Zechariah 2 10

Zechariah 2:10 kjv

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.

Zechariah 2:10 nkjv

"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," says the LORD.

Zechariah 2:10 niv

"Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD.

Zechariah 2:10 esv

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD.

Zechariah 2:10 nlt

The LORD says, "Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you.

Zechariah 2 verses

Zechariah 2 10 Meaning

This verse is a divine summons to Israel, personified as the "daughter of Zion," to express exultant joy because of a foundational promise: God Himself is imminently returning to dwell permanently and intimately within their community. It declares the active, certain, and saving presence of Yahweh among His people, serving as a powerful message of restoration, comfort, and assurance of divine intervention and fellowship.

Zechariah 2 10 Context

Zechariah 2:10 is located within the second chapter of the book of Zechariah, which contains the third of four visions given to the prophet. This vision describes Jerusalem’s future vastness and population expansion, emphasizing that it will be a city without walls due to the sheer number of inhabitants and because the LORD Himself will be a wall of fire around it and the glory within it (Zech 2:4-5). Verse 10 acts as the climactic exultation arising from these promises.

Historically, Zechariah was prophesying during the post-exilic period, roughly 520-518 BC, alongside the prophet Haggai. The people of Judah had returned from Babylonian exile but faced significant challenges: a ruined Temple, opposition from surrounding peoples, and internal discouragement. This message of God's imminent "coming" and "dwelling" among them served as a vital encouragement, asserting God’s unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises despite the dire present circumstances. It shifts their focus from present hardships to a glorious, divinely assured future.

Zechariah 2 10 Word analysis

• Sing (רָנִּי - rannî): (as ul)

  • Meaning: An imperative verb, demanding a loud, joyful shout or cry, often associated with exuberant praise and victory.
  • Significance: Indicates an unbridled expression of deep joy, not merely a quiet contemplation. It is a commanded response to a momentous divine action.

• and rejoice (שִׂמְחִי - śimḥî): (as ul)

  • Meaning: An imperative verb, meaning to be glad, merry, or joyful.
  • Significance: Coupled with "sing," it forms a strong hendiadys, emphasizing an all-encompassing, outward and inward joy. This joy is not a feeling to be worked up, but a direct consequence of God's declaration.

• O daughter of Zion (בַּת־צִיּוֹן - bat-Tziyyôn): (as ul)

  • Meaning: A poetic personification of Jerusalem and its inhabitants, representing the collective community of God's people.
  • Significance: This metaphorical address imbues the city/people with a personal identity, allowing for intimate address and highlighting the direct, relational nature of God's promise. It expands in New Testament understanding to include the Church, God's spiritual Israel.

• for behold (כִּי הִנֵּה - kî hinnēh): (as ul)

  • Meaning: "For" (kî) introduces the reason for the command to rejoice; "behold" (hinnēh) is an interjection used to call urgent attention to something new, significant, and immediate.
  • Significance: It marks a pivot, introducing the astonishing and certain divine act that is the basis for all joy. It heightens the sense of divine initiative and emphasizes the truth and certainty of the following declaration.

• I come (בָּא - bāʾ): (as ul)

  • Meaning: Qal active participle of the verb "boʾ" (to come), here used as a stative verb meaning "I am coming" or "I am one who comes."
  • Significance: Implies a present or imminent, certain arrival. This is God speaking of His own active movement toward His people. It points to a literal divine advent, historically in restoration, ultimately in the incarnation of Christ, and in future glory.

• and I will dwell (וְשָׁכַנְתִּי - wəshāḵantî): (as ul)

  • Meaning: Qal perfect, 1st common singular of the verb "shakan" (to dwell, settle, abide). This verb is the root for the theological concept of "Shekinah," signifying the manifest glory and presence of God.
  • Significance: The perfect tense can indicate a completed action or a future action presented as already certain. It implies a permanent, established, and intimate presence, unlike a fleeting visit. This is the heart of the promise, recalling the Tabernacle and Temple, yet looking to an even deeper form of divine indwelling.

• in your midst (בְּתוֹכֵךְ - bəṯōḵēḵ): (as ul)

  • Meaning: Literally "in your middle" or "among you."
  • Significance: Emphasizes a deep, internal, and pervasive presence. It’s not just God being around them, but truly within the core of their community and experience.

• declares the LORD (נְאֻם־יְהוָה - nəʾum-YHWH): (as ul)

  • Meaning: A common prophetic oracle formula, certifying that the preceding words are a direct, authoritative utterance from God. YHWH is the personal, covenant name of God.
  • Significance: Underscores the divine authority, reliability, and certainty of the promise. It guarantees that the amazing promise is not human conjecture but God's absolute word.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Sing and rejoice": (as ul) A strong, doubled imperative conveying an overwhelming, publicly expressed joy that is both emotional and volitional. This commanded rejoicing flows from the absolute certainty of God's action.
  • "for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst": (as ul) This phrase constitutes the unshakeable foundation for the commanded joy. It moves from an active, personal coming ("I come") to a settled, intimate dwelling ("I will dwell in your midst"). It reveals God's initiative, His dynamic movement toward His people, and His ultimate intention for permanent communion. The "I come" could be an allusion to the divine Angel of the LORD who leads His people and appears throughout Zechariah.

Zechariah 2 10 Bonus section

• The "coming" (בָּא - bāʾ) is interpreted by many scholars to be not merely a conceptual presence, but a real, dynamic movement of God, potentially through the Angel of the LORD (a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, who figures prominently elsewhere in Zechariah).
• The progression from "I come" to "I will dwell" implies an initial, decisive act of arrival leading to a continuous, intimate presence, rather than a fleeting visit. This reveals God's profound longing for fellowship with His creation.
• The imagery of Zion's expansion in Zech 2:4 (Jerusalem without walls due to divine glory as a fire around it) provides the context for this verse's joyous command. God's presence will negate the need for humanly constructed fortifications.
• The command to rejoice is often found in contexts of divine deliverance and restoration in the Old Testament, connecting this verse to themes of salvation and redemption.

Zechariah 2 10 Commentary

Zechariah 2:10 is a pivotal prophetic declaration, anchoring the hope of post-exilic Israel in the immediate and eschatological presence of God. The command to "sing and rejoice" is a fitting response to the incredible promise of God's personal, certain, and abiding return. This "coming" signifies not merely a distant divine oversight but an active, relational, and transformative manifestation of His glory. The declaration that God "will dwell in your midst" profoundly connects with Israel's past experiences of the Tabernacle and Temple (Shekinah glory) and foreshadows even deeper fulfillments.

This prophecy found partial fulfillment in the post-exilic rebuilding and the return of a remnant, symbolizing God's faithfulness. More profoundly, it points to the incarnation of Jesus Christ, when God literally "tabernacled" among humanity (John 1:14). He is "Immanuel," God with us. His resurrection and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) represent the Spirit of God dwelling within individual believers and the corporate Church (1 Cor 3:16, Eph 2:22), transforming them into His spiritual Temple. Ultimately, this promise reaches its glorious climax in the New Heavens and New Earth, where the dwelling place of God will be eternally with redeemed humanity, ushering in perfect, unbroken fellowship (Rev 21:3). The joy commanded in Zechariah 2:10, therefore, transcends any single historical event, celebrating God's continuous and ultimate commitment to be among His people forever.