The Meaning of Zechariah 14:2 Explained

Zechariah 14:2

KJV: 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.

YLT: And I have gathered all the nations unto Jerusalem to battle, And captured hath been the city, And spoiled have been the houses, And the women are lain with, Gone forth hath half the city in a removal, And the remnant of the people are not cut off from the city.

Darby: And I will assemble all the 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 rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For I will gather  all nations  against Jerusalem  to battle;  and the city  shall be taken,  and the houses  rifled,  and the women  ravished  {08675;07693:08735}; and half  of the city  shall go forth  into captivity,  and the residue  of the people  shall not be cut off  from the city. 

What does Zechariah 14:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord would gather all the nations against Jerusalem to fight against her (cf. Revelation 16:16-21, Armageddon). They would capture the city, plunder the houses, and rape the women. Half of the Jewish residents would depart as exiles, but the other half would remain. This would be one-half of the portion of the one-third of the Jewish population that would be in Jerusalem that had not died during the Tribulation ( Zechariah 13:8). This has never yet happened.
"The only [1] explanation is that this is an ideological conflict to remove a non-co-operative element that blocked the way to an international world order." [2]
"This eschatological verse alone-with its statement that "the city will be captured"-is sufficient to refute the notion popular in certain circles that "the times of the Gentiles" ( Luke 21:24) were fulfilled as of the rebirth of the modern state of Israel. According to Lucan theology, after "the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled," Jerusalem will be trampled on no more. Since Zechariah 14:2 clearly indicates that Jerusalem will be "trampled on" again in the future, the "times of the Gentiles" would seem to extend to the Messiah"s second advent, when those "times" will be replaced by the final, universal, everlasting kingdom of Daniel 2:35; Daniel 2:44-45." [3]

Context Summary

Zechariah 14:1-21 - "at Evening Time It Shall Be Light"
We can hardly doubt that in Zechariah 14:1-21, Zechariah is anticipating the same events as Ezekiel describes in Ezekiel 38:1-23; Ezekiel 39:1-29 of his remarkable book. At first the attack of the enemies of God's people will be entirely successful, then Jesus will appear to them and for them. There will be a literal fulfillment of Acts 1:11 and Isaiah 25:9-10. It was when his brethren were in their greatest straits that Joseph made himself known to them, and when the Jews are in dire extremity, they will hear Him say, "I am Jesus your Brother." See Genesis 45:1-15. Finally the long stormy days of Israel's history will be over forever, and "at evening time it shall be light." It is clear that Paul's vision in Romans 11:1-36 is to be gloriously realized [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 14

1  The destroyers of Jerusalem destroyed
3  The coming of Christ, and the graces of his kingdom
12  The plague of Jerusalem's enemies
16  The remnant shall turn to the Lord;
20  and their spoils shall be holy

What do the individual words in Zechariah 14:2 mean?

For I will gather - all the nations against Jerusalem to battle and shall be taken the city and rifled the houses and the women - ravished and shall go Half of the city into captivity but the remnant of the people not shall be cut off from the city
וְאָסַפְתִּ֨י אֶת־ כָּל־ הַגּוֹיִ֥ם ׀ אֶֽל־ יְרוּשָׁלִַם֮ לַמִּלְחָמָה֒ וְנִלְכְּדָ֣ה הָעִ֗יר וְנָשַׁ֙סּוּ֙ הַבָּ֣תִּ֔ים וְהַנָּשִׁ֖ים [תשגלנה] (תִּשָּׁכַ֑בְנָה) וְיָצָ֞א חֲצִ֤י הָעִיר֙ בַּגּוֹלָ֔ה וְיֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם לֹ֥א יִכָּרֵ֖ת מִן־ הָעִֽיר

וְאָסַפְתִּ֨י  For  I  will  gather 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַגּוֹיִ֥ם ׀  the  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
אֶֽל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יְרוּשָׁלִַם֮  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
לַמִּלְחָמָה֒  to  battle 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
וְנִלְכְּדָ֣ה  and  shall  be  taken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.
הָעִ֗יר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וְנָשַׁ֙סּוּ֙  and  rifled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁסַס  
Sense: to plunder, spoil.
הַבָּ֣תִּ֔ים  the  houses 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וְהַנָּשִׁ֖ים  and  the  women 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
[תשגלנה]  - 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
(תִּשָּׁכַ֑בְנָה)  ravished 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: שָׁגַל  
Sense: to violate, ravish.
וְיָצָ֞א  and  shall  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
חֲצִ֤י  Half 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֲצִי 
Sense: half.
הָעִיר֙  of  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
בַּגּוֹלָ֔ה  into  captivity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֹּולָה  
Sense: exiles, exile, captivity.
וְיֶ֣תֶר  but  the  remnant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יֶתֶר 
Sense: .
הָעָ֔ם  of  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יִכָּרֵ֖ת  shall  be  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
הָעִֽיר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.