Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Zechariah
Chapter 10: I Will Strengthen Them in the LORD
Zechariah 10 contrasts the worthless comfort of idols with the living God who shepherds His people. The people had wandered 'as a flock' with 'no shepherd,' misled by idols and diviners who 'comfort in vain.' God's anger burns against the false shepherds, but His care is fixed on His flock: 'the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock.' From Judah He brings forth everything the people need, 'the corner, the nail, the battle bow', and makes them mighty because 'the LORD is with them.' Then the chapter overflows with promises of gathering and restoration: 'I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them.' God will strengthen His people, and 'they shall walk up and down in his name.' It is a chapter about leaving the empty idols and finding strength, redemption, and shepherding in the LORD alone.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Zechariah chapter 10, the emptiness of idols and the strength found in the LORD who shepherds and gathers His people. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. The chapter points to the true Shepherd and the cornerstone who come from Judah. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Ask of the LORD
Seek God, not idols, for what you need.
Out of Him the Corner
From Judah comes every needed strength.
As Though I Had Not Cast Them Off
God restoring His people in full mercy.
I Will Hiss for Them
God calling and gathering His redeemed.
Out of Him the Corner, Out of Him the Nail (Zechariah 10:1-7)
God calls His people to ask Him for rain rather than trust idols that "comfort in vain"; His anger burns against false shepherds, but He visits His own flock and brings from Judah the cornerstone, the nail, and strength for battle.
The LORD of Hosts Hath Visited His Flock
"Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd. Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle. Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together. And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded. And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them. And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD."
Hebrew Study
"Ask ye of the LORD rain... For the idols have spoken vanity." Israel had turned to idols and "diviners" for the rain and blessing they needed, and got only "vanity" and "a lie"; the idols "comfort in vain." God's remedy is simple and searching: "Ask ye of the LORD." Go to the true source, not the empty ones. Rain comes from God, not from Baal, and He gives it to those who ask. This is a lasting lesson: we chase a hundred false comforters, money, luck, self-help, the counsel of the world, for what only God can give, and they "comfort in vain." "Ask, and it shall be given you" (Matthew 7:7); "ye have not, because ye ask not" (James 4:2). Turn from the idols that cannot help, and ask of the LORD.
"Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow." From Judah (or from the LORD who shepherds Judah) come all the resources the people need: "the corner" (the cornerstone, the foundation of leadership and strength), "the nail" (a tent-peg or wall-peg on which weight is hung, a support to be relied on), and "the battle bow" (military might). These images of dependable strength point ultimately to the Messiah, who comes "out of" Judah. Christ is "the head of the corner" (Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:7), the cornerstone on whom the whole building rests, and He is "a nail in a sure place" (Isaiah 22:23) on whom all the weight of our hope may safely hang. Everything God's people need for strength and stability comes from the One who springs from Judah, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Jesus Christ.
Explanation
God calls His people to look to the right source: "Ask ye of the LORD rain." The idols and "diviners" they had trusted only "spoke vanity" and "comfort in vain," leaving the people to wander "as a flock" that was "troubled, because there was no shepherd." God's anger is "kindled against the shepherds", the false leaders who misled the flock, but His care rests on the flock itself: "the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah."
From Judah God brings everything the people need: "Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow", the cornerstone, the peg to hang on, the strength for war. He makes His people "as mighty men," victorious "because the LORD is with them." And He pledges mercy and restoration: "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph... I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off." So complete is His restoring grace that it is as if the rejection had never happened, and the people's hearts "shall rejoice in the LORD." The true Shepherd gives what no idol can.
Gospel Focus
"Ask ye of the LORD... For the idols have spoken vanity" exposes a folly we still commit. We turn to false comforters for what only God can give, and they "comfort in vain." The world offers a thousand substitutes, and every one is an empty idol that leaves us "troubled." The gospel calls us back to the true source: "Ask ye of the LORD." God is the giver of every good gift, and He delights to be asked, "if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally" (James 1:5). Stop wandering after idols that comfort in vain; bring your need to the LORD, who alone can meet it.
And rejoice that from Judah God brought "the corner" and "the nail", the Messiah, on whom everything rests. Jesus Christ is the "head of the corner," the cornerstone God laid, tested and precious, on whom the whole house of God is built and stands secure. And He is "a nail in a sure place," a peg driven firm, on which the full weight of our hope and salvation may hang without fear of falling. When your own strength gives way, you have a sure cornerstone and a sure nail in Christ. And notice the sweetness of His restoring mercy: "they shall be as though I had not cast them off." That is how God forgives, not grudgingly, but so completely that it is as if we had never sinned. Ask of the LORD, rest on the cornerstone, hang your hope on the sure nail, and rejoice in the God who restores as though the fall had never been.
I Have Redeemed Them (Zechariah 10:8-12)
God promises to whistle for His scattered people and gather them because He has redeemed them, to bring them home from distant lands, to overcome every obstacle, and to strengthen them so they walk up and down in His name.
They Shall Walk Up and Down in His Name
"I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased. And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again. I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them. And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away. And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD."
Hebrew Study
"I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them." "Hiss" means to whistle or signal, as a shepherd or beekeeper whistles to call the flock or swarm together. God will simply whistle, and His scattered people, wherever they are, will hear and come. The ground of the gathering is redemption: "for I have redeemed them." Because they are bought and belong to Him, He gathers them; His whistle reaches His own. This is the Shepherd's call, "my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27), and the gathering of the redeemed from every land, "other sheep I have... them also I must bring... and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16). God does not lose His redeemed; He whistles, and they come home.
