Revised Literal Translation
Zechariah 12:3
3And 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.
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 burden of the word of Yhwh for Israel, saith Yhwh, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 2Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 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. 4In that day, saith Yhwh, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. 5And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in Yhwh of Armies their God.
Read all of Zechariah 12Zechariah 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
- And in that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- will I makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- a burdensomeמַעֲמָסָהma‛ămâsâh · burdenH4614
- stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
- for all peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- all that burdenעָמַס‛âmas ‛âmaώ · loadH6006
- themselves with it shall be cut in piecesשָׂרַטώâraţ · to inciseH8295
- though all the peopleגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- be gathered togetherאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
Cross-references for Zechariah 12:3
- Zechariah 12:4In that day, saith Yhwh, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
- Zechariah 2:8For thus saith Yhwh of Armies; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
- Zechariah 10:3Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for Yhwh of Armies hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.
- Zechariah 13:1In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
- Zechariah 14:2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
- Isaiah 60:12For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
- Isaiah 66:14And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of Yhwh shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.
- Ezekiel 38:1And the word of Yhwh came unto me, saying,
- Joel 3:8And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for Yhwh hath spoken it.
- Obadiah 1:18And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for Yhwh hath spoken it.
- Micah 5:8And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
- Micah 7:15According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.
- Habakkuk 2:17For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
- Zephaniah 3:19Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
- Haggai 2:22And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
- Daniel 2:34Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
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
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries