God’s Word Translation
Zechariah 14:18
18If the people of Egypt won’t go or enter Jerusalem, then ⌞rain won’t fall⌟ on them. The plague the Lord uses to strike the nations will affect those who won’t come to celebrate the Festival of Booths.
Zechariah 14:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
- New International Version (NIV)If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.
- New King James Version (NKJV)If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
Context of Zechariah 14:18
16Everyone who is left from all the nations that attacked Jerusalem will come every year to worship the king, the Lord of Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Booths. 17If any of the families on the earth won’t go to Jerusalem to worship the king, the Lord of Armies, then rain won’t fall on them. If the people of Egypt won’t go or enter Jerusalem, then ⌞rain won’t fall⌟ on them. The plague the Lord uses to strike the nations will affect those who won’t come to celebrate the Festival of Booths. 19This will be ⌞the punishment⌟ for Egypt’s sin and for the sin of all the nations that won’t go to celebrate the Festival of Booths. 20On that day “Holy to the Lord” will be written on the bells of the horses. And the cooking pots in the house of the Lord will be like the bowls in front of the altar.
Read all of Zechariah 14Zechariah 14:18 word by word
וְאִם־מִשְׁפַּ֨חַת מִצְרַ֧יִם לֹֽא־תַעֲלֶ֛ה וְלֹ֥א בָאָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה הַמַּגֵּפָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִגֹּ֤ף יְהוָה֙ אֶת־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יַֽעֲל֔וּ לָחֹ֖ג אֶת־חַ֥ג הַסֻּכּֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And if the familyמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
- of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- go not upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- and comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- there shall be the plagueמַגֵּפָהmaggêphâh · plagueH4046
- wherewith the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- will smiteנָגַףnâgaph · to strikeH5062
- the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- to keepחָגַגchâgag · to celebrateH2287
- the feastחַגchag châg · feastH2282
- of tabernaclesסֻכָּהsûkkâh · boothH5521
Cross-references for Zechariah 14:18
Commentaries on Zechariah 14:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18If the family of Egypt - This may allude to those Jews who, flying from the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, settled in Egypt, and built a temple at Heliopolis, under the direction of Onias, son of the high priest. Josephus Antiq. lib. xiii., c. 6, and War, lib. vii., c. 36. If these do not rejoin their brethren, they shall have no rain, no interest in the favor of God.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain - Rather, “and there shall not be.” It may be that the prophet chose this elliptical form, as well knowing that the symbol did not hold as to Egypt, which, however it ultimately depended on the equatorial rains which overfilled the lakes which supply the Nile, did not need that fine arrangement of the rains of Autumn and Spring which were essential to the fruitfulness of Palestine. The…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-21Verses 16-21 As it is impossible for all nations literally to come to Jerusalem once a year, to keep a feast, it is evident that a figurative meaning must here be applied. Gospel worship is represented by the keeping of the feast of tabernacles. Every day of a Christian's life is a day of the feast of tabernacles; every Lord's day especially is the great day of the feast; therefore every day let us worship the Lord of hosts, and keep every Lord's day with…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-21Zechariah ends with visions of judgment, salvation, and God's universal kingdom. In the future, Israel will face a siege and near destruction, but the Lord will intervene to save his people (Zechariah 14:3–4) and punish their enemies with a severe plague (14:12). Israel will be restored as God's people, and Jerusalem will become the center of civilization (Zechariah 14:16–17). God's rule will extend over the entire earth (Zechariah 14:9), and the natural…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. if ... Egypt go not up--specified as Israel's ancient foe. If Egypt go not up, and so there be no rain on them (a judgment which Egypt would condemn, as depending on the Nile's overflow, not on rain), there shall be the plague ... . Because the guilty are not affected by one judgment, let them not think to escape, for God has other judgments which shall plague them. Maurer translates, "If Egypt go not up, upon them also there shall be none" (no rain)…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 14:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Zechariah 14
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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