Zechariah 9:9

“Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; shout, daughter of Jerusalem. Look, your king comes to you; righteous and saved is he, afflicted and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the son of donkeys.”
Zechariah 9:9 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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Zechariah announces a righteous king who comes afflicted, riding on a donkeyHumility and Service

With the Hebrew beneath

Rejoiceגִּילִיgreatly,מְאֹדdaughterבַּתof Zion;צִיּוֹןshout,הָרִיעִיdaughterבַּתof Jerusalem.יְרוּשָׁלִַםLook,הִנֵּהyour kingמַלְכֵּךְcomesיָבוֹאto you;לָךְrighteousצַדִּיקand savedוְנוֹשָׁעis he,הוּאafflictedעָנִיand ridingוְרֹכֵבonעַלa donkey,חֲמוֹרand onוְעַלa colt,עַיִרthe sonבֶּןof donkeys.אֲתֹנוֹת

Quotation · Matthew 21:5

Go to Matthew 21:5

The quotation continues with Zechariah 9:9, without “righteous and saved is he.” Zechariah speaks of a donkey and a colt, the foal of a she-donkey.

Formula: ἵνα πληρωθῇ “so that … might be fulfilled” (Matthew 21:4)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Εἴπατε τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών Ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεταί σοι πραῢς καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὄνον καὶ ἐπὶ πῶλον υἱὸν ὑποζυγίου

Hebrew (Masoretic text): גִּילִי מְאֹד בַּת צִיּוֹן הָרִיעִי בַּת יְרוּשָׁלִַם הִנֵּה מַלְכֵּךְ יָבוֹא לָךְ צַדִּיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר וְעַל עַיִר בֶּן אֲתֹנוֹת

Septuagint (Zechariah 9:9 in the Septuagint numbering): Χαῖρε σφόδρα, θύγατερ Σειών· κήρυσσε, θύγατερ Ἰερουσαλήμ· ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεταί σοι δίκαιος καὶ σώζων, αὐτὸς πρᾳὺς καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὑποζύγιον καὶ πῶλον νέον.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 6 consecutive words: “Ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεταί σοι.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · John 12:15

Go to John 12:15

John quotes Zechariah 9:9 in shortened form: “your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

Formula: γεγραμμένον “what is written” (John 12:14)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Μὴ φοβοῦ θυγάτηρ Σιών ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεται καθήμενος ἐπὶ πῶλον ὄνου

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 5 consecutive words: “ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεται.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Zechariah 9:9, word by word

Rejoiceגִּילִיgili

rejoice

To rejoice: to be very glad, to leap for joy.

Where else “gili” appears

greatlyמְאֹדmeod

very

To a very high degree: the word that adds force to what is said.

Where else “meod” appears

daughterבַּתbat

daughter

A girl or woman born of her parents, who belongs to her father's house.

Where else “bat” appears

of Zionצִיּוֹןtsiyon

Zion

See it on the map Where else “tsiyon” appears

shoutהָרִיעִיharii

shout, sound an alarm

Make a loud sound: shout for joy or in alarm, acclaim, sound the signal with the trumpet.

Where else “harii” appears

of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַםyerushalaim

Jerusalem

See it on the map Where else “yerushalaim” appears

your kingמַלְכֵּmalke

king

A king who rules a people.

Where else “malke” appears

comesיָבוֹאyavo

come

To come, arrive: "days are coming".

Where else “yavo” appears

righteousצַדִּיקtsadik

righteous

Someone who lives uprightly; also YHWH.

Where else “tsadik” appears

and savedנוֹשָׁעnosha

save

To rescue someone from danger.

Where else “nosha” appears

afflictedעָנִיani

poor, afflicted

Poor, afflicted: one who suffers need and has no one to defend him; also humble.

Where else “ani” appears

and ridingרֹכֵבrochev

ride

To ride an animal or a chariot.

Where else “rochev” appears

a donkeyחֲמוֹרchamor

donkey

Donkey, male donkey.

Where else “chamor” appears

a coltעַיִרayir

young donkey

Young donkey, colt.

Where else “ayir” appears

the sonבֶּןben

young

An animal's offspring, its little one.

Where else “ben” appears

of donkeysאֲתֹנוֹתatonot

female donkey

Female donkey.

Where else “atonot” appears

Translation note

Matthew 21:5 and John 12:15 quote this verse at Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. “Saved”: the Hebrew is passive, “who has been saved.” “Afflicted”: Matthew says “gentle.”

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Matthew 21:5

The quotation continues with Zechariah 9:9, without “righteous and saved is he.” Zechariah speaks of a donkey and a colt, the foal of a she-donkey.

See them side by side

Zechariah 9:9

⁹Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; shout, daughter of Jerusalem. Look, your king comes to you; righteous and saved is he, afflicted and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the son of donkeys.

Matthew 21:5

⁵“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Look, your king is coming to you, gentle and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

Quotation · John 12:15

John quotes Zechariah 9:9 in shortened form: “your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

See them side by side

Zechariah 9:9

⁹Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; shout, daughter of Jerusalem. Look, your king comes to you; righteous and saved is he, afflicted and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the son of donkeys.

John 12:15

¹⁵“Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion; look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

1Zion
Today: Mount Zion hill, Jerusalem
A hill in Jerusalem; it first named the fortress David captured, and later sometimes the whole city.
David captured the stronghold of Zion and called it the city of David (2 Sam 5:7). The Psalms and prophets call it the place where God lives among his people (Ps 48:2).
2 Samuel 5:7 Psalms 48:2 Hebrews 12:22 Romans 9:33
2Jerusalem
Today: Old City of Jerusalem
A city in the hills of Judea, about 22 miles (35 km) west of the Dead Sea and 35 miles (55 km) east of the Mediterranean.
David took it and made it his city (2 Sam 5:7); Solomon built the temple there (1 Kgs 8:1). Jesus was presented there, and the apostles' witness began from it (Luke 2:22; Acts 1:8).
2 Samuel 5:6 1 Kings 8:1 Luke 2:22 Acts 1:8

The context

8And I will encamp at my house as a garrison, against the one who passes through and the one who returns; and no oppressor will pass over them again, for now I have seen with my eyes.

9 · This verse (above)

10And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be cut off; and he will speak peace to the nations, and his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

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