Zechariah 14:1

Old Testament Minor Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Zechariah 14:1 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Behold, a day of Jehovah cometh, when thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Behold, a day of Jehovah cometh, when thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
Zechariah 14:1 — American Standard Version

Context — Zechariah 14

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1Behold, a day of Jehovah cometh, when thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, etc.] Or the day when the Lord will come, both in his spiritual and personal reign; for this is not to be understood of his first coming in the flesh, at which time none of the things after mentioned happened; nor of his coming to take vengeance on the Jews; but rather of his coming to convert them: and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee; not the substance of the nations, divided by the Israelites in the midst of Jerusalem, as the Targum and Jarchi interpret it; but the spoil of Jerusalem, when taken by the enemy, as is after said, which should be divided by them with great joy and triumph, in the midst of it: this refers not to the spoil of…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“LAST STRUGGLE WITH THE HOSTILE WORLD POWERS: MESSIAH-JEHOVAH SAVES JERUSALEM AND DESTROYS THE FOE, OF WHOM THE REMNANT TURNS TO THE LORD REIGNING AT JERUSALEM. (Zec. 14:1-21) day of the Lord--in which He shall vindicate His justice by punishing the wicked and then saving His elect people (Joe 2:31; Joe 3:14; Mal 4:1, Mal 4:5). thy spoil . . . divided in the midst of thee--by the foe; secure of victory, they shall not divide the spoil taken from thee in their camp outside, but "in the midst" of the city itself.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Behold the Day of the Lord cometh - Literally, “a day cometh, the Lord’s,” in which He Himself shall be Judge, and no longer leave man to fulfill his own will, and despise God’s; in which His glory and holiness and the righteousness of all His ways shall be revealed. And thy spoil shall be in the midst of thee - Jerome: “How great will the strait be, that the spoils should be divided in the midst of her. It often happens that what, by a sudden assault, is plundered in the city, is divided in the field or in solitude, lest the enemy should come upon them. But now there will be such a heavy weight of ills, such will be the security of conquest, that the spoils shall be divided in the midst of…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“The day - Of vengeance, Joe 2:1-2, cometh, or will soon overtake you, O sinful, unthankful! bloody! Jews. Thy spoil - All thou hast, O, Jerusalem, shall become a prey to thine enemy. Zechariah 14:2”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“14:1-21 Zechariah closes with visions of judgment, salvation, and God’s universal kingdom. In the future, Israel would be besieged, teetering on the verge of total destruction, when the Lord himself would intervene and rescue his people (14:3-4) and punish their enemies with a terrible plague (14:12). Israel would be restored as God’s people, and Jerusalem would be exalted as the center of civilization (14:16-17). God’s rule would be established over all the earth (14:9), and the created order would be transformed (14:6-10). Fittingly, God’s holiness would be the pervasive characteristic of his rule over all the earth (14:20-21). Zechariah’s message stimulates the people of God to hope in…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Isa 2:12, Isa 13:6, Isa 13:9; Joe 2:31, Joe 3:14; Mal 4:5; Act 2:20; Rev 16:14 Zechariah 14:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“All nations will be gathered together by the Lord against Jerusalem, and will take the city and plunder it, and lead away the half of its inhabitants into captivity ( Zac 14:1, Zac 14:2). The Lord will then take charge of His people; He will appear upon the Mount of Olives, and by splitting this mountain, prepare a safe way for the rescue of those that remain, and come with all His saints ( Zac 14:3-5) to complete His kingdom. From Jerusalem a stream of salvation and blessing will pour over the whole land ( Zac 14:6-11); the enemies who have come against Jerusalem will be miraculously smitten, and destroy one another ( Zac 14:12-15). The remnant of the nations, however, will turn to the…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification