Zechariah 9:15 - Exposition

Shall defend them; ὑπερασπιεῖ αὐτούς , "shall put his shield over them". There are numerous examples, in the Books of Maccabees, of God's special interposition in his people's favour, and thus far and in part fulfilling this prophecy (see 1 Macc. 3:16-24; 4:6-16; 7:40-50; 2 Macc. 2:21, 22; 3:24, etc.; 5:2-4; 11:8; 12:11,15, 22, 28, 37; 15:7, etc.). They shall devour. The prophet seems to have had in view Numbers 23:24 , where Israel is compared to a lion, eating of the prey and drinking the blood of the slain. So here he says they shall "devour," i.e. the flesh of their enemies (comp. Micah 5:8 ). Subdue with sling stones. So the Vulgate, and virtually the Septuagint, taking the case of the noun as instrumental; but it is best to take it as accusative of the object, as in the margin of the Authorized Version, "They shall tread down the stones of the sling." The "slingstones" are the enemies, as in the next verse "the stones of a crown" are the Jews; and the sentence means that the Jews shall tread their enemies underfoot like spent slingstones, which are of no account. Or it may signify simply and without metaphor that they shall despise the enemies' missiles, which shall fall harmless among them ( Job 41:28 , Job 41:29 ). They shall drink the blood of the slain, like lions. Make a noise. As men exhilarated with wine. Vulgate, Bibentes inebriabuntur quasi a vino ( Isaiah 49:26 ; Ezekiel 39:17-19 ). Shall be filled like bowls. They shall be filled with blood like the sacrificial vessels in which the blood of victims was received ( Zechariah 14:20 ). The corners of the altar. The blood was also sprinkled on the corners or sides of the altar (Le Numbers 1:5 , Numbers 1:11 ; Numbers 3:2 ). There may be included the notion that the war against God's enemies was a sacred war, and accepted by him as a sacrifice. In the Maccabean struggle the bloodshed was often very considerable (see 1 Macc. 7:32, 46; 11:47; 2 Macc. 8:30; 10:17, 23, 31, etc.).