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.

ZECHARIAH 9:15KJV
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Zechariah 9:15 (KJV)

What does Zechariah 9:15 mean?

Zechariah 9:15 describes how God, called the LORD of hosts, will protect His people and give them victory over their enemies, using vivid images of battle and celebration. The verse uses strong language to show that God’s people will overcome their foes with God’s help and will be filled with joy and abundance, like vessels overflowing at the altar.

The prophet Zechariah is speaking to the people of Israel, encouraging them with a promise of God’s powerful protection and triumph over their adversaries. The verse is set in a time when Israel faced threats from surrounding nations, and it paints a picture of God actively defending them, leading to a scene of both conquest and joyful worship.

The Hebrew behind Zechariah 9:15

  • LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh) of hosts (צְבָאוֹת, tseva’ot): This title emphasizes God’s supreme command over heavenly armies, highlighting His unmatched power to defend Israel.
  • Defend (גָּנַן, ganan): This word means to shield or protect, stressing that the victory is not by Israel’s strength but by God’s active guarding.
  • Devour (אָכַל, akhal) and subdue (כָּבַשׁ, kavash): These words show the completeness of the victory—God’s people will not just survive but will thoroughly overcome their enemies.
  • Filled (מָלֵא, male) like bowls (מִזְרָק, mizrak): This image refers to the temple vessels used to catch sacrificial blood, suggesting the people will be filled to overflowing, possibly with joy, victory, or blessing.

Why Zechariah 9:15 matters

  • Zechariah 9:15 clears up the idea that Israel’s victory is due to their own might; the language centers the action on God’s protection and intervention.
  • The verse connects the imagery of battle with the imagery of worship, showing that God’s deliverance leads to both victory and spiritual celebration.
  • The context of the wider passage is a series of promises about God’s future deliverance, so this verse reassures the people that God’s faithfulness will result in both physical and spiritual restoration.

Where else these words appear

“corners” Hebrew H2106 · used in 2 verses

  • Psalms 144:12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:

“defend” Hebrew H1598 · used in 7 verses

  • 2 Kings 19:34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
  • Isaiah 31:5 As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
  • Isaiah 38:6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

“subdue” Hebrew H3533 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
  • 2 Samuel 8:11 Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued;
  • Esther 7:8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

“sling” Hebrew H7050 · used in 22 verses

  • Exodus 27:9 And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:
  • Exodus 38:12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
  • Numbers 4:26 And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.