Keraia
Zechariah 14

Zechariah 14:2

The Destroyers of Jerusalem Destroyed · Zechariah 14:1–15
Read Zechariah 14

Translations

Modern
For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.
Traditional
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Literal
…and I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle. And the city will be captured, and the houses plundered, and the women ravished; and half of the city will go forth into exile, and the remnant of the people will not be cut off from the city.
Latin
Et congregabo omnes gentes ad Jerusalem in prælium: et capietur civitas, et vastabuntur domus, et mulieres violabuntur: et egredietur media pars civitatis in captivitatem, et reliquum populi non auferetur ex urbe.

Original

Hebrew
English
For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.

Notes

Zechariah 14:2

The rest refers to the remaining people of Israel who survived when Jerusalem was attacked (see Zechariah 13:8).

Zechariah 14:1–21

Zechariah ends with visions of judgment, salvation, and God's universal kingdom. In the future, Israel will face a siege and near destruction, but the Lord will intervene to save his people (Zechariah 14:3–4) and punish their enemies with a severe plague (14:12). Israel will be restored as God's people, and Jerusalem will become the center of civilization (Zechariah 14:16–17). God's rule will extend over the entire earth (Zechariah 14:9), and the natural world will change (14:6–10). God's holiness will be the defining feature of his rule over the earth (Zechariah 14:20–21).

Zechariah’s message calls God’s people to hope in the King of Israel, who has full power and authority.

Zechariah 12:1–14:21

The theme of Jerusalem versus the nations connects the four messages in Zechariah's second oracle. The nations gather against Jerusalem at both the start (Zechariah 12:1–9) and the end (14:1–15) of the oracle. The repeated phrase on that day points to the future day of the Lord.

This oracle shows both judgment and blessing for Jerusalem. The main focus is the cleansing of the people of Israel (Zechariah 13:1), ending with God's universal kingdom (14:16–21). These future visions encouraged the Judeans of Zechariah's time to stay faithful despite feeling unimportant and helpless.

Events

Places

Jerusalem: The capital of Israel, a holy city for three religions

Glossary

Gog Holy War Holy War Mount of Olives Zechariah, Book of

Topics

Captive: Cruelty to Ravished Prophecies Concerning Israel: Prophecies Concerning of War and Other Judgments Rape: Captives Afflicted With War: Evils of War: God Uses, As a Judgment