Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Zechariah
Chapter 8: I Am Returned Unto Zion
Zechariah 8 pours out promise after promise, ten times 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts,' as God pledges to restore His people. He is jealous for Zion 'with great fury' of love, and declares, 'I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.' He paints the picture of that restored city: old men and women resting in the streets, boys and girls playing, and the covenant fulfilled, 'they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.' The people who were 'a curse among the heathen' will become 'a blessing.' And out of the promises flows a call to live it out: 'Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour... love the truth and peace.' The chapter ends with a stunning vision of the nations streaming in, ten men grasping the skirt of one Jew, 'for we have heard that God is with you.' God's presence in His people draws the world.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Zechariah chapter 8, God's promises to restore Zion and the call to live in truth and peace. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. The chapter turns fasts into feasts and draws the nations to seek the God who dwells among His people. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
I Am Returned Unto Zion
God coming back to dwell among His people.
Old Folk and Playing Children
A picture of restored, peaceful life.
Speak Every Man the Truth
Grace producing a life of truth and peace.
God Is With You
The world drawn to seek the LORD.
They Shall Be My People, and I Will Be Their God (Zechariah 8:1-13)
God, jealous with love for Zion, promises to return and dwell in Jerusalem, filling its streets with the aged at rest and children at play, gathering His people from east and west, and turning them from a curse into a blessing.
So Will I Save You, and Ye Shall Be a Blessing
"Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour. But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong."
Hebrew Study
"I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy," qana (קָנָא), to be jealous, zealous. God's "jealousy" is not petty envy but the fierce, protective love of a husband for his bride, "great jealousy... great fury" directed against all that would harm His people. The same divine jealousy that burned in judgment against Israel's unfaithfulness now burns in zeal for her restoration. God is not indifferent to His people; He loves them with a consuming, jealous love, "the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" (Exodus 34:14). This jealous love is the engine of salvation: because God so passionately loves His own, He acts to save, restore, and dwell among them. Behind every promise in this chapter is the "great jealousy" of a God who will not let His people go.
"they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness." This is the covenant formula that runs through the whole Bible, God's deepest promise and purpose. It appears from Exodus ("I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God," Exodus 6:7) to the new covenant ("I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people," Hebrews 8:10) to the final vision ("they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them," Revelation 21:3). It is the essence of salvation: belonging to God and having God as our own. And it is "in truth and in righteousness", a genuine, upright relationship, not mere ritual. Everything God does for His people aims at this: that they may be His, and He may be theirs.
Explanation
The chapter overflows with promise, marked again and again by "Thus saith the LORD of hosts." It begins with God's love: "I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy", a fierce, protective love. Then the heart of it all: "I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem," and the city will be "a city of truth." God paints the restored life in tender detail: streets safe enough for "old men and old women" to sit with their staffs, and "full of boys and girls playing." Peace and long life and children at play, the picture of a healed community.
Is such a thing too wonderful to believe? "If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant... should it also be marvellous in mine eyes?" What seems impossible to us is not hard for God. He will "save my people from the east country, and from the west country" and gather them, so that "they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness." He urges the discouraged builders, "Let your hands be strong." Where before there was no wage, no peace, and constant strife, now "the seed shall be prosperous," the land will yield, and the people once "a curse among the heathen" will become "a blessing." "So will I save you... fear not, but let your hands be strong."
Gospel Focus
At the center of these promises is the heartbeat of the whole Bible: "I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem... they shall be my people, and I will be their God." This is what God has always been working toward, to dwell with His people and to be their God while they are His. It is fulfilled in stages, the temple, then Christ who "dwelt among us," then the Spirit indwelling the church, and finally forever when "the tabernacle of God is with men." If you belong to Christ, this ancient covenant promise is yours: you are His people, and He is your God, "in truth and in righteousness," a real and upright belonging secured by the blood of Jesus. There is no greater gift than to be able to say, "the LORD is my God, and I am His."
And see what drives it all: God's "great jealousy," His fierce, protective love. Salvation flows not from our worthiness but from God's passionate love for His own. That love takes what was "a curse among the heathen" and makes it "a blessing", exactly what God does with sinners saved by grace, turning cursed and ruined lives into channels of blessing to others. If God has saved you, you are no longer a curse but a blessing; He means to make your once-hopeless life a source of good to the world. So "fear not, but let your hands be strong," and rest in the jealous love of the God who returned to dwell among His people and made them His own.
We Have Heard That God Is With You (Zechariah 8:14-23)
God pledges to do good to Jerusalem, calls His people to live in truth and peace, promises to turn their sad fasts into joyful feasts, and foretells the day when many nations will grasp the skirt of a Jew to seek the God who is with His people.
Ten Men Shall Take Hold of the Skirt of Him That Is a Jew
"For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not: So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD. And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you."
Hebrew Study
"Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour." God's grace calls forth a corresponding life, and its first mark is truthfulness. "These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth," "execute the judgment of truth and peace," "let none... imagine evil," and "love no false oath." A restored people are to be a truthful people, honest in speech, just in dealing, and peaceable in heart. Paul draws directly on this verse for Christian conduct: "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another" (Ephesians 4:25). The God who is Himself "the God of truth" (Isaiah 65:16) makes His people truthful. Salvation is not only forgiveness but transformation into people who love and speak the truth.
