namely, the war of the Maccabees against the sons of Greece.”
For I bend Judah for Me, I fill the bow with Ephraim; And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, Against your sons, O Javan, And will make you as the sword of a mighty man.
verse value 4941
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 65 letters. The shortest word is "for·me" (לִ֜י, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·I·bend" (כִּֽי־דָרַ֨כְתִּי, 7 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "for·I·bend" (כִּֽי־דָרַ֨כְתִּי), "I·fill" (מִלֵּ֣אתִי), "and·I·will·stir·up" (וְעוֹרַרְתִּ֤י). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "against·your·sons" (root על, 33x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root חרב ("as·sword·of") in Zechariah. First appearance of the root גבור ("mighty·man") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Javan', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־דָרַ֨כְתִּי [for·I·bend] (664) + לִ֜י [for·me] (40) + יְהוּדָ֗ה [Judah] (30) + קֶ֚שֶׁת [bow] (800) + מִלֵּ֣אתִי [I·fill] (481) + אֶפְרַ֔יִם [Ephraim] (331) + וְעוֹרַרְתִּ֤י [and·I·will·stir·up] (892) + בָנַ֙יִךְ֙ [your·sons] (82) + צִיּ֔וֹן [Zion] (156) + עַל־בָּנַ֖יִךְ [against·your·sons] (182) + יָוָ֑ן [Javan] (66) + וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ [and·I·will·make·you] (776) + כְּחֶ֥רֶב [as·sword·of] (230) + גִּבּֽוֹר [mighty·man] (211) = 4941.
Rashi
For I have drawn Judah for Myself [as a bow]. In the end, Antiochus will seize the kingship from the hands of the kings of Persia and will do evil to you, and I will draw Judah to be for Me like a battle-bow, and they will fight against Antiochus in the days of the Hasmoneans.
"I have filled Ephraim with a bow." This is a short verse, like "I have filled the hand of Ephraim with a bow," as it is written (2 Kings 9:24): "And Jehu filled his hand with a bow." Ephraim shall be for Me like a quiver full of arrows.
"And I will stir up your children, Zion" — this refers to the army of Antiochus.
Radak
"For I have bent [My bow]." The tribe of Judah shall be My bow, and I will direct it against Greece; that is to say, through Judah I will wage war against Greece.
“Mila’iti Efrayim” – like “filled his hand with the bow,” which refers to drawing the bow with all his strength to shoot the arrow. It mentions Ephraim even though in the Second Temple period there was no tribe of Ephraim, nor the other tribes; nevertheless, a few remained in the Land after the exile of the tribes during the days of Hoshea son of Elah, as we find in the words of Josiah: “from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel.” They were exiled together with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to Babylonia, and returned with them upon their return.
“And I will stir up your children, Zion, against your children, Greece.” I will stir them up against them, and I will grant them strength and might; this is what is stated: “And I will make you like a mighty sword.”
Metzudat David
“For I have bent for Myself.” “Judah I shall bend for Myself as a bow” – this means that He will consider it for Himself as a weapon to kill the enemy through it.
"I have filled Ephraim." The Ten Tribes, who are called by the name of Ephraim, in them I will place all My hand in its fullness, as if it were a bow with which to shoot with great force; and this is a matter of rhetoric.
“And I will stir up your children, Zion.” You, O Zion, I will stir up your children to fight for your children, and for the war of Gog and Magog. It will be said that he will come with him, for they are brothers, as it is written: “The sons of Japheth: Gomer and Magog and Madai, etc.” (Genesis 10:2).
"And I will set you." I will place you, Israel, to be like the sword of a mighty warrior that slays and destroys, for you will kill many of them with it.
Metzudat Zion
"I trod." The manner of treading with the foot upon the bow to stretch it properly, in order to shoot far:
Bow. In a bow:
"מלאתי" – this term is used to describe gripping the bow with strength, as in "and Jehu drew his bow with full strength" (2 Kings 9:24).
