The Meaning of Zechariah 14:20 Explained

Zechariah 14:20

KJV: In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD'S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

YLT: In that day there is on bells of the horse, 'Holy to Jehovah,' And the pots in the house of Jehovah Have been as bowls before the altar.

Darby: In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO JEHOVAH; and the pots in Jehovah's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

ASV: In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLY UNTO JEHOVAH; and the pots in Jehovah's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In that day  shall there be upon the bells  of the horses,  HOLINESS  UNTO THE LORD;  and the pots  in the LORD'S  house  shall be like the bowls  before  the altar. 

What does Zechariah 14:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In that day even the most common things would be as consecrated to God"s glory as the gold plate on the high priest"s turban that previously indicated his consecration ( Exodus 28:36). This plate was to remind the Israelites of their holy calling as well. Finally all the people would indeed be consecrated to the Lord and would fulfill their holy calling (cf. Exodus 19:6; Jeremiah 2:3). The ordinary cooking pots in the temple would be as holy as the bowls used to sprinkle the sacrificial blood on the brazen altar had been. Distinctions between sacred and secular will no longer exist since everything will be holy, set apart to 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 14:20 mean?

In day that shall be [engraved] on the bells of the horses HOLY TO YAHWEH and shall be the pots in the house of Yahweh like the bowls before the altar
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִֽהְיֶה֙ עַל־ מְצִלּ֣וֹת הַסּ֔וּס קֹ֖דֶשׁ לַֽיהוָ֑ה וְהָיָ֤ה הַסִּירוֹת֙ בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה כַּמִּזְרָקִ֖ים לִפְנֵ֥י הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ

בַּיּ֣וֹם  In  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֗וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יִֽהְיֶה֙  shall  be  [engraved] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מְצִלּ֣וֹת  the  bells 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מְצִלָּה  
Sense: bell.
הַסּ֔וּס  of  the  horses 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
קֹ֖דֶשׁ  HOLY 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
לַֽיהוָ֑ה  TO  YAHWEH 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְהָיָ֤ה  and  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַסִּירוֹת֙  the  pots 
Parse: Article, Noun, common plural
Root: סִיר 
Sense: pot.
בְּבֵ֣ית  in  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כַּמִּזְרָקִ֖ים  like  the  bowls 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מִזְרָק  
Sense: bowl, basin.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.