The Meaning of Zechariah 12:4 Explained

Zechariah 12:4

KJV: In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.

YLT: In that day -- an affirmation of Jehovah, I do smite every horse with astonishment, And its rider with madness, And on the house of Judah I open My eyes, And every horse of the peoples I smite with blindness.

Darby: In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness; but I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness.

ASV: In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In that day,  saith  the LORD,  I will smite  every horse  with astonishment,  and his rider  with madness:  and I will open  mine eyes  upon the house  of Judah,  and will smite  every horse  of the people  with blindness. 

What does Zechariah 12:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord would cause the weapons that Israel"s enemies used to destroy the city to be ineffective, and He would make the hostile soldiers crazy (cf. Deuteronomy 28:28; Judges 5:22). In this way He would watch over the house of Judah (the Israelites; cf. Psalm 32:8; Psalm 33:18).

Context Summary

Zechariah 12:1-14 - Jerusalem's Day Of Mourning
This vision refers to a time yet future, when the Jews shall have returned to their own land, but still in unbelief; and will be assailed by their foes, though in vain, Zechariah 12:2-3; Zechariah 12:6. The Lord will defend them, Zechariah 12:7-8. Then the nation will mourn. Their repentance will be universal, from the highest to the lowest; lonely, and on account of the sufferings they inflicted on Jesus. The Agent of this mourning will be the Holy Spirit; and it will eventuate in the full forgiveness of sin through the blood of atonement and an entire cleansing from idols. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 12

1  Jerusalem a cup of trembling to herself,
3  and a burdensome stone to her adversaries
6  The victorious restoring of Judah
10  The repentance of Jerusalem

What do the individual words in Zechariah 12:4 mean?

In day that says Yahweh I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with madness And on the house of Judah I will open - My eyes and every horse of the peoples will strike with blindness
בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא נְאֻם־ יְהוָ֗ה אַכֶּ֤ה כָל־ סוּס֙ בַּתִּמָּה֔וֹן וְרֹכְב֖וֹ בַּשִּׁגָּע֑וֹן וְעַל־ בֵּ֤ית יְהוּדָה֙ אֶפְקַ֣ח אֶת־ עֵינַ֔י וְכֹל֙ ס֣וּס הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אַכֶּ֖ה בַּֽעִוָּרֽוֹן

בַּיּ֨וֹם  In  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֜וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אַכֶּ֤ה  I  will  strike 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
כָל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
סוּס֙  horse 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
בַּתִּמָּה֔וֹן  with  confusion 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: תִּמָּהֹון  
Sense: astonishment, bewilderment, stupefaction.
וְרֹכְב֖וֹ  and  its  rider 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רָכַב  
Sense: to mount and ride, ride.
בַּשִּׁגָּע֑וֹן  with  madness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שִׁגָּעֹון  
Sense: madness.
וְעַל־  And  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
בֵּ֤ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוּדָה֙  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
אֶפְקַ֣ח  I  will  open 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּקַח  
Sense: to open (the eyes).
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֵינַ֔י  My  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, first person common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וְכֹל֙  and  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
ס֣וּס  horse 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
הָֽעַמִּ֔ים  of  the  peoples 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אַכֶּ֖ה  will  strike 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
בַּֽעִוָּרֽוֹן  with  blindness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עִוָּרֹון 
Sense: blindness.