Zechariah 9:14

14 The Lord will appear above his people; he will shoot his arrows like lightning. The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms from the south.

Zechariah 9:14 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 9:14

And the Lord shall be seen over them
His apostles and ministers: or, "shall appear to them" ^F17; and be seen by them, as he was in the days of his flesh; they saw his person, his miracles, his sorrows, and sufferings; they saw him after his resurrection, and some have seen him since his ascension, with the eyes of their bodies, as well as with the eyes of their understandings; and so were fit to be witnesses of him: or, "the Lord shall appear over them", or "upon them" {r}; he was seen over, and above them, when he ascended up to heaven; and upon them, by the descent of his Spirit on them at the day of Pentecost, and in other miraculous gifts bestowed upon them: or, "the Lord shall appear unto", or "for them" ^F19; by giving strength of body, and fortitude of mind; by protecting and preserving them, and by succeeding their labours: and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning:
meaning the Gospel, and the swift progress of it, as well as the light it communicates, and the glory that goes along with it, and the efficacy of it: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet;
of the Gospel, so called, in allusion to the jubilee trumpet, which proclaimed liberty to servants, and restoration of inheritances: or to the trumpets made for the congregation of Israel to gather them together, and to express their joy at feasts: or to the trumpet used to proclaim war, and as an alarm for it; and this was blown by the Lord himself in person when here on earth, and by his ministers in his name: and shall go with whirlwinds of the south;
that is, the Lord in the ministration of the Gospel shall go forth with the efficacy and energy of the Spirit: the Spirit is compared to "wind", because he works in a sovereign way where he listeth, and oftentimes imperceptibly, and ever powerfully; and to the "south" wind, because that brings warmth, serenity, and calmness, produces rain, and makes fruitful; and he it is which makes the Gospel efficacious; see ( Song of Solomon 4:16 ) ( John 3:8 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F17 (hary Mhyle) "aderit illis", Vatablus, Drusius.
F18 "Super cos", V. L. Calvin; "super eis", Montanus, Piscator; "super illis", Cocceius.
F19 So the particle is sometimes used; see Noldius, p. 690, 703.

Zechariah 9:14 In-Context

12 Return, you exiles who now have hope; return to your place of safety. Now I tell you that I will repay you twice over with blessing for all you have suffered.

13 I will use Judah like a soldier's bow and Israel like the arrows. I will use the men of Zion like a sword, to fight the men of Greece."

14 The Lord will appear above his people; he will shoot his arrows like lightning. The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms from the south.

15 The Lord Almighty will protect his people, and they will destroy their enemies. They will shout in battle like drunk men and will shed the blood of their enemies; it will flow like the blood of a sacrifice poured on the altar from a bowl.

16 When that day comes, the Lord will save his people, as a shepherd saves his flock from danger. They will shine in his land like the jewels of a crown.