The Meaning of Zechariah 14:12 Explained

Zechariah 14:12

KJV: And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

YLT: And this is the plague with which Jehovah Doth plague all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem, He hath consumed away its flesh, And it is standing on its feet, And its eyes are consumed in their holes, And its tongue is consumed in their mouth.

Darby: And this shall be the plague wherewith Jehovah will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

ASV: And this shall be the plague wherewith Jehovah will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And this shall be the plague  wherewith the LORD  will smite  all the people  that have fought  against Jerusalem;  Their flesh  shall consume away  while they stand  upon their feet,  and their eyes  shall consume away  in their holes,  and their tongue  shall consume away  in their mouth. 

What does Zechariah 14:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord would smite the nations that warred against Jerusalem ( Zechariah 14:1-3) with a plague that would cause the people"s flesh to rot off them wherever they might be. They would not be able to see or speak (cf. Isaiah 37:36). One wonders if nuclear warfare may be involved.

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 14:12 mean?

And this shall be the plague with which will strike Yahweh - all the people that who fought against Jerusalem shall dissolve His flesh and while he stands on his feet and His eyes shall dissolve in their sockets and his tongue shall dissolve in their mouth
וְזֹ֣את ׀ תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה הַמַּגֵּפָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִגֹּ֤ף יְהוָה֙ אֶת־ כָּל־ הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר צָבְא֖וּ עַל־ יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם הָמֵ֣ק ׀ בְּשָׂר֗וֹ וְהוּא֙ עֹמֵ֣ד עַל־ רַגְלָ֔יו וְעֵינָיו֙ תִּמַּ֣קְנָה בְחֹֽרֵיהֶ֔ן וּלְשׁוֹנ֖וֹ תִּמַּ֥ק בְּפִיהֶֽם

וְזֹ֣את ׀  And  this 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַמַּגֵּפָ֗ה  the  plague 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַגֵּפָה  
Sense: blow, slaughter, plague, pestilence, strike, smite.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  with  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יִגֹּ֤ף  will  strike 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַף  
Sense: to strike, smite.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
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.
הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
צָבְא֖וּ  who  fought 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: צָבָא  
Sense: to go forth, wage war, fight, serve.
עַל־  against 
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.
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם  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.
הָמֵ֣ק ׀  shall  dissolve 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: מָקַק  
Sense: to decay, pine away, rot, fester.
בְּשָׂר֗וֹ  His  flesh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
וְהוּא֙  and  while  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
עֹמֵ֣ד  stands 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
רַגְלָ֔יו  his  feet 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
וְעֵינָיו֙  and  His  eyes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, cdc, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
תִּמַּ֣קְנָה  shall  dissolve 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: מָקַק  
Sense: to decay, pine away, rot, fester.
בְחֹֽרֵיהֶ֔ן  in  their  sockets 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine plural
Root: חֹר  
Sense: hole, cave.
וּלְשׁוֹנ֖וֹ  and  his  tongue 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לָשֹׁון  
Sense: tongue.
תִּמַּ֥ק  shall  dissolve 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מָקַק  
Sense: to decay, pine away, rot, fester.
בְּפִיהֶֽם  in  their  mouth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.