"We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you." The chapter ends with one of the great missionary promises of the Old Testament. "Ten men" (a full number) "out of all languages of the nations" will grasp "the skirt of him that is a Jew," begging to come along, "for we have heard that God is with you." What draws the nations is God's manifest presence among His people. This is fulfilled as the gospel goes out and peoples from every language are joined to the God of Israel through Jesus Christ, the promise that "many nations shall be joined to the LORD" (Zechariah 2:11). And it teaches the church a lasting truth: the most powerful witness is the evident presence of God among His people. When the world sees that "God is with you," it is drawn to come. "That they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
Explanation
God assures His people that His purpose to bless is as fixed as His purpose to judge once was: "As I thought to punish you... So again have I thought in these days to do well... fear ye not." Then, as always, grace comes with a calling: "These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour," do "the judgment of truth and peace," harbor no "evil" in the heart, "love no false oath", for "all these are things that I hate." A blessed people must be a truthful, just, and peaceable people.
Then God turns the calendar of grief into a calendar of joy: the four fasts that mourned the exile "shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace." Sorrow will become celebration. And the chapter ends looking outward to the nations: "many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem." The climax is vivid, "ten men... out of all languages of the nations" will "take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew," pleading, "We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you." The presence of God among His people will magnetize the world.
Gospel Focus
Grace always produces a new way of living, and here it is truthfulness: "Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour." The people God saves He also makes honest, just, and peaceable, hating the false oath and the evil imagination. Paul lifts this straight into Christian ethics, "putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour." A church full of God's grace should be a community of truth and peace, where words can be trusted and dealings are just. And God turns their mourning fasts into "cheerful feasts", a picture of the gospel joy that replaces the sorrow of sin, for "he hath sent me... to comfort all that mourn... to give unto them beauty for ashes" (Isaiah 61:1-3).
But the crowning promise is the nations drawn in: "We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you." This is the church's calling and hope. What draws the world is not our programs or persuasion first, but the evident presence of God among us. When people can see that "God is with you," they will grasp your skirt and beg to come along. This promise is being fulfilled as the gospel gathers people "out of all languages of the nations" to Jesus Christ, in whom God is truly "with us," Immanuel. Live so that the presence of God is unmistakable in you, and the nations will follow you to seek the Lord. The greatest evangelism is a people of whom the world must say, "God is with you."
Chapter 8 in Review
Zechariah 8 is a cascade of promises from a God jealous with love for His people. "I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem," He says, painting a restored city of aged folk at rest and children at play, and sealing the covenant, "they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness." The people once "a curse among the heathen" will become "a blessing." Grace calls forth a life of truth and peace, "Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour", and turns sad fasts into "cheerful feasts." And the chapter ends with the nations streaming in, "ten men... of all languages" grasping the skirt of a Jew, "for we have heard that God is with you."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter is full of gospel. It centers on God's great purpose to dwell among His people and be their God, fulfilled in Christ who came to be Immanuel and in the Spirit who indwells the church. It shows salvation flowing from God's "great jealousy," His fierce protective love, which turns cursed lives into blessings. It teaches that grace produces truthfulness, justice, and peace, the very ethics Paul commands the church. And it crowns everything with the missionary vision of the nations drawn to a people among whom "God is with you." Let God dwell in your midst, be His people in truth and righteousness, live in truth and peace, and become the kind of community the world grasps hold of, saying, "We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you."
- Salvation flows from God's "great jealousy," His fierce, protective love (8:2; Exodus 34:14).
- God's great purpose: "I will dwell in the midst... they shall be my people, and I will be their God" (8:3, 8; Revelation 21:3).
- What seems too marvellous to us is not marvellous to God (8:6).
- God turns those once "a curse" into "a blessing" (8:13).
- Grace produces truth and peace: "Speak ye every man the truth" (8:16; Ephesians 4:25).
- The nations are drawn to a people among whom "God is with you" (8:23; Matthew 5:16).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you rest in God's jealous, protective love as the source of your salvation?
- Can you say the covenant promise over your life: "the LORD is my God, and I am His"?
- Does God's grace show in your truthfulness, justice, and peace with others?
- Would those around you say of your life or church, "God is with you"?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Key terms: qana ("jealous," zealous, verse 2); the four fasts (verse 19) mourned events of the fall of Jerusalem. God's jealous love for His people: Exodus 20:5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:24; Joel 2:18; Nahum 1:2; 2 Corinthians 11:2. God dwelling in the midst and the covenant formula: Leviticus 26:11-12; Exodus 6:7; Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 37:27; John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Hebrews 8:10; Revelation 21:3. Peace, long life, and children as marks of blessing: Isaiah 65:20-25; Psalm 128; Zechariah 8:4-5. Turning a curse into a blessing: Genesis 12:2-3; Deuteronomy 23:5; Isaiah 19:24-25; Galatians 3:13-14. Grace producing truth, justice, and peace: Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9; James 3:17-18; 1 Peter 3:10-11. Mourning turned to joy: Isaiah 61:1-3; Jeremiah 31:13; Psalm 30:11; John 16:20-22. The nations drawn to seek the LORD: Isaiah 2:2-3; 60:1-3; Micah 4:1-2; Zechariah 2:11; 14:16; Matthew 5:16; Acts 15:14-17. 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.
- God's jealous love, His return to dwell, and the covenant "they shall be my people": Zechariah 8:1-13; Exodus 34:14; Revelation 21:3.
- The call to truth and peace, feasts for fasts, and the nations drawn by "God is with you": Zechariah 8:14-23; Ephesians 4:25; Matthew 5:16.