"And I will arouse." The word is from the root of "awakening."
Malbim
For I have bent Judah for Myself as a bow: There are two interpretations. The first interpretation is that which will occur in the days of the Second Temple, when the sons of Judah will defeat the sons of Greece through the salvation of God, not according to the natural order; and Judah will be like a bow bent in the hand of God to fight against the Greeks. The second interpretation is: “I have filled Ephraim with a bow.” In the future, at the time of Gog and Magog, the sons of Ephraim—that is, the Ten Tribes (who were not present in the Second Temple)—will be aroused, and they will be God’s bow to fight against Gog and Magog. The statements are parallel: “For I have bent Judah for Myself as a bow, and I have aroused Your sons, Zion, against Your sons, Greece”—this refers to the days of the Second Temple, when the sons of Zion and the tribe of Judah fought. “I have filled Ephraim with a bow, and I have set you as a sword of a mighty man”—then the sons of Ephraim will kill the forces of Gog and Magog, who are arrayed against them, with the sword of the bow.
And Hashem shall be seen over them, And His arrow shall go forth as the lightning; And the Lord Hashem will blow the horn, And will go with whirlwinds of the south.
verse value 3500
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 57 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3500 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "his·arrow" (חִצּ֑וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·storms·of" (בְּסַעֲר֥וֹת, 6 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·Hashem" (וַֽיהֹוָה֙), "will·appear" (יֵֽרָאֶ֔ה), "as·the·lightning" (כַבָּרָ֖ק). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "over·them" (root על, 33x in Zechariah); "will·appear" (root ראה, 22x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·arrow', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַֽיהֹוָה֙ [and·Hashem] (32) + עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם [over·them] (155) + יֵֽרָאֶ֔ה [will·appear] (216) + וְיָצָ֥א [and·shall·go·forth] (107) + כַבָּרָ֖ק [as·the·lightning] (322) + חִצּ֑וֹ [his·arrow] (104) + וַֽאדֹנָ֤י [and·my·Lord] (71) + יֱהֹוִה֙ [Hashem] (26) + בַּשּׁוֹפָ֣ר [in·the·horn] (588) + יִתְקָ֔ע [will·blow] (580) + וְהָלַ֖ךְ [and·will·go] (61) + בְּסַעֲר֥וֹת [with·storms·of] (738) + תֵּימָֽן [south] (500) = 3500.
Rashi
"And the Lord appeared to them." In the book of Yosippon we find: "At that time, a miraculous sign appeared to the men of Jerusalem."
"With the shofar he shall blow. He shall thunder:"
“in the storms of Yemen.” To storm the men of Yemen; they are the army of Antiochus. And there are some of my teachers who interpreted it as referring to Edom in the future.
Radak
"And the Lord shall appear over them." This means that the Lord will wage war on their behalf.
"With a shofar he shall blow." This is as if it says, "With a shofar he shall blow," in the manner of those who are engaged in battle.
"And he went forth in the storms of the south." He will come upon the sons of Greece like a storm wind, as it is written: "The Lord in the tempest and in the storm is His way." And it mentions the south, which is the southern corner, for from there comes the storm wind, as it is written: "From the chamber comes the tempest," and this is the southern wind, as it is written: "And the chambers of the south." And so did Jonathan translate: "And He shall drive [them] with a storm wind from the south."
Metzudat David
"And the Lord will appear over them." The Lord will reveal His Divine Presence over them to fight on their behalf, and His arrow will go forth swiftly against the enemy, flashing like lightning.
"With a shofar he shall blow." Like a mighty warrior who blows [the shofar] in battle; this is a matter of parable.
“And he went.” He will go in the wind of a storm, in the flood of anger, to the land of Teman to destroy it; it is the one dwelling in the south of the Land of Israel.
Malbim
And the Lord: these statements also correspond to one another. In the war of the Maccabees, the Lord will appear to them to save them (and they also saw then a sign and wonder from the Lord, as Rashi explains), and the arrow shot forth from the bow like lightning; this means that they will direct the bow from which the Lord’s arrow shot forth like lightning to destroy the Greeks. And in the final war of Gog and Magog, the Lord God will blow the shofar to gather the scattered ones from the four corners of the earth, as it is stated, “And it shall come to pass on that day that the great shofar shall be blown, and the lost ones in the land of Assyria shall come...” And He will go forth in the storms of the south, which are opposite the army of Gog that will come from the north; a storm wind from the south will come against them to stun and destroy them.
Hashem 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 the basins, like the corners of the altar.
verse value 3258
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 67 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3258 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "will·defend" (יָגֵ֣ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "stones·of·sling" (אַבְנֵי־קֶ֔לַע, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 63: will·defend, and·they·shall·eat. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·will·tread·down" (וְכָֽבְשׁוּ֙), "stones·of·sling" (אַבְנֵי־קֶ֔לַע), "and·will·drink" (וְשָׁת֥וּ). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "hosts" (root צבא, 54x in Zechariah); "over·them" (root על, 33x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·wine', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָאוֹת֮ [hosts] (499) + יָגֵ֣ן [will·defend] (63) + עֲלֵיהֶם֒ [over·them] (155) + וְאָכְל֗וּ [and·they·shall·eat] (63) + וְכָֽבְשׁוּ֙ [and·will·tread·down] (334) + אַבְנֵי־קֶ֔לַע [stones·of·sling] (263) + וְשָׁת֥וּ [and·will·drink] (712) + הָמ֖וּ [were·in·tumult] (51) + כְּמוֹ־יָ֑יִן [as·wine] (136) + וּמָֽלְאוּ֙ [and·they·shall·fill] (83) + כַּמִּזְרָ֔ק [as·the·basin] (367) + כְּזָוִיּ֖וֹת [like·corners·of] (449) + מִזְבֵּֽחַ [altar] (57) = 3258.
Rashi
"And they shall eat." The spoils of their enemies:
"And they took them captive." Beneath it [the word] "stones" [are] sling-stones; these are the Greeks, who are skilled with the bow and with slinging stones.
And they shall be tumultuous like wine. Their tumult is with a voice of joy and gladness, like those drunk with wine who are tumultuous.
And they filled. Their souls with all good:
Like a basin: that is full of blood before the altar.
Like the corners of the altar. There they pour the wine, and the wine floats on top, as we learned in the tractate Sukkah: the term "satiation" is the language of "intoxication."
Radak
"And the Lord of Hosts will be their shield." This refers to Judah and Ephraim, whom He mentioned.
“And they shall eat and subdue the sling-stones.” It is not sufficient that they be protected from their enemies so that they do not subdue them; rather, they shall devour their enemies and subdue the remainder to be slaves and maidservants. Just as the sons of Yon are called “sling-stones,” which are the stones of the sling that slingers hurl, so too the sons of Yehudah are called “stones of the diadem,” which are precious stones and pearls that are set in a crown.
“And they shall drink, and they shall be tumultuous, like wine.” This means: “And they shall drink the blood of their enemies, and they shall be tumultuous over them,” just as if one were to drink wine. This is in accordance with the verse, “And their blood shall be like wine, and they shall be intoxicated with it,” where the tumultuousness is associated with the wine, as it says, “They shall be intoxicated, but not with wine; they shall be tumultuous, but not with strong drink.”
“And they shall fill them like a sprinkling basin, like the corners of the altar.” They shall be filled with the blood of the enemies, like a sprinkling vessel that receives the blood of the sacrifices, or like the corners of the altar where the blood is sprinkled.
Metzudat David
He will shield them. Then He will shield Israel so that they will not be struck down together with them; furthermore, they will eat and destroy and conquer the sling-stones. And regarding “the princes of Antiochus,” it says: Since below, in the matter of “the princes of Judah and Israel,” He compared them to precious stones that are set in a crown, here He compares the princes to stones that are slung — despised ones, set out for hurling.
"And they shall drink and be confused." They shall drink their blood and be confused with the voice of crying, like one who drinks wine, as it is stated: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler" (Proverbs 20:1).
"And they shall be filled as a sprinkling bowl": They shall be filled with the blood of the slain, like a sprinkling bowl that is filled with the blood of the sacrifices, which is standing ready to be sprinkled.
The corners of the altar: these are the horns, which are filled with the blood of the sacrifices.
Metzudat Zion
"And they shall take possession." The matter of holding by force, like "and they shall subdue them as slaves" (Jeremiah 34:11).
Sling-stones. These are the stones thrown from the sling, which is the instrument specially designed for this purpose.
The word "hamo" is derived from the root "hami," meaning "to murmur" or "to roar."
Like a sprinkler. It is the cup:
Like corners: Like horns:
Malbim
The Lord of Hosts will be their shield, and they will have no need for war at all; rather, “they shall eat and conquer the sling-stones,” meaning that through what they eat, they will conquer the war and the sling-stones that the enemies will hurl at them. And “they shall drink and become intoxicated like wine,” meaning that through drinking, they will become intoxicated like wine-drinkers. In this way, they will be filled with blood, like a basin that is filled with the blood of the sacrifice, and like the corners of the altar where the blood of the sacrifices is cast and poured out. So too, they will be filled with the blood of the slain. Not through war, but they will eat and drink, and the Lord will cause the enemies to fall as slain. And He compares the blood of the slain to the blood in the sprinkler, which is for favor before the Lord; so too, the Lord will be pleased with their deeds and their victory.
And Hashem their God shall save them in that day As the flock of His people; For they shall be as the stones of a crown, Glittering over His land.
verse value 2829
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֧ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֚י, 2 letters) and the longest is "glittering" (מִֽתְנוֹסְס֖וֹת, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "and·will·save·them" (וְֽהוֹשִׁיעָ֞ם), "like·sheep" (כְּצֹ֣אן), "his·people" (עַמּ֑וֹ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 132x in Zechariah); "in·the·day" (root יום, 40x in Zechariah); "for" (root כי, 36x in Zechariah). First appearance of the root צאן ("like·sheep") in Zechariah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְֽהוֹשִׁיעָ֞ם [and·will·save·them] (437) + יְהֹוָ֧ה [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֛ם [their·God] (91) + בַּיּ֥וֹם [in·the·day] (58) + הַה֖וּא [that] (17) + כְּצֹ֣אן [like·sheep] (161) + עַמּ֑וֹ [his·people] (116) + כִּ֚י [for] (30) + אַבְנֵי־נֵ֔זֶר [stone·consecration] (320) + מִֽתְנוֹסְס֖וֹת [glittering] (1022) + עַל־אַדְמָתֽוֹ [over·his·land] (551) = 2829.
Rashi
As a flock of his people. Like a flock that He led out of Egypt to become His people:
"For stones of a crown": For the priests, the sons of the Hasmoneans, who boast in the crown-stones in the rows of the breastplate and the ephod, shall be raised up in miracles upon their land.
Radak
"And He saved them." "As His flock" — just as a person saves his flock with all his might, so too will He save His people, for they are His flock. And some say: Just as He saved them through Moses, who was shepherding them like a flock, as it is stated, "You led like a flock Your people, by the hand of Moses and Aaron."
"For stones of a diadem shall be lifted up upon its land." For Judah and Ephraim shall be like stones of a diadem, lifted up and exalted upon its land, which is the holy land; they are lifted up and exalted. And similarly, "I have given to those who fear Me a banner to be lifted up." And similarly, a banner signifies height and exaltation, for the one who carries the banner raises and exalts it above the heads of the people.
