The Meaning of Zechariah 14:5 Explained

Zechariah 14:5

KJV: And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

YLT: And ye have fled to the valley of My mountains, For join doth the valley of the mountains to Azal, And ye have fled as ye fled before the shaking, In the days of Uzziah king of Judah, And come in hath Jehovah my God, All holy ones are with Thee.

Darby: And ye shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: ye shall even flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. And Jehovah my God shall come, and all the holy ones with thee.

ASV: And ye shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azel; yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and Jehovah my God shall come, and all the holy ones with thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And ye shall flee  [to] the valley  of the mountains;  for the valley  of the mountains  shall reach  unto Azal:  yea, ye shall flee,  like as ye fled  from before  the earthquake  in the days  of Uzziah  king  of Judah:  and the LORD  my God  shall come,  [and] all the saints  with thee. 

What does Zechariah 14:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Israelites would flee for safety through this valley with mountains on either side (cf. 2 Samuel 15:16; 2 Samuel 15:30; 2 Kings 25:4; Ezekiel 11:22-25). Compare the Israelites" flight through the Red Sea during the Exodus. The valley would reach as far as Azel (lit. be joined to, or be at the side of, near; cf. Micah 1:11), a site presently unknown but obviously some distance east of Jerusalem. They would flee as they did during the great earthquake that happened during King Uzziah"s reign over Judah (cf. Amos 1:1). [1] Then the Lord would come with all His holy ones with Him, namely, Christians in heaven and angels (cf. Psalm 89:5; Psalm 89:7; Matthew 25:31; Colossians 1:4; Colossians 1:12; Colossians 1:26-27; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Jude 1:14; Revelation 19:11-16). Zechariah expressed his own relationship with the Lord, his faith in Him, and his wonder at this revelation by referring to Him personally: "O my God."

Context Summary

Zechariah 14:1-21 - "at Evening Time It Shall Be Light"
We can hardly doubt that in Zechariah 14:1-21, Zechariah is anticipating the same events as Ezekiel describes in Ezekiel 38:1-23; Ezekiel 39:1-29 of his remarkable book. At first the attack of the enemies of God's people will be entirely successful, then Jesus will appear to them and for them. There will be a literal fulfillment of Acts 1:11 and Isaiah 25:9-10. It was when his brethren were in their greatest straits that Joseph made himself known to them, and when the Jews are in dire extremity, they will hear Him say, "I am Jesus your Brother." See Genesis 45:1-15. Finally the long stormy days of Israel's history will be over forever, and "at evening time it shall be light." It is clear that Paul's vision in Romans 11:1-36 is to be gloriously realized [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 14

1  The destroyers of Jerusalem destroyed
3  The coming of Christ, and the graces of his kingdom
12  The plague of Jerusalem's enemies
16  The remnant shall turn to the Lord;
20  and their spoils shall be holy

What do the individual words in Zechariah 14:5 mean?

And you shall flee [through] My valley mountain for shall reach the valley mountain to Azal and Yes you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah Thus will come Yahweh my God [And] all the saints with You
וְנַסְתֶּ֣ם גֵּֽיא־ הָרַ֗י כִּֽי־ יַגִּ֣יעַ גֵּי־ הָרִים֮ אֶל־ אָצַל֒ וְנַסְתֶּ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר נַסְתֶּם֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י הָרַ֔עַשׁ בִּימֵ֖י עֻזִּיָּ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־ יְהוּדָ֑ה וּבָא֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהַ֔י כָּל־ קְדֹשִׁ֖ים עִמָּֽךְ

וְנַסְתֶּ֣ם  And  you  shall  flee 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
גֵּֽיא־  [through]  My  valley 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: גַּיְא  
Sense: valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge.
הָרַ֗י  mountain 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
יַגִּ֣יעַ  shall  reach 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
גֵּי־  the  valley 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: גַּיְא  
Sense: valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge.
הָרִים֮  mountain 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
אָצַל֒  Azal 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָצֵל 
Sense: a place near Jerusalem, site presently unknown (CLBL).
וְנַסְתֶּ֗ם  and  Yes  you  shall  flee 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
נַסְתֶּם֙  you  fled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
הָרַ֔עַשׁ  the  earthquake 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רַעַשׁ  
Sense: quaking, rattling, shaking.
בִּימֵ֖י  in  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
עֻזִּיָּ֣ה  of  Uzziah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֻזִּיָּה 
Sense: son of king Amaziah of Judah and king of Judah himself for 52 years; also ‘Azariah’.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהוּדָ֑ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וּבָא֙  Thus  will  come 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהַ֔י  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
כָּל־  [And]  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
קְדֹשִׁ֖ים  the  saints 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
עִמָּֽךְ  with  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.