"they shall walk up and down in his name," and "I will strengthen them in the LORD." The chapter ends with the twofold secret of the restored life: strength "in the LORD" and walking "in his name." To be "strengthened... in the LORD" is to draw one's power from God, not oneself, "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might" (Ephesians 6:10). And to "walk up and down in his name" is to live one's whole life under God's name, in His authority, for His honor, representing Him. This is the pattern of the believer's life: our strength is in Him, and our walk is in His name, "whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17). Redeemed, gathered, and strengthened, God's people go through the world bearing His name.
Explanation
God promises to gather His scattered people with a whistle: "I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them." The reason is redemption, they are His, bought and belonging to Him. Though "sown... among the people" in far countries, they will "remember me" and "turn again." He will bring them home "out of the land of Egypt" and "out of Assyria," the classic places of bondage, gathering so many that "place shall not be found for them", the land overflowing with returnees.
Every obstacle will yield: as at the Red Sea, God "shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up," and the great oppressors, "the pride of Assyria" and "the sceptre of Egypt", will be brought down. And the chapter ends with the heart of it all: "I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name." The redeemed, gathered people will live in God's strength and under God's name. This is the goal of all God's shepherding and gathering: a people made strong in Him and walking through the world in His name.
Gospel Focus
"I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them" is a beautiful picture of how God draws His own. He does not lose His redeemed among the nations; He whistles, and they hear and come, because they belong to Him. This is the Good Shepherd's work: "my sheep hear my voice... and they follow me," and He gathers "other sheep" from every land into "one fold." If you are redeemed by Christ, you are one whom the Shepherd whistles for; His call reaches you wherever you have wandered, and He will bring you home. No distance, no "Egypt" or "Assyria" of bondage, is too far; the redeeming Shepherd gathers His own.
And take to heart the closing pattern of the redeemed life: "I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name." Our strength is not in ourselves but "in the LORD", "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might", and our whole walk is "in his name", lived under His authority, for His honor, as those who bear His name. This is what it means to be a Christian: redeemed by Christ, strengthened in Him, and walking through the world in His name, "whatsoever ye do... do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." Leave the idols that comfort in vain, hear the Shepherd's whistle, and go through your life strong in the LORD and walking in His name.
Chapter 10 in Review
Zechariah 10 sets the empty idols against the living God who shepherds His people. The idols "comfort in vain," leaving the flock wandering with "no shepherd," so God says, "Ask ye of the LORD." His anger burns against the false shepherds, but "the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock." From Judah He brings "the corner, the nail, the battle bow", every strength the people need, and He restores them so fully that "they shall be as though I had not cast them off." Then He gathers His redeemed with a whistle, "I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them," and strengthens them so "they shall walk up and down in his name."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter points to Christ, the true Shepherd and cornerstone. It calls us from idols that comfort in vain to ask of the LORD who alone gives. It shows that from Judah came "the corner" and "the nail", Jesus, the sure cornerstone on whom the church is built and the sure peg on whom our hope may hang. It reveals a restoring mercy so complete that the redeemed stand "as though I had not cast them off." And it pictures the Good Shepherd whistling for His redeemed and gathering them from every land into one fold, then sending them out strengthened "in the LORD" to walk "in his name." Ask of the LORD, rest on the cornerstone, hear the Shepherd's call, and walk in His name.
- Idols "comfort in vain"; ask of the LORD who alone gives (10:1-2; James 1:5).
- God is angry with false shepherds but visits and cares for His flock (10:3; Ezekiel 34).
- From Judah come "the corner" and "the nail," pointing to Christ our cornerstone and sure support (10:4; 1 Peter 2:7; Isaiah 22:23).
- God's restoring mercy is complete: "as though I had not cast them off" (10:6).
- The Good Shepherd whistles for and gathers His redeemed from every land (10:8; John 10:16, 27).
- The redeemed are "strengthen[ed]... in the LORD" and "walk up and down in his name" (10:12; Ephesians 6:10; Colossians 3:17).
Questions for Reflection
- What idols are you asking to comfort you, that "comfort in vain"?
- Are you resting the weight of your hope on Christ, the sure cornerstone and nail?
- Do you believe God restores so fully it is "as though I had not cast them off"?
- Are you living strong "in the LORD" and walking "in his name"?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Key terms: "hiss" (to whistle or signal, verse 8); "the corner" (cornerstone) and "the nail" (a peg for hanging weight, verse 4). Asking God rather than idols: 1 Kings 18:1, 41-45; Jeremiah 14:22; Matthew 7:7-11; James 1:5; 4:2-3. Idols that comfort in vain: Psalm 115:4-8; Isaiah 44:9-20; Jeremiah 10:5; Habakkuk 2:18-19. God's anger at false shepherds and care for His flock: Ezekiel 34:1-16; Jeremiah 23:1-4; John 10:11-16; 1 Peter 5:2-4. The cornerstone and the sure nail, fulfilled in Christ: Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16; 22:23-25; Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:4-7; Ephesians 2:20. God gathering the redeemed: Deuteronomy 30:3-4; Isaiah 11:11-12; 43:1-7; John 10:16, 27-28; 11:52. Complete restoration and forgiveness: Isaiah 43:25; Micah 7:19; Jeremiah 50:20; Romans 8:1. Strength in the Lord and walking in His name: Isaiah 40:31; Ephesians 6:10; Philippians 4:13; Colossians 3:17; Micah 4:5. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Empty idols, the visited flock, and the cornerstone and nail from Judah: Zechariah 10:1-7; 1 Peter 2:7; Isaiah 22:23.
- The Shepherd gathering His redeemed and strengthening them in His name: Zechariah 10:8-12; John 10:16, 27; Colossians 3:17.