The Meaning of Zechariah 8:23 Explained

Zechariah 8:23

KJV: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

YLT: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: In those days take hold do ten men of all languages of the nations, Yea, they have taken hold on the skirt of a man, a Jew, saying: We go with you, for we heard God is with you!

Darby: Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days shall ten men take hold, out of all languages of the nations, shall even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.

ASV: Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass , that ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus saith  the LORD  of hosts;  In those days  [it shall come to pass], that ten  men  shall take hold  out of all languages  of the nations,  even shall take hold  of the skirt  of him that is a Jew,  saying,  We will go  with you: for we have heard  [that] God  [is] with you. 

What does Zechariah 8:23 Mean?

Study Notes

those days
i.e. in the days when Jerusalem has been made the centre of the earth's worship. Zechariah 8:23 explains: the Jew (see "Remnant,"; Isaiah 1:9 ; Romans 11:5 will then be the missionary, and to the very "nations" now called "Christian"!
For Another Point of View: See Topic 301242

Verse Meaning

In this future time of Yahweh"s blessing many Gentiles from many nations and language groups will lay hold of a Jew. In this case, as in many others, 10 is a round number suggesting completeness (cf. Genesis 31:7; Leviticus 26:26; Judges 17:10; Ruth 4:2; 1 Samuel 1:8; Jeremiah 41:8). They will do so not to persecute him but to ask his permission to accompany him because God"s blessing would rest on the Jews so obviously.
"The prophecy teaches, then, that Israel will be the means of drawing the nations of the earth to the Lord in the time of the Messiah"s reign of righteousness upon earth." [1]
Amillennialists understand this promise as fulfilled in many Gentiles coming to salvation in the present age through Jewish roots (e.g, Messiah, the scriptures, etc.). [2]
"By way of summary ... we can see the purpose of the Spirit through the prophet in answer to the question concerning fasting. It was a twofold objective: a present and a future one. For the time then present the Spirit pointed out the sham in the fastings, the need for reality and sincerity, the vivid warning from the past sins of the forefathers, and the imperative demand for righteousness in all the relationships of life. With reference to the future Zechariah was directed to point to a day of glorious promise for Israel when the Lord would dwell in her midst, when prosperity and peace would characterize her land, when her dispersed ones would be gathered back to their homeland, and ... when her fasts would be turned into feasts, the glory of the Lord being so manifest in Israel that all the nations would be drawn to Him through His people." [3]

Context Summary

Zechariah 8:18-23 - The Nations Will Seek The God Of Israel
In his final answer the prophet gives a delightful picture of the future, which was on the eve of complete realization. So entirely would the memory of the past be obliterated that fateful anniversaries would soon fade from their minds. Indeed they would discover that their dark days had been the source and origin of their glad ones. In all subsequent ages, even when persecuting the Jews, the foremost nations have taken hold of their skirts, appropriating their sacred writings, venerating their lawgivers, prophets, and saints; and believing in the noblest representative of their race.
The prophet passes his eye over the surrounding nations, showing that his people need fear no more, because their oppressors had been effectually silenced. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 8

1  The restoration of Jerusalem
9  They are encouraged to build the temple by God's favor to them
16  Good works are required of them
18  Joy and blessing are promised

What do the individual words in Zechariah 8:23 mean?

Thus says Yahweh of hosts in days those that shall take hold ten men from every language of the nations and shall grasp the sleeve of a man a Jew saying let us go with you for we have heard [that] God [is] with you -
כֹּ֥ה אָמַר֮ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאוֹת֒ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔מָּה אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַחֲזִ֙יקוּ֙ עֲשָׂרָ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים מִכֹּ֖ל לְשֹׁנ֣וֹת הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וְֽהֶחֱזִ֡יקוּ בִּכְנַף֩ אִ֨ישׁ יְהוּדִ֜י לֵאמֹ֗ר נֵֽלְכָה֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם כִּ֥י שָׁמַ֖עְנוּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים עִמָּכֶֽם ס

כֹּ֥ה  Thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַר֮  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָאוֹת֒  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
בַּיָּמִ֣ים  in  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הָהֵ֔מָּה  those 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
אֲשֶׁ֤ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יַחֲזִ֙יקוּ֙  shall  take  hold 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
עֲשָׂרָ֣ה  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
אֲנָשִׁ֔ים  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מִכֹּ֖ל  from  every 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
לְשֹׁנ֣וֹת  language 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לָשֹׁון  
Sense: tongue.
הַגּוֹיִ֑ם  of  the  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
וְֽהֶחֱזִ֡יקוּ  and  shall  grasp 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
בִּכְנַף֩  the  sleeve 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
אִ֨ישׁ  of  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יְהוּדִ֜י  a  Jew 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדִי  
Sense: Jew.
לֵאמֹ֗ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נֵֽלְכָה֙  let  us  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
עִמָּכֶ֔ם  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
שָׁמַ֖עְנוּ  we  have  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֱלֹהִ֥ים  [that]  God  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עִמָּכֶֽם  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation