God’s Word Translation
Zechariah 12:5
5Then the leaders of Judah will think to themselves, ‘The people who live in Jerusalem are strong because of the Lord of Armies, their God.’
Zechariah 12:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God.
- New International Version (NIV)Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the Lord of hosts, their God.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.’
Context of Zechariah 12:5
3On that day I will make Jerusalem a stone too heavy for all the nations to lift. All who try to lift it will be severely injured. All the nations in the world will gather ⌞to fight⌟ against Jerusalem.” 4The Lord declares, “On that day I will strike every horse with panic and every rider with madness. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will strike all the horses of the nations blind. Then the leaders of Judah will think to themselves, ‘The people who live in Jerusalem are strong because of the Lord of Armies, their God.’ 6“On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a fire on a pile of wood and like a burning torch among freshly cut straw. They will burn up all the surrounding nations to the right and to the left. But the people of Jerusalem will remain safe in Jerusalem. 7“The Lord will save Judah’s tents first so that the honor of David’s family and the honor of those who live in Jerusalem will not be greater than the honor of Judah.
Read all of Zechariah 12Zechariah 12:5 word by word
וְאָֽמְר֛וּ אַלֻּפֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה בְּלִבָּ֑ם אַמְצָ֥ה לִי֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם בַּיהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the governorsאַלּוּף'alûph 'allûph · chiefH441
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- shall sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- in their heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- The inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- my strengthאַמְצָה'amtsâh · strengthH556
- in the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- their Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for Zechariah 12:5
- Zechariah 12:6“On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a fire on a pile of wood and like a burning torch among freshly cut straw. They will burn up all the surrounding nations to the right and to the left. But the people of Jerusalem will remain safe in Jerusalem.
- Judges 5:9My heart goes out to Israel’s commanders, to those people who volunteered. Praise the Lord!
- Isaiah 1:10Listen to the Lord’s word, you rulers of Sodom! Pay attention to the teachings from our God, you people of Gomorrah!
- Isaiah 29:10The Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He will shut your eyes. (Your eyes are the prophets.) He will cover your heads. (Your heads are the seers.)
- Isaiah 32:1A king will rule with fairness, and officials will rule with justice.
- Isaiah 60:17I will bring gold instead of bronze. I will bring silver instead of iron, bronze instead of wood, and iron instead of stone. I will appoint peace as your governor and righteousness as your ruler.
- Jeremiah 30:21Their leader will be someone from their own people. Their ruler will come from among them. I’ll bring him near, and he will come close to me. Who would dare to come near me?” asks the Lord.
- Jeremiah 33:26Then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David. I would not let any of David’s descendants rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, I will restore their fortunes and love them.”
- Ezekiel 45:8This land will belong to the prince in Israel. Then my princes will no longer oppress my people. They will give land to each tribe of the nation of Israel.
- Zechariah 10:6“I will strengthen the people of Judah. I will rescue Joseph’s people. I will bring them back, because I have compassion for them. It will be as though I had never rejected them, because I am the Lord their God, and I will answer them.
- Psalms 18:32God arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
- Psalms 20:6Now I know that the Lord will give victory to his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty deeds of his powerful hand.
- Psalms 46:1God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
- Psalms 68:34Acknowledge the power of God. His majesty is over Israel, and his power is in the skies.
- Psalms 118:10All the nations surrounded me, ⌞but armed⌟ with the name of the Lord, I defeated them.
- Psalms 144:1Thank the Lord, my rock, who trained my hands to fight and my fingers to do battle,
Commentaries on Zechariah 12:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5The governors of Judah - This supposes a union between the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And the princes of Judah - He pictures the onemindedness of the Church. No one shall assume anything to himself; each shall exalt the strength which the other was to him; but all, “in the Lord. The princes of Judah” shall say “in their heart,” not outwardly or politically, but in inward conviction, “strength to me” (all speak as one) “are the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the Lord of hosts their God.” The highest in human estimation acknowledge that their…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5LORD of Hosts: This title emphasizes God's unstoppable power (see study note on Zechariah 1:3). The repeated use of this title in Zechariah’s second oracle (Zechariah 12–14) assured his audience that God would definitely fulfill the promises about Judah’s victory (12:7).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. shall say--when they see the foe divinely smitten with "madness." Judah ... Jerusalem--here distinguished as the country and the metropolis. Judah recognizes her "strength" to be "Jerusalem and its inhabitants" as the instrument, and "Jehovah of hosts their God" (dwelling especially there) as the author of all power (Joe 3:16). My strength is the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who have the Lord their God as their help. The repulse of the foe by the…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 12:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zechariah 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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