The Meaning of Zechariah 9:11 Explained

Zechariah 9:11

KJV: As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

YLT: Also thou -- by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent thy prisoners out of the pit, There is no water in it.

Darby: As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant, I will send forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

ASV: As for thee also, because of the blood of thy covenant I have set free thy prisoners from the pit wherein is no water.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

As for thee also, by the blood  of thy covenant  I have sent forth  thy prisoners  out of the pit  wherein [is] no water. 

What does Zechariah 9:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

As for the Israelites (Zion), the Lord promised to set free those of them whom their enemies would hold prisoner. He pictured this as taking them out of a dry cistern where they were captives, like Joseph and Jeremiah ( Genesis 37:24; Jeremiah 38:6-9).
"God"s people had been in the "pit" of Babylonian exile, but they would find themselves in a worse predicament in the end of the age. From that pit God would again retrieve them according to His faithfulness to His covenant promises." [1]
Blood sacrifices ratified the Abrahamic Covenant ( Genesis 15:9-11) and the Mosaic Covenant ( Exodus 24:3-8; Exodus 29:38-46; cf. Mark 14:24).

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 9:11 mean?

As for also you because of the blood of your covenant I will set free your prisoners from the pit there no waterless -
גַּם־ אַ֣תְּ בְּדַם־ בְּרִיתֵ֗ךְ שִׁלַּ֤חְתִּי אֲסִירַ֙יִךְ֙‪‬ מִבּ֔וֹר אֵ֥ין מַ֖יִם בּֽוֹ

גַּם־  As  for  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
בְּדַם־  because  of  the  blood 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
בְּרִיתֵ֗ךְ  of  your  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
שִׁלַּ֤חְתִּי  I  will  set  free 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֲסִירַ֙יִךְ֙‪‬  your  prisoners 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: אָסִיר  
Sense: prisoner, captive, bondman.
מִבּ֔וֹר  from  the  pit 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֹּור 
Sense: pit, well, cistern.
אֵ֥ין  there  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מַ֖יִם  waterless 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
בּֽוֹ    - 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular