The Meaning of Zechariah 14:10 Explained

Zechariah 14:10

KJV: All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.

YLT: Changed is all the land as a plain, From Gebo to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, And she hath been high, and hath dwelt in her place, Even from the gate of Benjamin To the place of the first gate, unto the front gate, And from the tower of Hananeel, Unto the wine-vats of the king.

Darby: All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem shall be turned as the Arabah; and Jerusalem shall be lifted up, and shall dwell in her own place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner-gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.

ASV: All the land shall be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she shall be lifted up, and shall dwell in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel unto the king's wine-presses.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

All the land  shall be turned  as a plain  from Geba  to Rimmon  south  of Jerusalem:  and it shall be lifted up,  and inhabited  in her place, from Benjamin's  gate  unto the place  of the first  gate,  unto the corner  gate,  and [from] the tower  of Hananeel  unto the king's  winepresses. 

What does Zechariah 14:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The land around Jerusalem would become level whereas Jerusalem itself would be elevated (apparently due to a great earthquake; cf. Isaiah 2:2; Revelation 16:18-19). In view of the place names mentioned, this verse probably refers to the literal city and its topography. Geba stood about six miles north of Jerusalem ( 2 Kings 23:8), and the Rimmon south of Jerusalem stood about35 miles southwest of it ( Joshua 15:32; Nehemiah 11:29). The sites mentioned in Jerusalem were on the east, west, north, and south sides of the city, indicating its totality. [1]

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 14:10 mean?

Shall be turned all the land into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Gate of Benjamin to the place of Gate the First Gate and the Corner and [from] the Tower of Hananel to winepresses of the king
יִסּ֨וֹב כָּל־ הָאָ֤רֶץ כָּעֲרָבָה֙ מִגֶּ֣בַע לְרִמּ֔וֹן נֶ֖גֶב יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְֽרָאֲמָה֩ וְיָשְׁבָ֨ה תַחְתֶּ֜יהָ לְמִשַּׁ֣עַר בִּנְיָמִ֗ן עַד־ מְק֞וֹם שַׁ֤עַר הָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ שַׁ֣עַר הַפִּנִּ֔ים וּמִגְדַּ֣ל חֲנַנְאֵ֔ל עַ֖ד יִקְבֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

יִסּ֨וֹב  Shall  be  turned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
הָאָ֤רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כָּעֲרָבָה֙  into  a  plain 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲרָבָה  
Sense: desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness.
מִגֶּ֣בַע  from  Geba 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֶּבַע  
Sense: a city in Benjamin, modern ‘Jeba’, which stands on the top of a steep terraced hill, six miles or ten kilometres north east of Jerusalem and three miles or five kilometres from Gibeah, on the edge of the Wadi Suweinit looking northward to the opposite village of ancient Michmash, modern ‘Mukhmas’.
לְרִמּ֔וֹן  to  Rimmon 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִמֹּון 
Sense: the deity of wind, rain, and storm, worshipped by the Syrians of Damascus.
נֶ֖גֶב  south 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
וְֽרָאֲמָה֩  and  Jerusalem  shall  be  raised  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָאַם  
Sense: (Qal) to rise.
וְיָשְׁבָ֨ה  and  inhabited 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
תַחְתֶּ֜יהָ  in  her  place 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
לְמִשַּׁ֣עַר  from  Gate 
Parse: Preposition-l, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
בִּנְיָמִ֗ן  of  Benjamin 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּנְיָמִין 
Sense: Jacob’s and Rachel’s youngest son, Joseph’s full brother.
מְק֞וֹם  the  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
שַׁ֤עַר  of  Gate 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
הָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙  the  First 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
שַׁ֣עַר  Gate 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
הַפִּנִּ֔ים  and  the  Corner 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: פִּנָּה  
Sense: corner.
וּמִגְדַּ֣ל  and  [from]  the  Tower 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִגְדָּל  
Sense: tower.
חֲנַנְאֵ֔ל  of  Hananel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲנַנְאֵל  
Sense: the name of a tower in Jerusalem.
יִקְבֵ֥י  winepresses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יֶקֶב  
Sense: wine vat, wine-press.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.