God’s Word Translation
Zechariah 12:6
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.
Zechariah 12:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.
- New International Version (NIV)“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem.
- New King James Version (NKJV)In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.
Context of Zechariah 12:6
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. 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.’ “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. 8On that day the Lord will defend those who live in Jerusalem so that even those who stumble will be like David, and David’s family will be like God, like the Messenger of the Lord ahead of them.
Read all of Zechariah 12Zechariah 12:6 word by word
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֡וּא אָשִׂים֩ אֶת־אַלֻּפֵ֨י יְהוּדָ֜ה כְּֽכִיּ֧וֹר אֵ֣שׁ בְּעֵצִ֗ים וּכְלַפִּ֥יד אֵשׁ֙ בְּעָמִ֔יר וְאָ֨כְל֜וּ עַל־יָמִ֧ין וְעַל־שְׂמֹ֛אול אֶת־כָּל־הָעַמִּ֖ים סָבִ֑יב וְיָשְׁבָ֨ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֥ם ע֛וֹד תַּחְתֶּ֖יהָ בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- In that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- will I makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- the governorsאַלּוּף'alûph 'allûph · chiefH441
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- like an hearthכִּיֹּרkîyôr kîyôr · basinH3595
- of fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- among the woodעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
- and like a torchלַפִּידlappîyd lappid · torchH3940
- in a sheafעָמִיר‛âmîyr · sheafH5995
- and they shall devourאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- round aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439
- on the right handיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
- and on the leftשְׂמֹאלώemô'l ώem'ôl · leftH8040
- and Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- shall be inhabitedיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
Cross-references for Zechariah 12:6
- Isaiah 10:16That is why the Almighty Lord of Armies will send a degenerative disease against brave men. A flame will be turned into a raging fire under his power.
- Obadiah 1:18The descendants of Jacob will be like a fire. The descendants of Joseph will be like a flame. But the descendants of Esau will be like straw. They will be burned and destroyed. There will be no one left among the descendants of Esau.” The Lord has spoken.
- Revelation 20:9⌞I saw that⌟ they spread over the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s holy people and the beloved city. Fire came from heaven and burned them up.
- Zechariah 9:15The Lord of Armies will defend them. They will destroy and trample the stones used in slings. They will drink and shout as if they were drunk. They will be filled like a sacrificial bowl ⌞used for sprinkling⌟ the corners of the altar.
- Psalms 149:6Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands
- Isaiah 41:15“I am going to make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp, double-edged teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them to dust. You will turn the hills into straw.
- Daniel 2:34While you were watching, a stone was cut out, but not by humans. It struck the statue’s iron-and-clay feet and smashed them.
- Micah 4:13Get up and thresh, people of Zion. I will make your horns as hard as iron and your hoofs as hard as bronze. You will smash many nations into small pieces. You will claim their loot for the Lord, their wealth for the Lord of the whole earth.
- Micah 5:5This man will be their peace. When the Assyrians invade our land and trample our palaces, we will attack them with seven shepherds and eight leaders.
- Revelation 19:19I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army.
- Isaiah 9:20On the right, one gobbles up food and is still hungry. On the left, another eats and is never full. Each person eats the flesh from his own arm.
- Isaiah 54:3You will spread out to the right and left. Your descendants will take over other nations, and they will resettle deserted cities.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7truthfulness, and the presence of God’s power. We demonstrate that we are God’s servants
- Zechariah 1:16This is what the Lord of Armies says: I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion. My house will be rebuilt in it, declares the Lord of Armies. A measuring line will be used to rebuild Jerusalem.
- Zechariah 2:4and said to him, “Run, and say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited like an unwalled village because it will have so many people and animals in it.
- Zechariah 8:3This is what the Lord says: I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth. The mountain of the Lord of Armies will be called the holy mountain.
Commentaries on Zechariah 12:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Jerusalem shall be inhabited again - This seems to refer to the future conversion of the Jews, and their "return to their own land."Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6I will make the governors of Judah like a hearth - or “cauldron” of fire large, broad, deep, and full of fire, among the wood which is prepared for burning, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf The fire could not kindle the wood or the sheaf, of itself, unless applied to it. All is of the agency of God: “I will make.” Ribera: “He foretells the increase of the Church, which by such persecutions shall not be diminished, but shall be marvelously increased…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6firepot: People used bronze or gold firepans to carry hot coals to and from the sacrificial altars of the tabernacle and the temple (Exodus 27:3; 1 Kings 7:50). God would place Israel among the nations like a burning firepan to destroy or purify them.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. On "governors of Judah," see on Zec 9:7. hearth--or pan. torch ... in a sheaf--Though small, it shall consume the many foes around. One prophet supplements the other. Thus Is 29:1-24; Joe 3:1-21; Zec 12:1-14:21, describe more Antichrist's army than himself. Daniel represents him as a horn growing out of the fourth beast or fourth kingdom; St. John, as a separate beast having an individual existence. Daniel dwells on his worldly conquests as a king; St…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 12:6
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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