Zechariah 9 (KJV) opens the second half of the book with a burden against the cities north and west of Judah, then turns to the coming of Zion’s king and the LORD’s defense of His people. The LORD is Jesus Christ. Damascus remains Damascus in Syria; Hamath is the area of Hama in Syria; Tyre and Zidon are the coastal cities of modern Lebanon; Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Ashdod are the Philistine cities along the southern coastal plain (today the Gaza Strip, “Palestine”, and adjacent Israeli coast); Jerusalem, Zion, Judah, and Ephraim are the land and people corresponding to modern Israel; Javan is Greece.

1 The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD.

The burden of the word of the LORD rests on the land of Hadrach, and Damascus (Syria) is its resting place, when the eyes of men, and of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the LORD.

2 And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise.

Hamath (Hama, Syria) also borders on it, together with Tyre and Zidon (Lebanon), though Tyre is very wise.

3 And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.

Tyre built herself a stronghold and piled up silver like dust and fine gold like the mud of the streets. The wealth of the Phoenician port is stated as fact.

4 Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.

The Lord (Jesus) will dispossess her (Tyre, Lebanon), strike her power in the sea, and she will be devoured with fire. The maritime stronghold is not permanent.

5 Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will see it and be deeply sorrowful, and Ekron likewise, because her hope is put to shame. The king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited. These are the Philistine cities of the southern coast.

This prophecy states when Tyre, Lebanon is destroyed, the kings (leadership) of Gaza shall perish. The modern day leadership of the Gaza is the terrorist group HAMAS. Coastal cities around Israel (North of the Gaza Strip) will also not be inhabited.

6 And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

A mixed or foreign population will dwell in Ashdod, and the pride of the Philistines will be cut off.

7 And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.

Blood will be removed from his mouth and abominations from between his teeth. The one who remains will belong to God, will be like a clan leader in Judah, and Ekron will be like a Jebusite (absorbed into the people, as the old Jebusites were). A remnant of Philistia is incorporated rather than merely destroyed.

8 And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes.

The LORD will encamp around His house against any army, whether passing by or returning, and no oppressor will pass through them anymore, because He has now seen with His eyes. The protection is centered on His house in the land.

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass

Daughter of Zion and daughter of Jerusalem (Israel) are told to rejoice: their King (Jesus) comes to them, just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt the foal of a donkey. Matthew 21:5 and John 12:15 quote this verse of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

The chariot will be cut off from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be cut off. He will speak peace to the nations, and his dominion will be from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. The weapons of Ephraim and Jerusalem are removed; the rule extends outward. Revelation 19 pictures a different arrival, on a white horse for war; this verse stresses the lowly arrival and the subsequent peace.

11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

By the blood of the covenant He has sent the prisoners out of the waterless pit. Release is tied to covenant blood.

12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

Prisoners of hope are told to return to the stronghold. He declares that He will restore double to them.

13 When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.

He bends Judah as His bow, fills the bow with Ephraim, and raises the sons of Zion against the sons of Greece (Javan), making Zion like the sword of a mighty man. Greece is named as the opposing power in this verse.

14 And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

The LORD will appear over them, His arrow will go out like lightning, and the Lord GOD will blow the trumpet and go with the whirlwinds of the south. The divine appearance accompanies the conflict.

15 The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.

The LORD of hosts (Jesus) will defend them. They will devour and subdue with sling stones, drink and shout as with wine, and be filled like the sacrificial bowls and the corners of the altar.

16 And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.

The LORD their God will save them in that day as the flock of His people. They will be like the stones of a crown, lifted up as a banner over His land.

17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

His goodness and beauty are declared great. Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.

Chapter 9 therefore judges the Syrian and Lebanese coastal cities and the Philistine cities, encamps around the LORD’s house, announces the lowly King riding into Jerusalem (the verse the Gospels apply to Jesus), removes the chariot and bow, sets Zion against Greece, and saves the people as the flock and crown jewels of His land.

The explicit New Testament citation of verse 9 is the clearest link beyond the book; the chapter’s war imagery is distinct from the white-horse arrival in Revelation 19.