Zechariah 14:21 kjv
Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 14:21 nkjv
Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 14:21 niv
Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty.
Zechariah 14:21 esv
And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.
Zechariah 14:21 nlt
In fact, every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD of Heaven's Armies. All who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices. And on that day there will no longer be traders in the Temple of the LORD of Heaven's Armies.
Zechariah 14 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Zech 14:20 | In that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "HOLY TO THE LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD... holy like the bowls. | Universal holiness of everyday objects |
| Rev 21:27 | But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. | No impurity in the New Jerusalem |
| Isa 35:8 | A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; no unclean thing shall pass over it... | Path of holiness, exclusion of the unclean |
| Isa 52:1 | ...put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. | Holy city, no entry for the unholy |
| Joel 3:17 | So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall no more pass through it. | Jerusalem consecrated, free from outsiders |
| Ezek 44:9 | No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, shall enter my sanctuary. | Exclusion of the spiritually uncircumcised |
| Matt 21:12-13 | And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers... | Cleansing of the temple from profane commerce |
| John 2:14-16 | In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers... "Take these things away... make not my Father's house a house of trade." | Jesus' zeal against profanation of sacred space |
| Rev 21:3 | Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. | God's direct, pervasive presence |
| Rev 21:22 | And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. | God's immediate presence renders a physical temple unnecessary |
| Heb 8:10 | For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel... I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts... | New Covenant internalizes holiness |
| Heb 10:19-22 | Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus... | Direct access to God's presence for all believers |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." | Command to live in personal holiness |
| Lev 11:44-45 | For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. | Old Testament command for holiness |
| Lev 20:26 | You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine. | God's separation of His people for holiness |
| 1 Cor 6:19-20 | Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit... You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. | Believers as temples, consecrated to God |
| Eph 2:19-22 | So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints... in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God... | Inclusion of all in God's spiritual dwelling |
| Zech 8:20-23 | Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. | Universal worship and pilgrimage to God |
| Isa 60:3-5 | And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Then you shall see and be radiant... | Nations coming to God's light |
| Psa 2:6 | "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill." | God's sovereign reign from Zion |
| Jer 31:33-34 | For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel... I will put my law within them... and they shall all know me... | Future universal knowledge of God, no need for teaching |
| Isa 4:3-4 | And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem... | Remnant's holiness, cleansing by spirit of judgment |
| Rev 22:15 | Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. | Exclusion of unrighteous from the Holy City |
Zechariah 14 verses
Zechariah 14 21 Meaning
Zechariah 14:21 prophesies a future time when Jerusalem will be entirely consecrated to the Lord. Every cooking pot, even the most common and mundane household item, will become as holy as the sacred bowls used for sacrificial offerings in the Temple. This universal sanctification will extend throughout Jerusalem and Judah, allowing anyone who sacrifices to use these formerly common vessels for holy purposes. The verse culminates by declaring that no "Canaanite"—understood either ethnically or, more profoundly, as a symbol of impurity, dishonest merchantry, or ungodliness—shall remain in the House of the Lord of hosts, signaling a complete removal of all defilement and profane elements from God's sacred presence.
Zechariah 14 21 Context
Zechariah 14:21 concludes a profound prophetic vision describing the Day of the Lord, where God dramatically intervenes in human history. The preceding verses of chapter 14 depict Jerusalem besieged, God's mighty deliverance, cosmic and geographical alterations, and the universal reign of the LORD over all the earth. Following this, the chapter moves into the establishment of a transformed Jerusalem as the global center of worship. All surviving nations will annually come to worship the King, the Lord of hosts (v. 16). The vision culminates with an pervasive holiness: even the bells of horses will be inscribed with "Holy to the Lord," and the pots in the Lord's house will be as sacred as the altar bowls (v. 20). Verse 21 further expands this sanctity, declaring that every common cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will share this sacred status, accessible to all for sacrificial use. This ultimate purification removes all foreign and impure elements, specifically "Canaanites," from the dwelling place of God. Historically, the post-exilic community yearned for purity and a restored relationship with God, anticipating a definitive end to the profanation and foreign influences that had plagued their past. Zechariah 14:21, therefore, presents the eschatological ideal of a completely purified and dedicated worship of God, extending into every facet of life and entirely free from corruption.
Zechariah 14 21 Word analysis
- Indeed, every pot (גַּם כָּל־סִיר – gam kol-sîr): `Gam` ("indeed," "even," "also") emphasizes the remarkable extent of this holiness. `Kol-sîr` ("every pot") refers to the most ordinary, mundane cooking vessels used for daily food preparation. This is a deliberate contrast to the special sacred vessels (like the bowls – מִזְרָקִים – mizraqim in v. 20) in the temple, highlighting that the future holiness will encompass the common, not just the sacred.