Metzudat David
Like a flock, his people. This means: Just as the flock is saved by the shepherd, so too will His people be saved by Him, blessed be He.
"for stones of a crown." The princes of Judah and Israel, who are likened to precious stones set in a crown, they shall be exalted upon his land when they are in his land.
Metzudat Zion
Nazer. A crown, as it is written: "the crown" (2 Kings 11:12).
"Raised as banners": From the term "nes" (banner/standard), which refers to the notion of raising up, as in "a banner to be raised" (Psalms 60).
Malbim
And the Lord their God saved them; and the Lord will save them without battle, like a shepherd who rescues his flock from the hands of the wolves of the evening.
“for stones of a crown” – with this phrase, which compares them to sheep, it says that they should resemble sheep also in this regard: sheep do not seek gold and precious stones, but only good pasture and water; so too, they should not seek anything other than that the earth produce for them grain and wine to eat and drink, not precious stones. For “precious stones will flourish on its soil,” meaning that the grain and wine which the earth produces will be regarded in their eyes as precious stones, just as in the eyes of sheep, grass and water are like pearls and precious gems, for they do not seek wealth and arrogance.
For how great is their goodness, and how great is their beauty! Corn shall make the young men flourish, And new wine the maids.
verse value 2408
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 40 letters. Verse gematria: 2408 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·how·their·beauty" (וּמַה־יׇּפְי֑וֹ, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Zechariah. Unique to this verse in Zechariah (hapax): "how·their·goodness" (מַה־טּוּב֖וֹ), "and·how·their·beauty" (וּמַה־יׇּפְי֑וֹ), "grain" (דָּגָן֙). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 36x in Zechariah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·how·their·beauty', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: כִּ֥י [for] (30) + מַה־טּוּב֖וֹ [how·their·goodness] (68) + וּמַה־יׇּפְי֑וֹ [and·how·their·beauty] (157) + דָּגָן֙ [grain] (57) + בַּחוּרִ֔ים [young·men] (266) + וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ [wine] (922) + יְנוֹבֵ֥ב [will·make·flourish] (70) + בְּתֻלֽוֹת [virgins] (838) = 2408.
Rashi
For how [great]. His great goodness — that which is stored up for that generation.
"Wheat of the young men": He who gives strength to the young men.
And “new wine.” That which will blossom forth, maidens, with a melody of song and joy. And there are those who interpret “that which will blossom forth” as meaning that it will sprout in virgin soil, and it is a choice wine.
Radak
"For how goodly and how pleasant are they." He said: How good will be the fruit of your land; how goodly will be the grain and the new wine, which rear and cause to flourish handsome young men and beautiful maidens, such as those who will be in that time.
Metzudat David
For how great is his goodness. For how greatly will the goodness and beauty of this people increase:
“Grain for the young men.” This means that the abundance of grain which the land will produce will add strength and vigor to the young men, and the abundance of wine will open the mouths of the virgins to speak songs and hymns. For although it is their custom to be sparing in speech, due to the great joy they will increase in words of song and melody.
Metzudat Zion
"How goodly are your tents..." The word "how" indicates an extreme degree of abundance, as in "How abundant is Your goodness" (Psalm 31:20).
And “tirosh.” Grapes for wine:
Yenovev. A matter of speech, like “yanuv” (brings forth) wisdom (Proverbs 10:31).
Malbim
"For how great is its goodness," they will say in a tone of questioning, "How goodly and how beautiful is the crown? In a tone of questioning: What need have we for the stones of the crown? What goodness and what beauty is to be found in it?"
"Grain (shall flourish) for young men, and new wine for virgins" means that the young men shall flourish and say, "Grain!" and the virgins shall flourish and say, "New wine!" This means that they shall flourish, saying that they seek only grain and new wine, not precious stones for a crown, for how beautiful and lovely is the crown and its stones? Yet, in their eyes, it is considered as nothing.
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim