Zechariah 9:13-17

13-17. When the exiles have been restored to their homes they will enter upon an era of conquest (Amos 9:12); under the leadership of Jehovah himself they will triumph over all their enemies, and subsequently they will be exalted to glory and honor (compare the more peaceful picture in Zechariah 9:9-10).

The constructions of Zechariah 9:13 are peculiar; hence the translation and interpretation of details are more or less obscure, but the general thought is clear, which is that Jehovah will use the restored exiles as weapons in the conflict with the hostile nations. This thought is expressed in very bold figures.

When Better, R.V., “For”; which connects Zechariah 9:13 with Zechariah 9:12.

Judah… Ephraim… Zion The last name seems to include the entire restored community, which consists of elements representing the northern and southern kingdoms, called respectively Ephraim and Judah.

Have bent All the tenses in Zechariah 9:13 should be rendered as future tenses; R.V. so renders the last two; the others are prophetic perfects.

Bent Literally, tread down. The large bows were bent by putting one end upon the ground and holding it with the foot, while the other end was being bent with the hand. The English translation of the first two clauses follows the Hebrew accentuation, but it seems preferable to follow the construction of most of the ancient versions and take bow with Judah in the first clause, “for I will bend for me Judah as a bow,” and the second clause, “and I will fill it with Ephraim.” Judah is to be the bow, Ephraim the arrow.

Raised up Better, R.V. “I will stir up”; to battle. This seems the only natural rendering of the verb in this place. In 2 Samuel 23:18; 1 Chronicles 11:11; 1 Chronicles 11:20, where it has the meaning to wield, to swing, that is, a spear, the noun spear is added. By itself the verb does not have the meaning to wield for a spear.

Against thy sons, O Greece Hebrews Yawan. Not a district in southern Arabia, but Greece (Joel 3:6), which is. thought of here as a representative world power (see Introduction, p. 583); as such it represents all powers hostile to Zion. The sons of Greece are the Greeks. The direct address to the hostile power is peculiar; nowhere else in the context is the enemy addressed, but always the chosen people. We may be justified, therefore, in reading, with several of the ancient versions, “against the sons of Greece.”

Kirkpatrick proposes the omission of “against thy sons, O Greece,” because (1) the definiteness of the allusion to Greece is unlike the generality which in the main characterizes the passage; (2) the enemy is not addressed elsewhere in the text; (3) nothing could have been more natural than the insertion of such a gloss in the Maccabean times. (4) The differences of reading between LXX. and Targum. The former reads, “against the sons of Greece”; the latter, “against the sons of the peoples.” (5) The gain to the rhythm. (6) The rendering to stir up interrupts the metaphors. He reads Zechariah 9:13:

For I bend Judah for a bow.

Lay Ephraim on it for an arrow,

Wield thy sons,

O Zion, for a spear,

And make thee as a hero’s sword.

This is a very smooth reading, but can it be accepted? (1) As already stated, the translation wield for a spear of the Hebrew verb ‘ur is not warranted by the usage. (2) The rhythm of the English may gain by the omission, but the rhythm of the Hebrew suffers. (3) The reading of LXX. is supported by other ancient versions, while the Targum stands alone. No one acquainted with the character of the two versions would hesitate to prefer LXX.; but even the Targum reading proves that something was there. (4) That a certain passage might be explained as a gloss does not prove it to be such. (5) Objection (2) is removed if the reading of LXX. and other ancient versions is accepted. (6) The allusion to Greece may stand alone, but the one reference is all that is needed. (7) In order to make the series entirely symmetrical it would be necessary to introduce a name in the last line, for the comparison of one and the same person with a sword and a spear is peculiar.

The sword of a mighty man Effective and irresistible.