The Meaning of Zechariah 9:13 Explained

Zechariah 9:13

KJV: When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.

YLT: For I have trodden for Me Judah, A bow I have filled with Ephraim, And I have stirred up thy sons, O Zion, Against thy sons, O Javan, And I have set thee as the sword of a hero.

Darby: For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will raise up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and make thee like the sword of a mighty man.

ASV: For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When I have bent  Judah  for me, filled  the bow  with Ephraim,  and raised up  thy sons,  O Zion,  against thy sons,  O Greece,  and made  thee as the sword  of a mighty man. 

What does Zechariah 9:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Zechariah 9:9-17 - A Lowly Deliverer Brings Peace
Jesus must be King first, then Savior. He is lowly; His steed is not the richly caparisoned warhorse, but the humble ass; He needs no weapon to overthrow His foes, because as Priest He speaks peace. The peasantry had taken shelter in the rock hewn mountain cisterns; but they might cherish hope, because they had been redeemed by the blood of the covenant, and God would see to it that that redemption was made effective. Before the advent of the King, the prison-doors would open, and at His word the imprisoned should go forth. How great are His goodness and beauty!
In Zechariah 10:1-12 we have a reference to the successful stand made by Judas Maccabaeus and his brethren against Antiochus. They were to tread them down as the mire of the streets; Joseph and Judah would be reunited and after their far-spread sowing over the world, the scattered tribes would ultimately return as bees to the call of the bee-farmer. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 9

1  God defends his church
9  Zion is exhorted to rejoice for the coming of Christ, and his peaceable kingdom
12  God's promises of victory and defense

What do the individual words in Zechariah 9:13 mean?

For I have bent My [bow] Judah the bow Fitted with Ephraim and raised up your sons Zion Against your sons Greece and made you like the sword of a mighty man
כִּֽי־ דָרַ֨כְתִּי לִ֜י יְהוּדָ֗ה קֶ֚שֶׁת מִלֵּ֣אתִי אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְעוֹרַרְתִּ֤י בָנַ֙יִךְ֙ צִיּ֔וֹן עַל־ בָּנַ֖יִךְ יָוָ֑ן וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ כְּחֶ֥רֶב גִּבּֽוֹר

דָרַ֨כְתִּי  I  have  bent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּרַךְ  
Sense: to tread, bend, lead, march.
לִ֜י  My  [bow] 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
יְהוּדָ֗ה  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
קֶ֚שֶׁת  the  bow 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קֶשֶׁת  
Sense: bow.
מִלֵּ֣אתִי  Fitted 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
אֶפְרַ֔יִם  with  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
וְעוֹרַרְתִּ֤י  and  raised  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: עוּר 
Sense: to rouse oneself, awake, awaken, incite.
בָנַ֙יִךְ֙  your  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
צִיּ֔וֹן  Zion 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
עַל־  Against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
בָּנַ֖יִךְ  your  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יָוָ֑ן  Greece 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָוָן  
Sense: a son of Japheth and grandson of Noah.
וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ  and  made  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, second person feminine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
כְּחֶ֥רֶב  like  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
גִּבּֽוֹר  of  a  mighty  man 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גִּבֹּור  
Sense: strong, mighty.