The Meaning of Zechariah 9:16 Explained

Zechariah 9:16

KJV: And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.

YLT: And saved them hath Jehovah their God In that day, as a flock of His people, For stones of a crown are displaying themselves over His ground.

Darby: And Jehovah their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up upon his land.

ASV: And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted on high over his land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  their God  shall save  them in that day  as the flock  of his people:  for they [shall be as] the stones  of a crown,  lifted up as an ensign  upon his land. 

What does Zechariah 9:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Zechariah 9:9-17 - A Lowly Deliverer Brings Peace
Jesus must be King first, then Savior. He is lowly; His steed is not the richly caparisoned warhorse, but the humble ass; He needs no weapon to overthrow His foes, because as Priest He speaks peace. The peasantry had taken shelter in the rock hewn mountain cisterns; but they might cherish hope, because they had been redeemed by the blood of the covenant, and God would see to it that that redemption was made effective. Before the advent of the King, the prison-doors would open, and at His word the imprisoned should go forth. How great are His goodness and beauty!
In Zechariah 10:1-12 we have a reference to the successful stand made by Judas Maccabaeus and his brethren against Antiochus. They were to tread them down as the mire of the streets; Joseph and Judah would be reunited and after their far-spread sowing over the world, the scattered tribes would ultimately return as bees to the call of the bee-farmer. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 9

1  God defends his church
9  Zion is exhorted to rejoice for the coming of Christ, and his peaceable kingdom
12  God's promises of victory and defense

What do the individual words in Zechariah 9:16 mean?

And will save them Yahweh their God in day that as the flock of His people for they [shall be like] the jewels of a crown Lifted like a banner over His land
וְֽהוֹשִׁיעָ֞ם יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֛ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא כְּצֹ֣אן עַמּ֑וֹ כִּ֚י אַבְנֵי־ נֵ֔זֶר מִֽתְנוֹסְס֖וֹת עַל־ אַדְמָתֽוֹ

וְֽהוֹשִׁיעָ֞ם  And  will  save  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
יְהוָ֧ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֛ם  their  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בַּיּ֥וֹם  in  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֖וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
כְּצֹ֣אן  as  the  flock 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, common singular construct
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
עַמּ֑וֹ  of  His  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אַבְנֵי־  they  [shall  be  like]  the  jewels 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
נֵ֔זֶר  of  a  crown 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵזֶר  
Sense: consecration, crown, separation, Nazariteship.
מִֽתְנוֹסְס֖וֹת  Lifted  like  a  banner 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, feminine plural
Root: נָסַס  
Sense: to be lifted up (meaning dubious).
עַל־  over 
Parse: 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.
אַדְמָתֽוֹ  His  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.