Zechariah 9:12 - Exposition

The prophet calls on the prisoners to avail themselves of the offered deliverance. Turn you to the stronghold . Return ye to Zion, the city defended by God ( Zechariah 2:5 ), and able to afford you a safe asylum. (For the spiritual meaning, see Luke 4:18-21 .) Ye prisoners of hope. Captives who have good hope of deliverance because they are still in covenant with God. Septuagint, δέσμιοι τῆς συναγωγῆς , "prisoners of the synagogue." Pusey remarks that "hope" here and nowhere else has the article, and that what is meant is "the Hope of Israel," that of which St. Paul spoke ( Acts 26:6 , Acts 26:7 and Acts 28:20 ). Even today . In spite of all contrary appearances. Septuagint, ἀντὶ μιᾶς ἡμέρας παροικεσίας σου , "for one day of thy sojourning." Double . A double measure of blessing in compensation for past suffering ( Isaiah 40:2 ; Isaiah 61:7 ). There ought to be a full stop at the end of this verse, as in the Revised Version.