Zechariah 10:4

4 From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.

Zechariah 10:4 in Other Translations

4 Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.

4 From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler--all of them together.

4 From Judah will come the cornerstone, the tent peg, the bow for battle, and all the rulers.

4 God will use them in his work of rebuilding, use them as foundations and pillars, Use them as tools and instruments, use them to oversee his work.

4 From him shall come forth the corner-stone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together.

4 From them will come a cornerstone, from them a tent peg, from them a battle bow, from them every leader.

4 From them will come the cornerstone, from them the tent peg, from them the battle bow, from them every ruler. Together

4 The most important building stone will come from the tribe of Judah. The tent stake will also come from it. And the bow that is used in battle will come from it. In fact, every ruler will come from it.

Zechariah 10:4 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 10:4

Out of him came forth the corner
Or "cornerstone"; by which is meant a king or ruler, as the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi; and is no other than the King Messiah, who was to come out of Judah, and did spring from that tribe, ( 1 Chronicles 5:2 ) ( Hebrews 7:14 ) and this is a reason why God will visit the house of Judah, or the Jews, in the latter day, because the Messiah was promised and sent unto them, salvation was of them, though they rejected him; but the Lord will have mercy on them; the Redeemer shall come to Zion in a spiritual manner, and turn away iniquity from them, and then all Israel shall be saved by him. The epithet of a "corner" stone well agrees with him, that being not only the ornament, but the strength and support of the building, which knits, cements, and keeps the whole together: Christ is a beautiful and precious cornerstone, which gives glory and lustre to the church, and is the support, yea, the foundation of it; and who joins and unites together men and angels; Jews and Gentiles; Old and New Testament saints; saints above and below; saints in all ages and places, and of all nations and denominations; and is the Head of the corner, being superior to men and angels, to the kings of the earth, and to the church of God; see ( Ephesians 2:20 ) . Out of him the nail;
the Targum is, "out of him his Messiah"; which shows that this text was formerly understood of Christ by the Jews; Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it of a prince and governor; so Eliakim the governor is said to be "as a nail in a sure place", ( Isaiah 22:23 ) who was a type of Christ; and this agrees with Christ himself. The allusion is either to a nail, by which the timber in the building is compacted together, and the whole is strengthened, as the church is by Christ: or to a nail to which the cords of tents are fastened, as those of shepherds, travellers, or soldiers; the church is as such a tent; Christ is the nail to which its cords are fastened, which denotes the stability and security of it: or to a nail fixed in a wall, on which things are hung; on Christ are hung all the vessels of mercy; the covenant of grace, and all its promises and blessings; and all the glory of his Father's house, of his building, the temple, and of the salvation of his people, is to be hung on him. Out of him the battle bow;
or "warrior", as Jarchi interprets it; the Lord is a man of war; Christ makes war in righteousness; the armies of heaven follow him; he is at the head of them, and fights the battles of his people, and is victorious, and makes them more than conquerors; their spiritual armour is from him, and they are armed by him, ( Revelation 19:11-14 ) out of him every oppressor together:
or "exactor" ^F14; which is used in a good sense, ( Isaiah 60:17 ) as it must be here, since all the rest of the epithets are; and may design the apostles of Christ, who preached the doctrines of grace and righteousness, and required of men the obedience of faith; and these came out of Judah and Jerusalem, and went into all the world, demanding faith in and obedience to the Son of God.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 (vgzn) "exactor", Montanus, Vatablus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Calvin, Drusius, De Dieu, Cocceius, Burkius.

Zechariah 10:4 In-Context

2 The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

3 “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD Almighty will care for his flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle.

4 From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.

5 Together they will be like warriors in battle trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the LORD is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.

6 “I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.

Cross References

• 1. S Psalms 118:22; S Acts 4:11
• 2. S Isaiah 22:23
• 3. S Zechariah 9:10