Zechariah 12:3

Zechariah 12:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
• New International Version (NIV)On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.
• English Standard Version (ESV)On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.

Context of Zechariah 12:3

1The pronouncement of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: The Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of a person within him, declares: 2“Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes staggering to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. It will come about on that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will injure themselves severely. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. 4On that day,” declares the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with insanity. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a strong support for us through the Lord of armies, their God.’

Zechariah 12:3 word by word

וְהָיָ֣ה בַיּוֹם־הַ֠הוּא אָשִׂ֨ים אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם אֶ֤בֶן מַֽעֲמָסָה֙ לְכָל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים כָּל־עֹמְסֶ֖יהָ שָׂר֣וֹט יִשָּׂרֵ֑טוּ וְנֶאֶסְפ֣וּ עָלֶ֔יהָ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear

• It will comeהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• on that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• that I will makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
• a heavyמַעֲמָסָהma‛ămâsâh · burdenH4614
• stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• for allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the peoplesעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• who liftעָמַס‛âmas ‛âmaώ · loadH6006
• injureשָׂרַטώâraţ · to inciseH8295
• nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• will be gatheredאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
• againstעַל‛al · uponH5921

Cross-references for Zechariah 12:3

• Zechariah 12:4On that day,” declares the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with insanity. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.
• Zechariah 2:8For the Lord of armies says this: “After glory He has sent me against the nations that plunder you, for the one who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.
• Zechariah 10:3“My anger is kindled against the shepherds, And I will punish the male goats; For the Lord of armies has visited His flock, the house of Judah, And will make them like His majestic horse in battle.
• Zechariah 13:1“On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for defilement.
• Zechariah 14:2For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be taken, the houses plundered, the women raped, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be eliminated from the city.
• Isaiah 60:12For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined.
• Isaiah 66:14Then you will see this, and your heart will be glad, And your bones will flourish like the new grass; And the hand of the Lord will be made known to His servants, But He will be indignant toward His enemies.
• Ezekiel 38:1Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
• Joel 3:8I will also sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a distant nation,” for the Lord has spoken.
• Obadiah 1:18Then the house of Jacob will be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau will be like stubble. And they will set them on fire and consume them, So that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau,” For the Lord has spoken.
• Micah 5:8The remnant of Jacob Will be among the nations, Among many peoples Like a lion among the animals of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Which, if he passes through, Tramples and tears, And there is no one who can rescue.
• Micah 7:15“As in the days when you went out from the land of Egypt, I will show you miracles.”
• Habakkuk 2:17For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, And the devastation of its animals by which you terrified them, Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants.
• Zephaniah 3:19Behold, I am going to deal at that time With all your oppressors; I will save those who limp And gather the scattered, And I will turn their shame into praise and fame In all the earth.
• Haggai 2:22And I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, every one by the sword of another.’
• Daniel 2:34You continued watching until a stone was broken off without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them.

Commentaries on Zechariah 12:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3A burdensome stone - Probably referring to that stone which was thrown on the breast of a culprit adjudged to lose his life by stoning, by which the whole region of the thorax, heart, lungs, liver, etc., was broken to pieces.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone to all nations - What is “a stone to all nations?” It is not a rock or anything in its own nature immovable, but a “stone,” a thing rolled up and down, moved, lifted, displaced, piled on others, in every way at the service and command of people, to do with it what they willed. So they thought of that “stone cut out without hands” Daniel 2:45; that “tried stone and sure foundation, laid in Zion” Isaiah 28:16; that…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Jerusalem will be like a heavy stone that no one can move. Anyone who tries to conquer or control the city will be injured by it. This is because the Lord founded Jerusalem and loves it more than any other city in Israel (Psalm 87:1–2). In the book of Zechariah, stone imagery is often connected to the temple. These stones point to God’s work of building, restoring, and protecting his holy place (Zechariah 3:9; 4:7; 10:4).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. (Zec 14:4, 6-9, 13). Jerome states it was a custom in Palestine to test the strength of youths by their lifting up a massive stone; the phrase, "burden themselves with it," refers to this custom. Compare Mt 21:44: The Jews "fell" on the rock of offense, Messiah, and were "broken"; but the rock shall fall on Antichrist, who "burdens himself with it" by his assault on the restored Jews, and "grind him to powder." all ... people of ... earth--The…Read the comment

Topics related to Zechariah 12:3

• Israel, Prophecies Concerning

In the dictionaries

• Jerusalem
• That Day
• Bible, the
• Burden
• Cut; Cutting
• Ezekiel
• Games
• Salvation
• Stone, Stones
• Zechariah, Book of

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