Zechariah 12

Zechariah 12:1: The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
Commentary: Here, we see the LORD’s power and authority over all things, including the heavens, the earth, and mankind. He is the one who created all these things and has the power to shape and form us.

Zechariah 12:2: Behold, 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.
Commentary: God will use Jerusalem as a source of judgement for the people surrounding it. The judgement will be for their actions against Judah and Jerusalem.

Zechariah 12:3: 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.
Commentary: God will make Jerusalem a burden to all who seek to harm it, and those who try to harm it will be destroyed.

Zechariah 12:4: In that day, saith the LORD, 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.
Commentary: God will punish those who seek to harm Jerusalem, striking them with confusion and blindness. He will also watch over Judah and protect it from harm.

Zechariah 12:5: And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
Commentary: The leaders of Judah will recognize the LORD as their God and trust in Him to protect Jerusalem and the inhabitants.

Zechariah 12:6: 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.
Commentary: God will make the governors of Judah powerful and they will be able to defend Jerusalem from their enemies. Jerusalem will be restored and inhabited again.

Zechariah 12:7: The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.
Commentary: The LORD will protect Judah and the house of David first, so that the glory of Jerusalem and its inhabitants does not become too great.

Zechariah 12:8: In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
Commentary: The LORD will protect the people of Jerusalem and those who are weak will be made strong, just like David was. The house of David will be like God, and will be an angel of the LORD to guide them.

Zechariah 12:9: And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Commentary: God will seek to destroy all of the nations that attempt to harm Jerusalem in that day.

Zechariah 12:10: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Commentary: God will pour out His grace and mercy on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They will recognize what they have done in piercing Jesus and mourn for Him like a child mourns for his only son.

Zechariah 12:11: “In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.”
Commentary: This verse is a prophecy of a great sorrow and mourning among the people of Jerusalem, as great as the mourning for the death of Josiah that had occurred in the Valley of Megiddon. This mourning is a sign of the great sorrow that would come upon the people of Jerusalem when they sin against God.

Zechariah 12:12: “And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;”
Commentary: This prophecy speaks of the families of the house of David and the house of Nathan grieving separately and apart from one another, indicative of the deep sorrow that would come upon the people of Jerusalem. This sorrow was a result of their turning away from God and disobeying His commands.

Zechariah 12:13: “The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;”
Commentary: This verse foretells that the families of the house of Levi and the house of Shimei would also mourn apart and separately, a sign of the deep sorrow that would come upon the people of Jerusalem due to their disobedience. This sorrow was a result of their failure to follow God’s commands.

Zechariah 12:14: “All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.”
Commentary: This verse reveals that all the families who remained in Jerusalem would also mourn apart and separately, a sign of the great sorrow that would come upon them due to their disobedience. This sorrow was a result of their turning away from God and not following His commands.