For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

ZECHARIAH 14:2KJV
Know the Bible

Zechariah 14:2 (KJV)

What does Zechariah 14:2 mean?

Zechariah 14:2 describes a time when God will gather all nations to fight against Jerusalem, resulting in the city being captured, homes looted, women assaulted, and half the population taken into captivity, while the rest remain in the city. This verse paints a picture of severe distress and upheaval for Jerusalem as part of a larger prophetic vision.

The prophet Zechariah is speaking to the people of Judah after their return from exile, warning them of a future crisis involving Jerusalem. The verse is part of a prophecy where God allows a devastating attack on the city, but it also sets the stage for later verses where God intervenes. The language is vivid and unsettling, emphasizing the seriousness of the coming conflict.

The Hebrew behind Zechariah 14:2

  • The word for "gather" (אָסַף, 'asaf, H622) means to collect or assemble. Here, it shows that the nations coming against Jerusalem are not acting on their own, but are being brought together by God’s purpose.
  • "Nations" (גּוֹיִם, goyim, H1471) refers to foreign peoples or groups, highlighting that this is a worldwide coalition, not just a local enemy.
  • "Rifled" (שָׁסַס, shasas, H8155) means to plunder or loot. This word underlines the total loss and violation experienced by the people in the city.
  • "Residue" (שְׁאָרִית, she'arit, H3499) means the remaining or surviving part. This detail shows that not everyone is taken; some remain, which hints at hope or a future for those left.

Why Zechariah 14:2 matters

  • Zechariah 14:2 clarifies that the coming hardship is not random, but part of a larger plan where God is still in control, even in disaster.
  • The verse sets up the dramatic tension for the rest of the chapter, where God’s intervention and ultimate deliverance are described.
  • Understanding the severity of the situation in Zechariah 14:2 helps readers grasp the depth of the hope and restoration promised later in the passage.

Where else these words appear

“ravished” Hebrew H7693 · used in 4 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:30 Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.
  • Isaiah 13:16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
  • Jeremiah 3:2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

“rifled” Hebrew H8155 · used in 5 verses

  • Judges 2:14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
  • 1 Samuel 17:53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.
  • Psalms 89:41 All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.

“captivity” Hebrew H1473 · used in 41 verses

  • 2 Kings 24:15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
  • Ezra 10:8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
  • Jeremiah 49:3 Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.

“residue” Hebrew H3499 · used in 95 verses

  • Genesis 49:3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
  • 1 Kings 22:39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
  • 2 Chronicles 27:7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.