New Living Translation
Zechariah 12:5
5And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the Lord of Heaven’s 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 an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves. 4“On that day,” says the Lord, “I will cause every horse to panic and every rider to lose his nerve. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of their enemies. And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, their God.’ 6“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure. 7“The Lord will give victory to the rest of Judah first, before Jerusalem, so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David will not have greater honor than the rest 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 clans of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure.
- Judges 5:9My heart is with the commanders of Israel, with those who volunteered for war. Praise the Lord!
- Isaiah 1:10Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.”
- Isaiah 29:10For the Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has closed the eyes of your prophets and visionaries.
- Isaiah 32:1Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him.
- Isaiah 60:17I will exchange your bronze for gold, your iron for silver, your wood for bronze, and your stones for iron. I will make peace your leader and righteousness your ruler.
- Jeremiah 30:21They will have their own ruler again, and he will come from their own people. I will invite him to approach me,” says the Lord, “for who would dare to come unless invited?
- Jeremiah 33:26I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David’s descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them.”
- Ezekiel 45:8These sections of land will be the prince’s allotment. Then my princes will no longer oppress and rob my people; they will assign the rest of the land to the people, giving an allotment to each tribe.
- Zechariah 10:6“I will strengthen Judah and save Israel; I will restore them because of my compassion. It will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, who will hear their cries.
- Psalms 18:32God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.
- Psalms 20:6Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.
- Psalms 46:1God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
- Psalms 68:34Tell everyone about God’s power. His majesty shines down on Israel; his strength is mighty in the heavens.
- Psalms 118:10Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
- Psalms 144:1Praise the Lord, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for 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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries