Zechariah 14:3 kjv
Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
Zechariah 14:3 nkjv
Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle.
Zechariah 14:3 niv
Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.
Zechariah 14:3 esv
Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.
Zechariah 14:3 nlt
Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past.
Zechariah 14 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 15:3 | The LORD is a man of war; The LORD is His name. | Lord's nature as warrior |
| Deut 1:30 | The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you... | God fighting for His people |
| Judg 4:15 | the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots... | God's intervention in battle |
| 2 Chr 20:15 | "...Do not be afraid nor dismayed...for the battle is not yours, but God's." | God's fight for His people |
| Psa 24:8 | Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. | Description of God as a mighty warrior |
| Psa 46:1-3 | God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble... | God as deliverer in distress |
| Isa 2:12 | For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty... | Day of the Lord's judgment |
| Isa 30:27-31 | Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar... to smite with His rod. | God's powerful judgment (on Assyria) |
| Isa 42:13 | The LORD will go forth like a mighty man; He will stir up His zeal like a man of war... | God as an active warrior |
| Jer 46:10 | For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts...to take vengeance. | Day of the Lord for vengeance |
| Jer 50:34 | Their Redeemer is strong; The LORD of hosts is His name. He will thoroughly plead their case... | God as a strong redeemer |
| Ezek 38:16 | "You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days..." | Gathering of nations in the latter days |
| Joel 3:1-2 | "For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations..." | Gathering of nations against Jerusalem |
| Joel 3:14 | Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near... | Day of the Lord for judgment |
| Zep 1:14-16 | The great day of the LORD is near...a day of wrath... | Day of the Lord's intensity |
| Mal 4:1 | "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, And all the proud...will be stubble..." | Day of the Lord's consuming fire |
| Zec 14:9 | And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. | Lord's future universal reign |
| Matt 24:27 | "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." | Messiah's sudden return |
| Acts 1:11 | "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner..." | Jesus' visible return |
| 1 Thess 5:2-3 | For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. | Unexpectedness of the Day of the Lord |
| 2 Pet 3:10 | But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night... | Description of the Day of the Lord |
| Rev 11:15 | Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord..." | Lord's ultimate reign |
| Rev 16:14 | "For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." | Gathering for Armageddon |
| Rev 19:11 | Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. | Christ's return as Warrior King |
| Rev 19:19-21 | And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him... | Final battle against God and His people |
Zechariah 14 verses
Zechariah 14 3 Meaning
Zechariah 14:3 prophesies a future direct and powerful divine intervention. Following the nations' assault on Jerusalem, the Lord Himself will personally engage in combat against these opposing forces. This future action is not an unfamiliar one, but rather a decisive display of power, akin to His past, characteristic interventions on "the day of battle" when He fought mightily for His people.
Zechariah 14 3 Context
Zechariah 14 describes the climatic "Day of the Lord," an eschatological event culminating in the judgment of nations and the establishment of God's universal kingdom. Verses 1-2 set the scene, prophesying that all nations will gather against Jerusalem, leading to its partial capture and the exile of some inhabitants. Verse 3 then presents God's sudden and dramatic intervention, demonstrating His unwavering commitment to His people and His sovereignty over history. Historically, the prophecy reflects post-exilic hopes for ultimate vindication and God's powerful restoration amidst ongoing threats from foreign powers, transcending any immediate historical fulfillment to point towards a definitive end-time event. The focus is on the personal return of the Lord to directly deal with His enemies.
Zechariah 14 3 Word analysis
- Then (וְיָצָא, wə·yā·ṣāʾ): A sequential conjunction, indicating a pivotal turn of events. It immediately follows the dire circumstances of Jerusalem's partial fall (Zech 14:1-2), marking a direct divine response to the preceding crisis.
- the Lord (יְהוָה, Yahweh): The covenantal, personal name of God, emphasizing His identity as the sovereign and faithful God who keeps His promises to His people and executes His justice. This highlights His direct and personal involvement, not through an intermediary.
- will go forth (יָצָא, yā·ṣāʾ): To "go out" or "march forth." This term denotes active and deliberate movement, signifying an immediate and physical divine initiative to engage, rather than a passive observation. It portrays God as an active warrior preparing for battle.
- And fight (וְנִלְחַם, wə·nil·ḥam): From לְחַם (lāḥam), "to fight, wage war." This is explicit language for military engagement, indicating God's direct participation in a conflict against the hostile nations. It is a decisive act of war.
- against those nations (אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם, ’eṯ-hag·gō·yim): "Those nations" refers to the specific entities gathered against Jerusalem in Zech 14:2, symbolizing all opposition to God's ultimate plan and people. The Hebrew term goyim (Gentiles/nations) often carries an adversarial connotation in prophetic contexts, highlighting their hostility against God and Israel.
- As He fights (כְּיוֹם הִלָּחֲמוֹ, kĕ·yōwm hil·lā·ḥămōw): "As the day of His fighting." The preposition kĕ (like, as) compares the future battle to previous, established patterns of divine combat. It evokes God's historically dramatic, supernatural interventions, underscoring that His power has not diminished.
- in the day of battle (בְּיוֹם קְרָב, bə·yōwm qĕ·rāḇ): "In a day of war" or "in a day of intense battle." This phrase points to significant, well-known historical instances when God demonstrably fought on behalf of Israel, such as the Red Sea, the conquest of Canaan, or the defeat of Sennacherib's army. It ensures the coming battle will be a decisive, supernatural display of God's might, akin to His most impressive past victories.
Word-groups analysis:
- "Then the Lord will go forth and fight": This powerful four-word declaration emphasizes the direct, personal, and intentional engagement of the divine. It portrays God as the supreme commander who personally takes the field. The divine warrior motif is central here.
- "against those nations as He fights in the day of battle": This clause clarifies the targets of God's wrath and reassures of His method. The goyim (nations) are His enemies. The comparison "as He fights in the day of battle" grounds the future prophecy in God's historical acts, promising a future victory no less dramatic or comprehensive than His past, most potent interventions. It implies the future battle will manifest similar supernatural phenomena or overwhelming force previously associated with His direct action.
Zechariah 14 3 Bonus section
The "day of battle" in this verse is not a generic term but often interpreted as a referential theological phrase pointing to those unique occasions in biblical history where God acted supernaturally and decisively on behalf of His people, such as in Exodus (Exod 14) or the battles in Joshua's conquest (Josh 10:11, Josh 24:7). The imagery is that of a theophany – a visible manifestation of God, as suggested by the splitting of the Mount of Olives in Zechariah 14:4. This dramatic physical intervention of God implies a visible return or coming, aligning strongly with New Testament descriptions of Christ's Second Coming, where He comes in power and glory to judge the nations and establish His eternal reign (Rev 19:11-21). The polemical element lies in its direct challenge to any worldly power or false deity; only Yahweh has the power to manifest Himself and decisively overcome all global opposition.
Zechariah 14 3 Commentary
Zechariah 14:3 serves as the pivotal turning point in the prophecy, declaring an immediate and personal divine intervention after the nations besiege Jerusalem. It underlines the sovereignty of Yahweh, the covenant God, who will not permit His chosen city and people to be utterly destroyed. His "going forth" implies a deliberate, active, and manifest engagement, echoing the ancient warrior motif of God in battles past. The critical phrase "as He fights in the day of battle" directly links this future, eschatological conflict to God's historic displays of power and judgment. It reassures that the methods and might of God's past victories—such as the parting of the Red Sea, the collapse of Jericho, or the angelic defeat of Sennacherib's army—will be re-enacted on an ultimate scale. This is not a new or desperate tactic, but a reassertion of God's unchanging nature as a divine warrior who decisively defends His people and establishes justice, leading directly into the subsequent description of cosmic and physical alterations in Jerusalem.