New Living Translation
Zechariah 12:6
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.
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
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. 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.’ “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. 8On that day the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the Lord who goes before 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 10:16Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will send a plague among Assyria’s proud troops, and a flaming fire will consume its glory.
- Obadiah 1:18The people of Israel will be a raging fire, and Edom a field of dry stubble. The descendants of Joseph will be a flame roaring across the field, devouring everything. There will be no survivors in Edom. I, the Lord, have spoken!
- Revelation 20:9And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.
- Zechariah 9:15The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will protect his people, and they will defeat their enemies by hurling great stones. They will shout in battle as though drunk with wine. They will be filled with blood like a bowl, drenched with blood like the corners of the altar.
- Psalms 149:6Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—
- Isaiah 41:15You will be a new threshing instrument with many sharp teeth. You will tear your enemies apart, making chaff of mountains.
- Daniel 2:34As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits.
- Micah 4:13“Rise up and crush the nations, O Jerusalem!” says the Lord. “For I will give you iron horns and bronze hooves, so you can trample many nations to pieces. You will present their stolen riches to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.”
- Micah 5:5And he will be the source of peace. When the Assyrians invade our land and break through our defenses, we will appoint seven rulers to watch over us, eight princes to lead us.
- Revelation 19:19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army.
- Isaiah 9:20They will attack their neighbor on the right but will still be hungry. They will devour their neighbor on the left but will not be satisfied. In the end they will even eat their own children.
- Isaiah 54:3For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense.
- Zechariah 1:16“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I have returned to show mercy to Jerusalem. My Temple will be rebuilt, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and measurements will be taken for the reconstruction of Jerusalem.’
- Zechariah 2:4The other angel said, “Hurry, and say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls.
- Zechariah 8:3“And now the Lord says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s 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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries