Zechariah 12:2

In Zechariah 12:2, Jehovah himself is introduced as the speaker.

Behold, I will Better, Behold, I am about to; the act is imminent (G.-K., 116p).

Make Jerusalem a cup of trembling R.V., “of reeling”; a cup or bowl (Exodus 12:22; 1 Kings 7:4-5) that produces trembling or reeling. Jerusalem is pictured as a bowl filled with a tempting drink; eagerly the nations grasp it; but the draught results in their undoing; confused and discomfited they reel and stagger back (compare Habakkuk 2:16; Obadiah 1:16). 2b is translated in R.V., “and upon Judah also shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem.” A.V. is readily understood. The cup is handed to the nations when they attack Judah and Jerusalem. But what is the meaning of R.V., which is undoubtedly a more literal translation of the Hebrew? The troublesome clause is, “and upon Judah also shall it be.” What shall be upon, or against (margin), Judah also? Some say that Jerusalem will become a cup of reeling to Judah as well as to the other nations; which would imply that Judah was expected to make common cause with the nations against Jerusalem. One would hardly look for such an idea, and there is nothing in the rest of the prophecy that would support the idea that Judah was expected to turn against Jerusalem. It is worthy of notice also that the preposition before all the peoples is not the same as before Judah. Margin R.V. suggests a slightly different translation, “and upon Judah also shall it fall to be,” which has been interpreted as meaning that it shall be incumbent upon Judah to be in the siege; that is, Judah will be compelled to join in the siege. Some co-ordinate “upon Judah” with “concerning Israel” (the same preposition in Hebrew) in the title; that is, the word of Jehovah shall be concerning Judah also. Still others supply the subject from the preceding, that which falls upon Jerusalem shall fall upon Judah also; that is, Judah also will be besieged, and Judah also will be made a cup of reeling to the nations. All these translations and interpretations are more or less fanciful and do more or less violence to the text. It is quite certain that the text has suffered in transmission. Geiger, who is followed by others, omits the preposition before Judah and reads, “Judah also shall be in the siege of Jerusalem,” which might mean that Judah will join in the siege, or that Judah also will suffer when the city is surrounded. The latter is perhaps the thought of the author, but the emendation of Geiger does not remove all difficulties. Marti follows his usual method and omits the troublesome words, and with another change in the last clause he reads Zechariah 12:2, “Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about, and there will be a siege of Jerusalem.”