- in Jerusalem and in Judah (בִּירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם וּבִיהוּדָה – bîrûšālayim ûbîhûdāh): Specifies the geographical scope. Jerusalem, the city of God, will be entirely consecrated, and Judah represents the wider land of God's people. This expands the area of profound holiness beyond just the temple precinct to the entire sacred domain.
- shall be holy to the LORD of hosts (יִהְיֶה קֹדֶשׁ לַיהוָה צְבָאוֹת – yiheyeh qōdeš laYHWH Sḇāʾôt): `Yiheyeh qōdeš` denotes a state of future consecration, "will be holy" or "will become holy." `Qōdeš` means "holiness" or "sanctuary," signifying being set apart for divine use and purity. This sacred status is explicitly for `YHWH Sḇāʾôt` ("the LORD of hosts"), emphasizing His sovereignty and ultimate authority, and that this holiness serves Him exclusively.
- And all who sacrifice (וְכָל־הַזֹּבֵחַ – wəkōl hazzōḇeaḥ): Refers to anyone bringing an offering. This implies universal participation in worship without previous Levitical restrictions or degrees of holiness, as common pots are now suitable for sacrificial use. It signifies accessibility to worship for all the faithful.
- shall come and take them and boil in them (בָּאוּ וְלָקְחוּ מֵהֶם וּבִשְּׁלוּ בָהֶם – bāʾû wəlāqəḥû mēhem ûḇiššəlû bāhem): Describes active, direct involvement in preparing sacrificial meals. The freedom to "take them" (the ordinary pots) and "boil in them" highlights that the practical aspects of worship will be universally consecrated, blurring the lines between the sacred and the mundane.
- And there shall no longer be a Canaanite (וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה עוֹד כְּנַעֲנִי – wəlōʾ-yiheyeh ʿôḏ Kenaʿanî): This is a crucial phrase. `Kenaʿanî` traditionally means "Canaanite," referring to the indigenous, often idolatrous and corrupt inhabitants of the promised land, whom Israel was commanded to dispossess due to their spiritual impurity. In a broader prophetic sense, `Kenaʿanî` also became synonymous with "merchant" or "trader," especially one associated with dishonest practices (cf. Hos 12:7, Prov 31:24, Isa 23:8). The prohibition implies the absolute removal of anything impure, exploitative, idolatrous, or otherwise defiling. This could be a polemic against the corrupting influence of commercialism, particularly within the sacred space, or against any form of spiritual uncleanness that characterized the original Canaanites.
- in the house of the LORD of hosts (בְּבֵית יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת – bəḇêṯ YHWH Sḇāʾôt): "The house of the LORD" typically refers to the Temple, but in this eschatological context, given the universal holiness described, it signifies God's consecrated dwelling place or His entire sacred realm, encompassing Jerusalem and even extending symbolically to the entire transformed earth where God reigns. It is a space where impurity, symbolized by the "Canaanite," cannot exist.
Zechariah 14 21 Bonus section
The complete purification described in Zechariah 14:21 resonates with the spiritualization of worship in the New Covenant. The emphasis is not on a physical temple structure but on a pervasive state of holiness. This prophetic vision parallels Jesus' cleansing of the temple, where He drove out merchants who had commercialized worship, reclaiming it as "a house of prayer" (Matt 21:12-13, John 2:14-16). In the New Testament, believers' bodies are considered temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20), implying that all aspects of a believer's life—their "pots" or daily activities—should be consecrated and lived "holy to the Lord." The final state of no Canaanite speaks to the complete removal of sin, impurity, and all anti-God forces in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:27), where only those washed by the Lamb's blood will dwell. This verse bridges the prophetic expectations of a physical, pure Jerusalem with the spiritual realities of God's universal reign and the Church as His holy dwelling place.
Zechariah 14 21 Commentary
Zechariah 14:21 offers a breathtaking vision of radical holiness in the eschatological kingdom of God. It elevates the commonplace to the consecrated, suggesting that every aspect of life in God's redeemed order will be dedicated to Him. The ordinary cooking pot, traditionally outside the strictures of sacred ritual, becomes suitable for the holiest acts of sacrifice. This profound redefinition eliminates the former separation between the sacred and profane, illustrating an all-encompassing divine presence where God's holiness permeates even the most mundane activities. The exclusion of the "Canaanite" (or merchant) symbolizes the absolute purity and moral integrity of this new era. It is a cleansing of all defilement, whether ethnic, commercial, or spiritual, ensuring that no ungodliness, exploitation, or spiritual corruption can inhabit the sphere of God's dominion. The "House of the LORD" becomes a fully sanctified space, accessible to all true worshipers, free from all impediments and profanations, reflecting the perfect and universal reign of YHWH Sḇāʾôt. This anticipates the New Jerusalem, where God's immediate presence is the ultimate sanctuary and every resident is truly holy.